Release courtesy of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium
LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium’s (NMSGC) third annual Student Launch is now scheduled for Friday, May 20, 2011 at Spaceport America. If you are interested in attending you are encouraged to register online. NASA is sponsoring this launch as part of its Summer of Innovation program. The SL-5 rocket will be carrying experiments designed and created by students from middle grades through to university level. Students are from New Mexico, Texas and Arizona created the experiments. This launch was rescheduled from its earlier launch date in order to meet mission specifications. Registration will be open until 5 p.m. MDT May 10, 2011.
The Student Launch is open to the public by reservation via coach transportation for $45 per person. Registrants can go online to http://www.launchnm.com/registration.php to reserve their space and make payment. No private vehicles are allowed at the launch site.
NMSGC Director Dr. Patricia Hynes is enthusiastic about this year’s student launch, and welcomes the public. “This will be another unique opportunity for students, parents, teachers and anyone interested in space, to learn about sub-orbital science and engineering education and research. We will launch the rocket with the experiments and after the rocket lands, we will take the experiments out of the rocket and give the data to the student on-site.” The rocket will loft 27 student experiments into space from Spaceport America, culminating nearly a year of development and planning. “Because we want to give students the data from their experiments in the field, we tested the parachute system on the rocket. The system worked perfectly, but we had a small problem after the test, which created the delay.”
The May 20 SL-5 Student Launch will be well-attended, with many local dignitaries and industry representatives on-hand, including personnel from NASA.
The student launch program was created by the NMSGC to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs for area students. This program provides annual access to space for student experiments at the end of the academic year.
Experiments include 35 sensors including electromagnetic field, carbon dioxide detectors, radiation, acceleration, temperature, pressure and electricity sensors. Descriptions of the student experiments are available online at http://www.launchnm.com
The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium is a member of the congressionally funded National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program that is administered by NASA and sponsored by New Mexico State University. The program promotes and inspires lifelong learning in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as it pertains to space-related activities. The consortium supports a wide range of projects and scholarship opportunities, including the Student Launch Program.
