Choudrant Elementary School in Lincoln Parish has collaborated with Edge of Space Missions from Colorado to give their 5th graders a once-in-a-lifetime “out of this world” opportunity.
Edge of Space Missions, funded by the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association, aims to develop future scientists and engineers by giving students a chance to launch items 100,000 feet to the very edge of space via a 50-foot balloon.
Around 80 fifth graders at Choudrant Elementary collected items to send up on the March 26th launch date. These items could be anything of the students choosing as long as it fit inside a gumball-sized capsule. Students chose to send up items such as marshmallows, bubble wrap, glue sticks, and even a Cheeto.
Before sending their items up, students performed multiple pre-flight tests to collect data on the items they chose to send to the edge of space. Once the items returned, the students then re-evaluated the matter to determine how the extreme cold (approximately -40 degrees F) and nearly zero atmospheric pressure affected their items.
Kelly Washam and Michelle Taylor, teachers at Choudrant Elementary, explained that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Only 300 students in the nation were able to participate in the March launch, and there are only two launches every year. The students had the opportunity to watch a video of their items going up from the March 26th launch. Their gumball-sized capsules reached a height of 104,000 feet before the balloon popped!
Each student also sent up a flower seed. These seeds are planted, and the “space flowers” will be used as gifts for Mother’s day.
