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Mar 17, 2015
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A payload containing a scientific experiment designed by a team of UNL students is scheduled to be shot into microgravity aboard a NASA sounding rocket off the coast of Virginia on April 18. Previous launch dates of March 27 and 28 were called off because of weather conditions that would have made for a dangerous attempt at retreival of the rocket from the Atlantic Ocean.
The RockSat-X project was scheduled to be launched in August 2014, but NASA scrapped the mission and rescheduled it for March 27 at its Wallops Island Flight Facility. On Thursday, NASA delayed the launch by 24 hours, but that attempt was called off late Friday. On Monday, NASA announced the flight would be scheduled for launch on April 18.
The UNL RockSat team's payload on this rocket will be the first in a sequence of experiments on how crystallization occurs in microgravity, with a focus on the speed and uniformity of rapidly forming crystals. Matt Mahlin, the UNL team's leader, said in an email late Monday that the team will have an opportunity to recharge or refresh part any part of the payload that is needed for scientific value.
Another Rock Sat-X launch is set for August of this year, and the UNL team is hoping to have a second crystallization experiment as part of that payload.
Read a Lincoln Journal Star article about the team.
The RockSat-X project was scheduled to be launched in August 2014, but NASA scrapped the mission and rescheduled it for March 27 at its Wallops Island Flight Facility. On Thursday, NASA delayed the launch by 24 hours, but that attempt was called off late Friday. On Monday, NASA announced the flight would be scheduled for launch on April 18.
The UNL RockSat team's payload on this rocket will be the first in a sequence of experiments on how crystallization occurs in microgravity, with a focus on the speed and uniformity of rapidly forming crystals. Matt Mahlin, the UNL team's leader, said in an email late Monday that the team will have an opportunity to recharge or refresh part any part of the payload that is needed for scientific value.
Another Rock Sat-X launch is set for August of this year, and the UNL team is hoping to have a second crystallization experiment as part of that payload.
Read a Lincoln Journal Star article about the team.
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