SFU Nearspace Ballooning Team Launches High-Altitude Mission with Altoona Students

A Collaborative STEM Mission

In the early morning hours of April 25, the Saint Francis University Nearspace Ballooning Program and students from Altoona Area High School gathered in a field near Spring Church, Pennsylvania, to launch a high-altitude balloon mission. Supported through a grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation, the project brought together high school and university students for a yearlong collaboration focused on science, engineering, and near-space research.

The flight carried three scientific data payloads designed and prepared by the high school students, who worked throughout the year with Dr. Tim Miller and Brother Marius Strom, alongside students from the Grier School and Hollidaysburg Area Senior High. The Saint Francis team provided the flight systems needed to launch, track, monitor, and recover the balloon, along with onboard cameras that captured the mission from liftoff through landing.

Launching the Mission

As the balloon was raised into position by Ian Shuey, a senior General Engineering major, anticipation built across the launch site. Following a final countdown, an Altoona student released the final payload, sending the balloon skyward.

The balloon climbed rapidly into the upper atmosphere as the team monitored the mission from the ground. About an hour after launch, it reached its planned peak altitude of roughly 72,000 feet.

The balloon then separated from the payload system, a parachute deployed, and the equipment began its descent back to earth.

Recovery and Results

The payload eventually landed outside Chest Springs, Pennsylvania, narrowly avoiding trees as it descended. Despite heavy rain in the area, the team recovered the equipment about an hour after touchdown with all major systems still functioning properly. Thanks to the cooperation of local landowners, the recovery proceeded smoothly, and the payloads were returned for analysis and review.

SFU Nearspace Ballooning Team

The SFU Nearspace Ballooning team includes Ian Shuey (Senior, General Engineering), Mary Bukowski (Senior, Molecular Biology), Elyse Hughes (Sophomore, Environmental Engineering), Sierra Hunter (Freshman, Environmental Engineering), Braden Michalow (Freshman, General Engineering), Celena Saucedo (Freshman, General Engineering), Owen Bork (Freshman, General Engineering), Sam Abram (Sophomore, General Engineering), Brady Albright (Sophomore, General Engineering), and Stella Stoltz (Freshman, Criminal Justice).