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Girl Launches Hello Kitty Into Space
rohit.david@timesgroup.com
Updated Date: Sep 26 2016 11:41AM
A school girl (Lauren Rojas) from California, who wanted to test the effects of altitude on air pressure and temperature for a class assignment at the Cornerstone Christian School, knew of the one thing that would make her science project even more exciting — Hello Kitty. In an interview to Times NIE, she talks about her pet project...
Q How did you come about this project?
There was a science fair at my school on February 12; I was taking part in it. I knew right away that I wanted to make a "Space Weather Balloon".
Q What was your inspiration?
I saw a commercial about three months ago where these guys send a weather balloon into space. The first time I saw it I thought it was the coolest thing ever to have been done and that it would be an awesome project. When I was watching TV with my dad the same commercial came on air and he said, "That would be the coolest science fair project ever." At first, I thought he was kidding but he was actually very serious.
Q What were the bottlenecks you came across?
It required serious planning. I couldn't get enough helium due to a helium shortage, so we had to use hydrogen.
Q What does your project demonstrate?
It tells us about the effect of altitude on air pressure and temperature. Using a weather balloon filled with hydrogen, I sent a capsule in space. Inside the capsule, I placed a flight computer to measure air pressure, temperature and altitude. A GPS was also placed in the capsule to track and find the capsule after it returned to Earth. I mounted four GoPro cameras on the capsule to film all angles of the flight.
QHow was the entire journey?
It was a breathtaking experience. My space weather balloon reached an altitude of 93,625 ft above the Earth. Due to the reduced outside air pressure and expansion of hydrogen gas, the space balloon popped and returned to Earth by parachute. The total flight time from take-off to landing was a little over 1.5 hours. Moreover, the distance travelled from take-off to landing point was 47.5 miles. I tracked the flight and landing with my iPhone using a GPS app.
Q What have you learnt from this project?
I learnt how air pressure decreases with altitude. The project taught me how to plan and build a capsule that can reach space. As a kid, I learnt about the properties of helium and hydrogen. It was a project I wanted to do. So I took it up as a challenge and eventually managed to complete it.
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Rajathariga S P AECS MAGNOLIA MARUTHI PUB SCH
AMAZING!!!! It really is the coolest thing ever!
Vaishnavi S NAGARJUNA VIDYANIKETAN
Wow!! Really nice!!!
Rajath.K.Patil Kulkarni ST.MARY''S CONVENT & PUBLIC SCHOOL (STATE &
It''s amazing, but even its complicated anyhow Congratulations to her.
Sarath Kumar RM Bethel Mat Hr Sec School
Wonderful creation. Greatly inspired by your idea.