Arizona Space Grant Consortium Supports Eclipse Ballooning Teams

In 2022, Arizona State University students got the chance of a lifetime when ASU took the helm as the lead institution for the statewide team on the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project (NEBP). The project, funded by NASA, aims to analyze atmospheric data during eclipses, which is collected via high-altitude balloon systems.

Last fall, ASU students traveled with the statewide team to Roswell, New Mexico, to launch their balloon during the Oct. 14, 2023, annular solar eclipse. The flight was successful but had a few missteps, which the team has been working to correct for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8, for which they will travel to Uvalde, Texas.

“We are excited to travel to Texas for this event. Our teams have worked very hard to prepare for this mission, and we have the added bonus of witnessing a total solar eclipse,” said Thomas Sharp, associate director of the ASU/NASA Space Grant and a professor in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration, who directs the statewide team.

Read the full article on Arizona State University – ASU News.

Image Credit: Arizona Space Grant Consortium

Author Credit: Kim Baptista

Original Post Date: April 5, 2024