Minnesota Space Grant Conortium

For more than a decade, the College of St. Catherine, guided by Professor of Physics Dr. Terry Flower, has taken part in the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium and received funding from NASA via a subcontract with the University of Minnesota. The Minnesota Space Consortium has provided student scholarships, research support, and funding for students to attend conferences, most recently at the American Astronomical Society Annual Meeting in Honolulu Hawaii.

On November 3, 2007, students in the Department of Physics, led by Assistant Professor of Physics Erick Agrimson, participated in the HALO (High Altitude Launch Opportunity Project) Network Project. The HALO (high altitude launch opportunity) Network is a high-speed, high-altitude emergency communication network consisting of nine balloons scattered across the Midwest. The launch was a test of the feasibility of the network, but also gave participants a chance to conduct their own research.

St. Kate students assisted in the launch of a balloon tethered to scientific equipment to collect atmospheric data including temperature sensors, solar panels, a computer network, GPS tracking devices, radio receivers and cameras. The balloon launched at 9 am and flew for three hours before bursting and starting a descent on a small parachute. St. Kate’s students tracked the balloon using shortwave radio system and recovered it in a horse pasture near Connorsville, Wisconsin more than eighty miles from the launch site. St. Kate’s balloon reached 93,000 feet — more than twice the altitude of commercial airliners. Due to the success of the project, future launches are planned.