NASA launched a Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying the RockSat-X payload with university and community college student experiments at 6:04 a.m. EDT Wednesday, Aug. 12, from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
More than 60 students and instructors from across the continental United States, Hawaii and Puerto Rico were on hand to witness the launch of their experiments.
The payload flew to an altitude of about 97 miles and descended via parachute into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Wallops. Payload recovery operations began after lift-off.
Developed by students from seven higher education programs, the experiments flew through the RockSat-X program in conjunction with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium.
Participating institutions in this flight are the University of Colorado, Boulder; Northwest Nazarene University, Nampa, Idaho; the University of Puerto Rico; the University of Nebraska, Lincoln; Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg; Capitol Technology University, Laurel, Maryland; and University of Hawai’i Community Colleges at the Honolulu, Kapi’olani, Kaua’i, and Windward campuses.
The next launch scheduled from Wallops is a NASA Black Brant IX suborbital sounding rocket carrying several technology development instruments. The launch is scheduled between 7 and 7:41 p.m. Sept. 29. The backup launch days are Sept. 30 through Oct. 12.
