As part of West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science’s (WMAES) Senior Project program, senior Mike Hollinshead is preparing to launch a high definition camera at Muskegon State Park on May 18 at 8am. The camera will record a weather balloon’s ascent and descent through the atmosphere.
Mike approached high school science teacher, Jason Raddatz, in November with the idea of sending something into orbit. To prepare, they ran several tests recording the thermodynamics of the capsule, the descent rate of a scale miniature, and ran computer simulations of the projected flight plan.
Mr. Raddatz and Mike also contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and determined a flight plan that would be “minimally invasive” to the community. “It would be a bad day for a lot of people, if the payload landed on a major thoroughfare or population center,” said Mr. Raddatz. “That’s why we chose a launch station near the lake, based on several simulations, Muskegon State Park gives us the best recovery possibility.”
Stay tuned for more information on this exciting project!