This was the 5th summer in which Michael has helped with the Girls Inc. group and the 3rd consecutive UNO-STEM Eureka! camp. This was also our 50th high altitude balloon launch.

We were testing some new equipment and ended up having some issues with the online interface, but we got some great footage, were able to get flight data using our APRS backup system, and the girls had a fun and interesting experience – even though it was a VERY hot day!

Amelia Squires, Derrick Nero, and Dana Richter-Egger from UNO helped with the launch from Glacier Creek Preserve, north of Omaha.

The flight prediction was weird as interesting as it gets – landing only a few miles away. The actual flight was a little different because the balloon burst around 75,000 ft., but was still our shortest flight to date, landing about 7 miles from the launch site.

The unusual flight pattern meant that while the balloon was in the air, the girls had time to look through the solar telescopes.

They also were able to track the balloon in the barn at the preserve.

The balloon landed in a tree (again!) and was challenging to retrieve in the heat.

You can check out the video of the flight here:

https://www.facebook.com/nearspacesci/videos/653534204794331/

The following week, the campers watched the video of the flight, wrote their stories on postcards that were sent into near space on the balloon, and they made sundials and planisphere star maps.

Congratulations UNO-STEM and Girls Inc. on another successful camp!