A weather balloon launched at Newtown High School on May 31 appeared, at first, to be stuck in trees at the school, but soon a wave of excitement erupted as the balloon visibly continued on its path.

The gathered group excitedly threw their arms in the air. It was a triumphant moment under a mostly sunny sky for the science students. It was also a learning moment for all gathered to witness the event.

According to NHS science teacher DJ Nicholson, the weather balloon project was first “hatched” by his aerospace class students in October.

“As a class, we researched all aspects of flying balloons for research, including setup, experiment types, safety, and regulations,” he explained recently in an e-mail.

According to Mr Nicholson, the original plan was to launch two balloons with a payload — cameras and experiment equipment — weight of four to five pounds each.

“Each balloon was estimated to burst at approximately [60,000] to 100,000 feet. At burst, a dedicated parachute would deploy to carry the balloon safely back to Earth,” wrote Mr Nicholson. “Each balloon has a potential of traveling 100 to 200 miles from launch location, depending on weather conditions.”

After finding an application to predict a landing location, an optimum day for the launch was chosen based on weather conditions. The class also teamed up with science teacher Tim DeJulio’s Applied Science Research (ASR) class, which coordinated multiple experiments.

The classes decided to launch one balloon with two separate payloads. The group filed a Notice to Airman (NOTAM) with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) the day of the launch to warn aircraft within the projected radius of the balloon, according to Mr Nicholson.

Finally, it was time to head out to a back field at NHS. As Mr Nicholson and his students huddled close to monitor filling the balloon with helium, Mr DeJulio and his students oversaw placing equipment in the payloads. According to Mr Nicholson the payload equipment included cameras; flight computers to measure altitude, temperature, and pressure; a sound experiment; a seed experiment; and an experiment with a Sterling engine.

NHS Science Department Chair Christian Canfield was one of the first to make his way out to the field to witness the event. Soon, roughly five other classes and educators were surrounding the experiment. Students sat or lay on the grass, observing the balloon’s inflation. Faces could be seen in school windows, watching from a distance.

Mr DeJulio said the event was the high school’s first weather balloon launch in known memory.

NHS senior and ASR student Timothy White shared that the Connecticut STEM Foundation funded the launch.

“Alright, the GPS tracker is on. Parachute: Check,” said Mr DeJulio.

The classes then worked together to attach the payloads to the weather balloon. Some final adjustments were made, and “three, two, one, buh-bye,” Mr Nicholson said as the group counted down the launch.

There were a few moments of panic as the balloon seemed to hover in trees near the school. The gathered group was so quiet the wind could be heard. Then it continued on its way, and a quick celebration commenced, followed by the group readying for further experiments.

“During the setup, everything went as planned until we tried to measure the lift capacity of the inflated balloon,” Mr Nicholson reflected. “The gauge we had exceeded its measuring capability, and we still did not have enough lift. So I had to blindly determine the proper increase in balloon inflation. It turns out I did not calculate correctly, and the balloon, although buoyant, did not rise at the optimum rate of 5 meters per second.”

The GPS tracker allowed them to know that “the balloon did begin to rise at the expected rate, but at approximately 9500 feet, the balloon began a steady decent.”

“Luckily, when the balloon reached [Hammonasset Beach State Park] it was low enough the onshore breeze pushed the balloon to the east north east and back over land. It eventually settled into some trees in Westbrook,” Mr Nicholson reflected after the event.

With Mr DeJulio, Mr Nicholson found the balloon still inflated. Some crafty drone maneuvering allowed them to pop the balloon, and they retrieved it with a ladder.

The gear was found intact, but not all of the equipment worked as planned.

“I tell my students all the time that the best teacher is failure. Never be afraid to try and fail. It will make you a better person, a stronger person,” Mr Nicholson reflected.

Another weather balloon launch is planned as a follow-up to the experiment.