Up, up, and away! CWC launches first high-altitude balloon of the season

Central Wyoming College students and faculty kicked off their spring high-altitude balloon launch series this week with a successful flight that reached an impressive altitude of nearly 75,500 feet. The balloon, launched from CWC’s front lawn, tracked eastward before bursting south of Moneta and landing near Gas Hills Road in Natrona County—making for a smooth recovery.

This flight is just the first of three to four launches to be completed by the end of May. This project, a partnership with twenty teams from across the US, will study high-altitude radiation changes resulting from solar flares. Solar activity is expected to peak around mid-2025, during the current 11-year solar cycle. Equipped with two Geiger counters to measure high-altitude radiation, an APRS transmitter (for real-time monitoring), and Spot Trace GPS tracking, the balloon allowed real-time monitoring throughout the journey, adding an exciting hands-on experience for CWC science students and staff involved in the project. 

Led by team mentors Dr. Bill Finney, Professor of Chemistry & Physics and Project Lead for CWC’s INBRE program, and Dr. Kate Patterson, Associate Professor of Mathematics, these launches provide practical experience in atmospheric science, engineering, and data analysis, all part of the college’s commitment to experiential STEM education.

Visit cwc.edu to learn more about their innovative science programs and research initiatives.