MECSATMECSAT

Shermane AustinShermane AustinMedgar Evers College, CUNYMedgar Evers College, CUNY

Affiliate: New York State Space Affiliate: New York State Space Grant ConsortiumGrant Consortium

National Space Grant Director’s MeetingMarch 2, 2007, Washington, DC

About Medgar Evers CollegeAbout Medgar Evers College

Senior college in the City University of Senior college in the City University of New York – approximately 5,500 New York – approximately 5,500 studentsstudents

Student enrollment - primarily African-Student enrollment - primarily African-American and Caribbean-AmericanAmerican and Caribbean-American

Primarily teaching institutionPrimarily teaching institution Emphasis on undergraduate research in Emphasis on undergraduate research in

STEM areasSTEM areas Partnerships with other CUNY unitsPartnerships with other CUNY units Located in heart of Central BrooklynLocated in heart of Central Brooklyn

NASA Programs at MECNASA Programs at MEC New York State Space Grant ConsortiumNew York State Space Grant Consortium

– Affiliate Director – Shermane AustinAffiliate Director – Shermane Austin– Area: BalloonSATArea: BalloonSAT– Target: undergraduate and high school studentsTarget: undergraduate and high school students

MURED-supported programs:MURED-supported programs:– MUSPINMUSPIN Areas: Earth Science, Space Science and TechnologyAreas: Earth Science, Space Science and Technology Target: faculty, undergraduate and K-12Target: faculty, undergraduate and K-12– OSS/MUCERPI: New York City Space Science Research AllianceOSS/MUCERPI: New York City Space Science Research Alliance Area: Space Science education & research, CUNY BS in Space Area: Space Science education & research, CUNY BS in Space ScienceScience Target: faculty, undergraduateTarget: faculty, undergraduate– SEMAA and Honorable Major Owens Aerospace Education LabSEMAA and Honorable Major Owens Aerospace Education Lab Areas: Earth Science, Space Science and RoboticsAreas: Earth Science, Space Science and Robotics Target: Middle and high school studentsTarget: Middle and high school students

Colorado Workshop GraduatesColorado Workshop Graduates

Attended Student Attended Student Hardware Hardware Workshop in June, Workshop in June, 20042004

Team partner, Team partner, Michael Fortney, Michael Fortney, launched ongoing launched ongoing collaboration with collaboration with Vermont State Vermont State Space GrantSpace Grant

MECSATMECSAT

BalloonSAT based at Medgar Evers BalloonSAT based at Medgar Evers College with launches in upstate New College with launches in upstate New York and Northern VermontYork and Northern Vermont

25 or so launches in the past two 25 or so launches in the past two years - 13 were ozonesondesyears - 13 were ozonesondes

Student payloads: data logger, Student payloads: data logger, Geiger counter, CO2 monitor, Geiger counter, CO2 monitor, thermopile array, cameras, etc.thermopile array, cameras, etc.

Other launch activitiesOther launch activities

Occasional travel Occasional travel to observe and to observe and learn from other learn from other BalloonSAT groupsBalloonSAT groups

Great Plains Super Great Plains Super Launch - July, 2005 Launch - July, 2005 (hopefully again (hopefully again this summer)this summer)

Borealis/Montana Borealis/Montana State University – State University – August, 2005August, 2005

MECSAT Launch BaseMECSAT Launch Base

Located in Located in Paradox, NY in the Paradox, NY in the Adirondacks on Adirondacks on 400 acres of 400 acres of private propertyprivate property

Used for year-Used for year-round student and round student and faculty launches faculty launches and workshopsand workshops

Base station for Base station for ozone profilesozone profiles

MECSAT – Vermont LaunchesMECSAT – Vermont Launches

Better terrain for landing and Better terrain for landing and recoveryrecovery

Hosted by Vermont State Hosted by Vermont State Space Grant and Milton High Space Grant and Milton High SchoolSchool

Student housing provided Student housing provided Vermont Space Grant – often Vermont Space Grant – often in UVM dormsin UVM dorms

Payloads from MEC Payloads from MEC undergraduate and New York undergraduate and New York City high school students City high school students

Flights also used as Flights also used as CricketSAT platforms CricketSAT platforms developed by Michael Fortney developed by Michael Fortney with Vermont high school with Vermont high school studentsstudents

Ozonesonde LaunchesOzonesonde Launches Provide students with links to Provide students with links to

NASA scienceNASA science Physical variables include: Physical variables include:

ozone mixing ratio (ppmv), ozone mixing ratio (ppmv), temperature and frost pointtemperature and frost point

Required additional Required additional equipment:equipment:– ECC 2Z ozonesondes with ECC 2Z ozonesondes with interface board for Vaisala 80-15 interface board for Vaisala 80-15 radiosondesradiosondes– Calibration and Test UnitCalibration and Test Unit

Equipment funding from Aura Equipment funding from Aura EPO program EPO program

Training provided by John Training provided by John Merrill, University of Rhode Merrill, University of Rhode IslandIsland

Continue to use KTU at URI for Continue to use KTU at URI for lab prep of sondeslab prep of sondes

Integrating High School Integrating High School StudentsStudents

Summer Academy Summer Academy for NYC high school for NYC high school students students

Surface ozone Surface ozone investigations investigations using GLOBE using GLOBE protocolsprotocols

Linkages to ozone Linkages to ozone profilesprofiles

IONS06 ParticipationIONS06 Participation

Intex Ozonesonde Network Intex Ozonesonde Network Study – PI: Anne Study – PI: Anne Thompson, Penn State U.Thompson, Penn State U.

Transport and distribution Transport and distribution of tropospheric ozoneof tropospheric ozone

Part of Aura Data Part of Aura Data Validation TeamValidation Team

Intensive observation Intensive observation campaign in April and campaign in April and August including validation August including validation of OMI and TES of OMI and TES instruments during instruments during satellite overpassessatellite overpasses

MECSAT/Paradox base is MECSAT/Paradox base is one of the IONS stationsone of the IONS stations

““Mapping Ozone”Mapping Ozone”

New York Times video of one of our New York Times video of one of our ozonesonde launchesozonesonde launches

Curriculum IntegrationCurriculum Integration

Existing courses:Existing courses:Air and Water PollutionAir and Water PollutionScientific Computing (for Data Scientific Computing (for Data

Analysis)Analysis)Remote SensingRemote SensingSpecial Topics in Space Science Special Topics in Space Science

(Physics) – Applications in Earth and (Physics) – Applications in Earth and Planetary SciencePlanetary Science

Special Topics on the EnvironmentSpecial Topics on the Environment

Additional Partnerships and Additional Partnerships and WorkshopsWorkshops

Workshop for University of Houston, Workshop for University of Houston, Downtown and South Carolina State Downtown and South Carolina State University faculty and students interested University faculty and students interested in ozone monitoring programsin ozone monitoring programs

CUNY units: CCNY, LAGCC, QBCC, YorkCUNY units: CCNY, LAGCC, QBCC, York Upcoming workshops and launches with Upcoming workshops and launches with

faculty and students in MUCERPI and faculty and students in MUCERPI and MUSPIN networksMUSPIN networks

Workshops and launch participation for Workshops and launch participation for area high schoolsarea high schools

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements New York State Space Grant ConsortiumNew York State Space Grant Consortium Vermont State Space Grant ConsortiumVermont State Space Grant Consortium Bill Hiscock, Montana State Space Grant Bill Hiscock, Montana State Space Grant

ConsortiumConsortium John Merrill, University of Rhode IslandJohn Merrill, University of Rhode Island NASA AURA E/PO ProgramNASA AURA E/PO Program NASA/MUSPIN-CUNY NRTSNASA/MUSPIN-CUNY NRTS NASA/MUCERPI-NYCSSRANASA/MUCERPI-NYCSSRA HP Teaching with TechnologyHP Teaching with Technology