When a group of Ohio students, transporting the soda-can-sized results of their labor, passed a sign that said "Welcome to Nowhere," they knew they were near their destination.

The students, who attend high school in Cleveland, were participants in a NASA education project.

The soda-can-sized objects were CanSats, sensor payloads that can be flown on small amateur rockets to altitudes of over two miles.

Students gained experience by building and launching their own rockets. Image credit: NASA

And the sign declaring they were "Nowhere" is in Empire, Nev., one town away from the students' destination — a rocket launch site in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.

Several groups of students traveled to the Black Rock Desert for a project called A Rocket Launch for International Student Satellites. ARLISS partners students and amateur rocketry enthusiasts to build and launch CanSats, providing the students with experience in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The project is a collaboration between Stanford University's Space Systems Development Program and other educational institutions.

The Cleveland students were participants in NASA's Science, Engineering, Mathematics and Aerospace Academy, which engages K-12 students in exciting, hands-on activities that encompass the research and technology of NASA's missions. SEMAA supports NASA's educational goal of attracting and retaining students in technical disciplines. SEMAA operates in 14 locations throughout 11 states and the District of Columbia The project offers activities during the academic year and summer, all at no cost to participants.

Tim Dedula, from the Educational Programs Office at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, coordinated the ARLISS project for students at the SEMAA location at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. Six students there applied to participate in ARLISS. Receiving help along the way from experts at Glenn Research Center, the students worked together to build a pair of identical CanSats. The students' CanSats included sensors to measure air pressure, temperature and humidity.

The completed CanSat contains both sensors and communication equipment. Image Credit: NASA

After programming the CanSats' software, the students conducted a test launch at NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. They used a rocket built by Dan Vento, an engineer at Glenn who is also a member of a local rocketry club. Although the students did not have to build a rocket to launch the CanSat, project organizers gave them the opportunity to build smaller model rockets so that the participants could gain additional rocketry experience.

Finally, the time came for the students to travel to the desert for the ARLISS event. Traveling with them was Steve Hall, a software engineer from Glenn who provided his technical expertise during the CanSat flights.

Over the course of three launches of their CanSats, the students discovered that when it comes to rocket science, there are two ways to learn -- from the things that go right and from the things that go wrong. On the first launch, a computer error caused the telemetry data from the sensors to be lost. On the second, the CanSat stopped transmitting telemetry data shortly after launch. Not only was the data lost, but so was the CanSat. The team was unable to track it down. For the third launch, however, the second CanSat recorded the telemetry properly. The group's efforts were successful.

The ARLISS project was an excellent example of SEMAA's mission -- providing tomorrow's scientists and engineers with experience that will prepare them for their future careers. Not only were the students themselves inspired by the experience, but when they returned to school after their trip, they had exciting stories to tell that brought science, technology, engineering and mathematics to life for their classmates. Of course, the students could also give the short answer to where they'd been: "Nowhere."

02-02-2008 02:50 AM  #1
Just Jerry Freeform rockets advocate   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1226	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Is there a database anywhere of Cansat missions, people, goals and achievements? It seems with all these resources applied, some value should be identifiable as a result. Just Jerry

02-02-2008 03:49 AM  #2
SpaceCowboy Rocket Scientist   Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 20	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Hi, No real benefit, but it gets young people involved in projects that might lead them into a career in the space industry! But how does that help involve the regular people who fund NASA, how is this going to take them into space? NASA is like a resturant where you go in and give them money to buy a hamburger and instead of you getting to eat it they do! Whatsupwitdat! I have been paying money in the form of taxes that go to NASA for over 40 years, when the H-E-double toothpick is NASA going to take me into space? Ok, I will now stepdown off my soapbox and return you to regular launching!

02-02-2008 09:16 AM  #3
Johnnie Certified TRA Level III   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 226	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Quote: Is there a database anywhere of Cansat missions, people, goals and achievements? It seems with all these resources applied, some value should be identifiable as a result. Just Jerry John Coker has been active with Arliss in the past... http://www.jcrocket.com/arliss99.shtml http://www.jcrocket.com/arliss2000.shtml Here is the Arliss link: http://www.arliss.org/ Johnnie

02-02-2008 12:21 PM  #4
JohnCoker Not-so-new Member   Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 27	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Quote: Is there a database anywhere of Cansat missions, people, goals and achievements? It seems with all these resources applied, some value should be identifiable as a result. Just Jerry The goal isn't original research, but education. The ARLISS programs run through Stanford University and AERO-PAC generally work with University students who test their semester- or year-long class projects by having them flown and deployed from one of our rockets. This year (preceding XPRS 2008) will be the tenth ARLISS launch! The launch cited in this article seems to be a different branch of the same idea, but involving younger students. (As far as I know, it's not affiliated with AERO-PAC.)

02-03-2008 10:33 AM  #5
denverdoc Rana sapiens   Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 2937	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Quote: Hi, No real benefit, but it gets young people involved in projects that might lead them into a career in the space industry! But how does that help involve the regular people who fund NASA, how is this going to take them into space? NASA is like a resturant where you go in and give them money to buy a hamburger and instead of you getting to eat it they do! Whatsupwitdat! I have been paying money in the form of taxes that go to NASA for over 40 years, when the H-E-double toothpick is NASA going to take me into space? Ok, I will now stepdown off my soapbox and return you to regular launching! Try running for senate, then maybe you can conjure up an excuse as to why you need a ride...

02-03-2008 02:29 PM  #6
Just Jerry Freeform rockets advocate   Joined: Aug 2006 Posts: 1226	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Quote: The goal isn't original research, but education. The launch cited in this article seems to be a different branch of the same idea, but involving younger students. (As far as I know, it's not affiliated with AERO-PAC.) That's interesting. I wonder if the program is geographically widespread enough to support different groups operating regional launch sites? The use of about 10,000 foot HPR class rockets makes them fairly accessable so long as the existing model of rocket junkies doing the actual flights is employed. Just Jerry

02-04-2008 02:36 AM  #7
SpaceCowboy Rocket Scientist   Joined: Jun 2007 Posts: 20	Re: ARLISS: Soda-sized science Quote: Try running for senate, then maybe you can conjure up an excuse as to why you need a ride... Hi, I am running for president! I have an infinite number of reasons to go into space, and I believe it should be open to the general public especially if it is supported by taxpayer general public dollars. A person shouldn't have to be a government employee or ultra rich person to have access to space, especially if they are paying for a non essential service, that is the point, if I pay for it I should be able to use it, or it should be available for my use. If it is not then I should be able to not fund it. Can't use it, don't force me to fund it! (I will be the first president to go into outerspace!) I want you to be able to go into outerspace, if you want to too! NASA needs to put us up, or be shutup! (Neat idea: Let's create a bunch of National Parks and do it with taxpayer dollars, an oh you can't go into them! Hello!) However I do support involving the youth in space development, hey we should take them into space, I'll go with them, let's everyone go! Ok, I don't wanna get off the subject of ARLISS, it is a good program it gets the youth involved in space, and we wanna see the results!