LOVELOCK - JP Aerospace is set to launch another PongSat mission in the desert outside of Lovelock. What is a PongSat mission, you ask?
PongSat is an experiment that fits inside of a ping pong ball. The experiments come from student around the world. They are launched into near space and then returned to the would-be scientists.
"Some of the students' experiments are quite innovative," John Powell, founder of JP Aerospace, said.
He said experiments range from putting a marshmallow in a ping pong ball that expands in the vacuum of near space to a mini computer that takes measurements.
JPA has a flight scheduled on Sept. 22 that has room for approximately 1,000 more ping pong ball experiments. JPA will have three more launches by the end of the year. Powell said there is no charge to the student or the school to launch these experiments to near outer space.
"It's an easy and inexpensive way to get students excited about science," Powell said.
To sign up for the flight email Powell at jpowell@jpaerospace.com. For more information on the PongSat project, visit the JP Aerospace website at www.jpaerospace.com.
JPA is a volunteer-based DIY space program. The company is doing research on near space travel. Funding for the research is provided by commercial projects, such as its Samsung Galaxy mission. JPA launched a Samsung Galaxy cellphone into space and people on earth were able to text the phone with photos and messages. The event was broadcast live at a concert in Tokyo.
For the up coming September mission, JPA is partnering with Carpenter Co. and SleepBetter.org. Five toy pillows that have traveled the country will join 2,000 PongSats to the edge of space as part of the SleepBetter.org postcards from pillow campaign.
The miniature pillows were sent to participants in the campaign who took photos of the little pillows' travels. Now the ultimate travel destination to the edge of space will fund the PongSats and future research for JPA.
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