A Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital rocket carrying experiments developed by university students nationwide in the RockSat-X program was successfully launched at 6 a.m. EDT, August 13, from NASA’s launch range at the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The RockSat-X program is conducted with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the program is to provide students a hands-on experience in developing experiments for space flight. This experience allows these students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real world hands-on activity.
RockSat-X was lofted to an altitude of approximately 94 miles above the Atlantic Ocean before landing via parachute about 90 miles from the Wallops Flight Facility. Recovery of the payload is in progress.
The students in the program will receive their experiments later in the day to see how they performed and begin data analysis. Additionally, several experiments transmitted data during the flight down to Wallops via a telemetry system on board the rocket.
NASA Rocket Launch Scheduled August 13: RockSatX 08.09.13
WALLOPS ISLAND, VA –A NASA Terrier-Improved Malemute suborbital sounding rocket carrying experiments developed by university students from across the nation is scheduled for launch August 13 from the Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
The experiments were developed through the RockSat-X program conducted with the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The goal of the RockSat-X program is to provide students a hands-on experience in developing experiments for space flight. This experience allows these students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real world hands-on activity. Approximately 40 students and instructors will be at Wallops to witness the launch.
Based on the approved range schedule, the rocket is set for launch between 6 and 10 a.m. EDT. The backup launch day is August 14. The rocket will be visible to residents in the Wallops region. The NASA Visitor Center will open at 5 a.m. on launch day for viewing the launch.
Live coverage of the launch is available via UStream beginning at 5 a.m. on launch day at:
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/nasa-tv-wallops
Launch status can be followed on launch day on Twitter at:
http://www.Twitter.com/NASA_Wallops
and Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/NASAWFF
Launch status also is available on the Wallops launch status line at 757-824-2050.
Further information on the mission, including a map showing from where the rocket may be seen, is available at:
Keith Koehler
NASA Goddard’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va.
