Proxima Centauri Alpha shares Project Ascension data, presents upcoming projects
DeKALB – On Monday, Proxima Centauri Alpha (PCA), a group that helps STEM students with extracurricular opportunities through research projects, held a presentation that overviewed data that was collected from its high-altitude balloon launch, while also sharing future projects.
Project Ascension
To begin the presentation, Charlie Vazquez Acosta, senior mathematics and applied physics major and PCA president and founder, spoke on the successful balloon launch from Huskie Stadium on May 3.
“The footage was breathtaking, but what made it truly powerful was that it was built by students right here,” Vazquez Acosta said.
Temperature, pressure and humidity data were collected successfully from Project Ascension’s launch.
Notably, the balloon reached an altitude of about 112,000 feet, and while reaching the peak altitude, the lowest temperature was marked at negative 18.9 degrees Fahrenheit.
The balloon was later recovered from the backyard of NIU alumnus Justan Adakian.
Project Horizon
Project Horizon is an upcoming mission for PCA. This project is focused toward developing a fully autonomous UAV, which is a type of aircraft that is controlled without a human pilot onboard.
The project gives the group new experience in mechanical design, electrical engineering, AI and software integration.
Another goal for this project is to be able to allow the UAV to operate independently with the help of aerospace, which refers to the study of flight.
Students who participated in this project had the opportunity to explore different kinds of fields and research. They worked together to operate the aerodynamics of the system.
The expected budget for this project is set at $5,400.
Project Ascension 2.0
Lastly, PCA announced Project Ascension 2.0. The goal of this project is very similar to the first high-altitude balloon launch attempt, except that PCA is looking to achieve higher observations.
PCA is aiming for a new altitude of around 140,000 feet and will install a 360-degree camera on the high-altitude balloon for better views.
The goal of Project Ascension 2.0 is to improve in areas that the team was unable to succeed in previously, such as reaching higher altitudes.
PCA was previously funded by the physics department and receives assistance from the office of the president and sponsors. This year, they are trying to obtain more sponsorships and are hopeful that people will donate to help complete these projects.
These projects currently do not have an established completion date.