Two large helium balloons will be launched and could exceed 30,000 metres in altitude
The town of Mallén, in the Campo de Borja region, has been chosen as the launch site
The Servet IX citizen science project will once again live its most eagerly awaited moment this Saturday 28 October: the launch of 2 sounding balloons that will rise to more than 30,000 metres in altitude, about three times higher than commercial aircraft fly. The balloons carry capsules designed and built by citizen scientists, which will carry out various scientific experiments during their ascent and descent through the stratosphere.
Launch site: Pabellón Centro de Ocio, 50550 Mallén, Zaragoza
Opening time for the public: 10:00
Scheduled launch time: 11:00
There will be fourteen capsules designed and built by the citizen scientists themselves. Their design takes into account the extreme conditions they will face: winds of more than 200 km/h, -60ºC and a landing at about 6 m/s. The experiments are very varied: long-distance communication experiments, radiolocation, collection of atmospheric data and particles, satellite prototyping, and agriculture-related studies such as the effect of these extreme conditions on wheat or the acidity of olive oil. A tracking system will make it possible to locate the capsules after landing, which will allow the collected data to be analysed.
On Friday 27, at Etopia, Centre for Art and Technology, the capsules will be received to weigh them and check that they can all be joined together without setbacks. On Sunday 29, the participants will meet to share experiences and the data collected by the capsules.
Servet is a citizen science project to democratise access to space, involving a whole community of enthusiasts of astronautics, space navigation and anything that moves above 12,000 metres above sea level.
Event open to the public
Anyone interested in watching the launches on Saturday 28 October can come to the launch site, which will open its doors at 10:00. There they can learn about the details and preparations, chat with those responsible for the capsules and follow the balloons’ path until they re-enter the Earth from the stratosphere. Servet is a project of the University of Zaragoza through the Aragon Engineering Research Institute (I3A) and the Ibercivis Foundation. It also has the support of Etopia Centre for Art and Technology, the CESAR Laboratories at Etopia and the Spanish Radio Amateurs Union, and is funded by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology – Ministry of Science and Innovation. We thank Mallén Town Council for its collaboration.