MECSAT

Medgar Evers College, City University of New York

Education

MECSAT Summer Academy

 

Students from New York City high schools are involved in preparation of basic equipment for MECSAT flights. Student projects include CricketSATs. These are low-cost, low-power circuits are were developed by Bob Twiggs at Stanford University and use audio frequencies to encode sensor responses. Students assemble and test CricketSAT modifications. developed by MECSAT launch partner, Michael Fortney at the University of Vermont. The students’ CricketSATs were equipped with thermistors to measure ambient temperature. Students used spectral analysis software to relate the frequency response to temperature measurements and learned the challenges of data calibration. 

 

Students also assemble timer circuits for cameras to capture near-space images and set up temperature/humidity sensors for flight profiles. They also monitor surface ozone using the GLOBE protocol and equipment and participate in at least one ozonesonde launch. Participating students give poster presentations on their work at local NASA and NSF-sponsored summer student research conferences.

 

High School student projects also include sensors interfaced with Basic Stamp microcontrollers.  Students measure temperature and humidity and control cameras interfaced with the microcontrollers. They also mount the 432MHz transmitter on the Stamp and transmit latitude, longitude, and altitude as well as sensor data in real-time using Morse code.  The Morse code is digitized using CWget software .

 

The MECSAT Summer Academy is supported by NASA programs including the New York State Space Grant Consortium, the CUNY/MUSPIN Program, the New York City Space Science Research Alliance, the New York City Research Initiative (NYCRI)  and the Vermont State Space Grant Consortium.

Dr. John Merrill, URI, describing incoming ozone data for high school students.

High school student Tiffany Walker describing her thermocouple project at a NYC NASA student research conference.

High school students Jessica Guerrero, a budding meteorologist and Ernst Etienne, a budding aerospace engineer, monitor surface ozone in NYC using the GLOBE protocol.