The Science Foundation Ireland Discover programme team is partnered with University of Limerick, Met Éireann and Lero and the SFI Research Centre for Software.
Pupils from Scoil Mhuire in Ornamore have been involved with the project through workshops. The children were taught how to ask scientific questions and find answers through experimentation.
On Friday, July 2nd, five high altitude weather balloons containing experiments developed by the pupils will be launched from Met Éireann’s observatory in Valentia, Co. Kerry.
The balloons are expected to reach a height of 30km, where they will be exposed to extreme environments of low pressure, low temperature and cosmic radiation.
When the balloons burst at maximum altitude, the payloads will return to Earth by parachute to be studied.
The project is lead by NUI Galway Professor Derek O’Keeffe. "The mission aims to inspire and empower students to think big, beyond the horizon and show them that involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine is for everyone," he said.
