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Show Wednesday, September 10,2008 HE SIGNPOST BUSINESS & SCIENCE HARBOR launches balloon into space to float around until it eventually fell back to earth or was hit by a plane. It was a delicate balancing act tofillthe balloon enough to raise it to the desired The High Altitude Reconnaissance altitudewithoutburstingduetoexpansion. Balloon for Outreach and Research The more helium, the faster it would (HARBOR) Team made its first successful ascend, but also the faster it would burst. balloon launch on July 28 from Duchesne Attached beneath the balloon was a Airport. The team is made up of students blaze orange and white parachute recovery and faculty advisers from system, and Weber State University beneath that, two and Utah State University. Styrofoam boxes The 2-meter wide by about one-and-a3-meter tall latex science half feet square, balloon was launched at each covered with 9:14 a.m. and was - Samuel Silver, a bright yellow technically the second fabric. WSU student nylon "successful" launch. One box was According to WSU Physics the command Professor John Armstrong, capsule, and the otherthepayloadcapsule. "success" is a launch and recovery. The The command capsule carried GPS balloon lifted off and floated back to the equipment for tracking the balloon ground about a minute later. After an on- as it ascended and descended, and the-spot recalculation, the balloon was some equipment that the Federal filled with more helium, reset and released. Aviation Administration (FAA) This time it kept going up as desired. requires onboard for such projects. "We had to stand around it to make sure Permision and communication with it did not hit the ground or anything," said the FAA throughout the flight was also HARBOR team member John Metcalf said. required, should the balloon fly off in A punctured or popped balloon would an unplanned direction. Inside the have ended the project immediately. command capsule was a Command The goal was for the balloon to reach And Telemetry System (CATS) that an altitude of 100,000 feet; it came close, broadcasted the balloon's GPS location. with a final altitude well-above the The payload capsule carried cruising altitude of most airplanes, when experiments and a camera dubbed ARIES the balloon burst at 79,056 feet, which for Airborne Remote Imaging Exploration was planned. As the balloon went higher System. ARIES is a modified digital the atmospheric pressure decreased, camera that took pictures throughout the causing the balloon to expand until it flight at set intervals of time. Along with burst. It was designed this way because ARIES was PASCAL (Pressure Aloft Sensor otherwise it would have continued to Characterize Atmospheric Layering), By Ryan Larsen correspondent I The Signpost "I hope HARBOR can fly higher next time/' which measured atmospheric pressures and temperatures. Also part of the payload was CubeSat, a small picosattelite made from commercially a v a i l a b l e electronics, provided by Utah State University. The flight went as well as anyone could have hoped. During its ascent, the balloon was spotted and reported to the FAA by a Delta Airliner. The balloon burst at 11:48 a.m., and a piece of the balloon became wrapped around one of the parachute lines, causing it to spin SOURCE: HARBOR as it fell back to earth, but the WSU HARBOR students launch their weather balloon into space during the 2008 summer. chute deployed successfully. It landed at 12:42 p.m., Armstrong said the HARBOR project is gain hands-on experience in doing real approximately 40 miles away from student-driven, built and assembled, and science experiments and bring more the launch site, near Ouray Wildlife that it was so much fun to bring people people to science and get them involved." For more information and pictures Refuge where it was recovered. together to do something fun for science. "I hope HARBOR can fly higher go to: http://space.weber.edu/harbor. This first flight was preliminary flight next time, for one," said HARBOR team for the HARBOR team; the data gathered from this flight will be used to make the member and WSU student Samuel Silver Comment on this story at future flights more successful. The next in an e-mail interview. "I hope that it continues to fly and allows students wsusignpost.com. flight will be will be on September 20,2008. both in high school and in college to During a lecture about the project, at Weber by Jim Christians and his podcast was excellent It was a presentation on the history of musical theatre." Updates for the latest in the Performing Arts Department are available through podcasts as well. "My favorite types of podcasts are the By Ashley Salvador ones by animation companies." Wiser business editor I The Signpost said. "Because here in Utah it's close to impossible to get a hold of animators, Since Apple launched its Podcasts, it has so podcasts are a great way to inform." "PoUticsonFrida/'isapodcast where WSU's become popular worldwide along with the Political Science Faculty meets to discuss issues iPod Podcasting is streaming audio online that in politics every other Friday. They discuss people can access at any time. There seems to issues such as municipal elections, the 2008 be no limit on what topics Podcasting can have. presidential elections, People can subscribe to and many other political different types of podcasts developments. In the like talk shows, music, September 5 "Politics politics, etc The clever on Friday" podcast, term "Podcast" that Apple WSU professors Leah came up with comes Murray and Thorn from combining the word Kuehls examined the iPod with Broadcasting. impact of the national Podcasts can be conventions on the race delivered dairy upon the for the 2008 presidency. topics updating thenx Other podcasts from a Weber State University variety of speakers who offers avariety of Podcasts have spoken at WSU are for WSU students and available as well. Some of anyone interested " them are David Sanger, Podcasts are a newer and x-.,:*. the Chief Washington exritingwayforstudentsto ~ TraVIS , correspondent for leam and progress more, "We started podcasting asst director of Media Relations the New York Times, here at WSU in the Richard Richards, the rail of 2005," Said Travis Clemens, assistant former chairman of the Republican National director of media relations, "and ever since Committee, Douglas W. Smith, the Yellowstone then its done really welL We have a lot being WolfRestoran'onProjectleader, andmanymore. recorded weekly. We're going to record the "We started podcasting here at Lieutenant Governor next week when he WSU in the fall of 2005 and ever since is here speaking and stream it on podcast" then its done realty welL" Clemens said. Business Podcasts are available to help "We have a lot being recorded weekly. We're students leam about successful executives and going to record Utah's lieutenant Governor, how they execute Gary R. Herbert their business, and next week when their styles. Some he is here speaking of the business and stream it podcasts are on podcast." recorded audio Students don't have of some speakers to have an iPod to who have come listen to the WSU to WSU. Some podcasts. Any MP3 business podcasts player will work. include Michael They can simply Pratt, founder pull the audio onto andCEOofOGIO their MP3 players International Bob from the WSU Bonar, president podcasting Website. and CEO of For more Snowbird Resort, information on and many more. subscribing and "I love podcasts go to podcasts." Said http:/ /weber. Scott Wiser, a edu/WSUToday/ WSU student in podcastsiitml or the Bachelor's call 801-626-7539. program of Integrated Studies, Comment on "I've listened this story at to a podcast wsusignpost.com. WSU put on WSU students can access podcasts PHOTO BY ASHLEY SALVADOR I TH£ SICNPOST Bonnie Shupe, an IT specialist, helps Kara Fierro, a Weber State University student, fix her laptop on Monday afternoon. Techs save students computers IT tech students fix computers in Lampros Hall free of charge By Tim Brownell correspondent I The Signpost depth virus scans as well as simply setting students up for wireless Internet access." Lampros Hall is mainly known for the computer lab or testing center, but this year the computer service center is getting notice as well. With the addition of new logos and signs leading to the building, a brand-new Students at Weber State University yet again have the ability to use Lampros Hall Computing Support Services (CSS) for any of their computer problems. Can do anything chat room feature has They can take full been set up online advantage of their at weber.edu for all college tuitions by computer questions. getting any computer, Along with the free printer, or network services, students can service work done for also obtain McAfee free by the IT workers - Quin Dixon, Antivirus software, 1 at Lampros Hall. which runs between IT specialist "The beginning 30 and 40 dollars. of the year is one of "I think it would be the busiest times of helpful because I don't the year because of all the incoming know how tofixa computer/' said WSU students needing/wanting wireless," said sophomoreShalieBarber/'andasacollege Quin Dixon, one of the IT leads at WSU. student I don't make a lot of money." According to Dixon, the lab Dixon said it gives him a peace of mind averages about 10 students an hour. knowing that he is helping the students. "We can do anything to a computer "Rather than them spending a lot to help fix it besides taking apart the of money at Geek Squad," Dixon said, machine itself," Dixon said. "We do in- "they can come here, where it's a one- to help fix it besides taking apart the machine itself." on-one support system for free." This option is not only unknown to freshmen, but that of upperclassmen as well. "I have no idea that they offer that/' said WSU senior John Vander Velpen, "and I have been here for four years." For students who may need computer work done, Computing Services works on everything, including Macs, Dell, PC, Linux and all others. Every computer lab and computer on campus goes through CSS before being used. Also, students who may be interested in becoming a part of the IT support team should go to the CSS office which is located on the second floor of the Lampros Hall building, and talk to the supervisor Heidi Parker. To see if they are currently hiring, go to http://jobs.weber.edu. The Lampros Hall Computing Services room is open Monday through Friday. Doors open up at 8 a.m. and close depending on the traffic they get; closing times range from 5 to 8 p.m. For any questions regarding a problem with a computer, the CSS contact number is (801) 626-7777. Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. "We started podcasting here at WSU in the fall of 2005 and ever since then its done really well. We have a lotb weekly. |
