On April 14, Santa Fe High’s NJROTC unit (the fourth period ROTC III class) launched a weather balloon as a class project to learn about the Earth’s atmosphere. The instructors responsible for the launch were Santa Fe High’s Lieutenant Commander Craig Stapleton and Major Hendricks from West Mesa High School in Albuquerque.

The air balloon was carrying a radiation detector, radar reflector, parachute, and triangle base that harnessed two Go-Pro cameras, a tracking beacon, and an altimeter. When the balloon reached 105,000 feet, the balloon popped and a recovery team was sent out to retrieve the “train” of accessories that went up with the balloon. The balloon landed 14 miles outside of Las Vegas, NM.