Read more about the CU-AstroBubble project in the Carleton Newsroom article, Students Reaching New Heights to Detect Stratospheric Radiation

CU-AstroBubble is a student-led group that is developing a radiation sensor as part of theCanadian Stratospheric Balloon Experiment Design competition organized by SEDS-Canada (Students for Exploration and Development of Space) and supported by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). This initiative started as a challenge to put ourselves outside of our comfort zones and strive to design a novel creation to advance the Canadian space sector. Now not only is CU-AstroBubble the first Carleton team to participate in this competition, but the technology we apply in the sensor, metal nanoparticles, has never been tested outside of a typical laboratory setting. The development of this sensor and execution of a successful project requires expertise from a variety of different fields such as Engineering, Chemistry, Business, and Digital Arts departments. Due to the diversity of this project, students are presented with the opportunity to learn concepts and develop skills outside their regular course load.

These funds will be used to purchase necessary materials for assembling the sensor as well as supplies for laboratory work. Moreover, the funds will be used for outreach initiatives, such as participating in conferences and presentations across high-schools. Finally, the funds will be used for the last stage of the project, which requires travel to Timmins, Ontario, which is a launch site for the stratospheric balloon.

CAN-SBX is supported by CSA and participants have a chance to work directly with CSA experts throughout the project duration. We want to be able to represent Carleton in a positive light when working with these experts, make the most of this learning opportunity and secure future opportunities in the aerospace and design sector. We want to build great connections with these industry experts and provide  students a chance to work on developing an aerospace experiment, from inception to mission completion.