Doylestown Teen Spends Summer Launching Satellites Into Space​

UPLAND, INDIANA — Ryan Holton’s biggest project in July wasn’t catching up on summer homework. It was launching satellites into space.

From July 21 to 25, the Doylestown teenager was one of 15 students from across the country who attended summer camp at NearSpace Education in Upland, Indiana.

Throughout the week, students in sixth through 12th grades engaged in a variety of hands-on STEM activities that stretched their creative and technical skills. Students came from five U.S. states and two foreign countries, Switzerland and Nigeria.

Daily tasks, including soldering circuit boards, programming computer boards and robots, using computer-aided design (CAD), and practicing 3D printing, ultimately led to the creation of a final project - a fully refined and tested satellite.

Ten-foot weather balloons were used to launch the 250-gram satellites to the top one percent of Earth’s atmosphere, or 17 miles above the surface of the planet. Students gathered data and tracked their experiments, later chasing down the descended packages.

Holton said he was most excited about launching the balloon and hopes to do the same at his home school this fall.

Participants are selected based on their passion for the world of STEM. Individualized interactions and attention help NSE staff to guide young, growing professionals.

July’s space camp is one of multiple programs that NSE has hosted for students since 2021. Through their camps, they’ve offered training beyond the classroom experience. The organization has operated with the goal of providing immersive STEM-based opportunities to enrich the next generation to enter the field.

NSE is a non-for-profit organization based in Upland, Indiana. Its mission is to inspire, equip, and impact the next generation of STEM students through innovative educational programs. Supported through the work of NearSpace Launch, NSE accomplishes its goals through hosting community space events, balloon launches, and an abundance of educational, interactive programs throughout the year.