A group of University of Florida (UF) international students recently participated in the Space Trek Academy. In this program, UF students joined as one large team, with smaller technical units to successfully launch and retrieve a weather balloon, with a payload that travels up to 100,000 feet.
Students learned about subjects such as meteorology, telemetry and how NASA takes different variables into account to perform millions of calculations, very similar to these. They also learned about payload integration and how to plan and efficiently carry out a weather balloon launch.
Throughout the program, students collaborated in teams to design, build, and launch small-scale rockets, applying engineering principles in a real-world context. They also toured NASA facilities, attended lectures from astronauts and aerospace professionals, and explored career pathways in space-related fields. By the end of the academy, participants left with increased confidence, practical experience, and a network of like-minded peers, all while gaining inspiration to pursue STEM education and careers. In a field mission, making up one-third of the total crew with five Gators among the 14 participants.
The UF delegation included students from diverse academic backgrounds and nationalities, highlighting the university’s global presence in research and fieldwork.
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Metolo Foyet (Geography) – Cameroon
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Nidhi Kalia (Chemistry) – India
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Rafael Rocha (Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering) – Brazil
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Rohit Srinavasan (Industrial & Systems Engineering) – India
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Ruijie Shi (Astronomy) – China
To commemorate the mission, Metolo Foyet custom-designed mission patches incorporating
UF colors and featuring a special design specifically representing the Gators’ presence in the field.
This mission exemplifies UF’s commitment to international collaboration, fostering connections among students from diverse backgrounds while reinforcing the university’s global impact.
