LIST launches stratospheric balloon in collaboration with Lycée Atert-Rédange

It was an unusual scene for a high school playground, especially on a crisp Saturday morning. The campus of the Lycée Atert in Rédange, Luxembourg was abuzz with a handful of people this Saturday 14 September – students, parents, teachers, and researchers from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST). In the middle of the sprawling green field, a group worked together to steady a large balloon—measuring 11 metres of bursting diameter at high altitude—as it gradually filled with helium from three canisters. Within just a few minutes, the balloon was in the sky with an ascent speed of 5 metres/second, carrying with it a payload filled with scientific experiments designed to test the boundaries of space, and marking the culmination of months of preparation and collaboration between LIST and the high school.

A collaboration of science and education

The launch was part of a project coordinated by LIST, in partnership with the Lycée Atert-Rédange, and was aimed at fostering hands-on learning in scientific research. The objective: to equip students with the tools and knowledge to conduct real-world experiments in a near-space environment. The balloon, loaded with a 1.6 kg payload, would ascend to an altitude of around 30 kilometres—reaching the edge of Space—while collecting critical data.

The payload was split into two main components: one part consisted of sensors developed by LIST researchers, and the other contained experiments conceptualized and constructed by the students themselves. Over the course of almost two hours, the balloon would gather data on temperature, pressure, and radiation levels, providing students with a wealth of information to analyse and apply to scientific models.

Cutting-edge research from LIST

“LIST played a central role in the development of the balloon’s high-tech payload,” said Jérôme Polesel, Technology & Innovation Manager at LIST and principal investigator of the project, “wherein we shared our expertise in materials science, device integration, and prototyping.” Among the experiments onboard were thermal gauges developed using inkjet printing technology, designed to test their resilience in the extreme conditions of near-space.

“Senior researchers from our team led the development of these gauges, which will be tested for their response to low temperatures, low pressure, and cosmic ray radiation,” added Olivier Bouton, Lead Engineer and technical coordinator of the project.

Another LIST experiment focused on studying the impact of cosmic rays on metal nanoclusters, specifically platinum and tungsten oxide. By analyzing the materials post-flight, researchers hope to better understand how cosmic radiation affects these nanomaterials, with applications for future space exploration technologies.

Lycée Atert’s role: A hands-on learning experience

For the students of Lycée Atert-Rédange, this project was an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to a real-world experiment. Under the guidance of Dr Ben Kasel, Physics teacher at the lycée, the students designed a series of experiments for the balloon’s payload, including environmental monitoring. The experiments would allow them to study the effects of decreasing air density and temperatures as low as -40°C — conditions that are rarely experienced on Earth.

The data collected during this mission will be analyzed by the students in the coming months, offering them hands-on experience in data interpretation and scientific modelling.

A future-oriented initiative

“This project is not just about one launch—it is a step towards further integration of space-oriented research in educational settings,” adds Polesel. “LIST’s ongoing research into sensors and radiocommunication devices for space applications is laying the groundwork for future collaborations with schools across Luxembourg.”

The project also serves as an intermediate step for the LIST team to refine various scientific experiments, signal processing techniques, and radiocommunication protocols. These advancements will pave the way for the upcoming CubeSat mission, LIST-SAT-01, which will conduct experiments in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 500 km. Initiated in 2023, this mission is set for a rocket launch by early 2026.

Watch the flight of the balloon here: