Space Race

Sisters Rebecca and Kimberly Yeung set a lofty goal last year. The girls, from Seattle, Washington, wanted to launch a balloon to the edge of space. The cargo: scientific sensors, a LEGO® figure of R2-D2, and a photo of Loki, their cat.

Rebecca, 11, and Kimberly, 9, named their craft the Loki LEGO Launcher. They set three criteria, or standards, for success. They wanted to film the blackness of space. They hoped to measure how high the craft flew. Most importantly, they wanted to find the launcher once it fell to Earth.

Rebecca and Kimberly Yeung are sisters. They live in Seattle, Washington. Last year, they decided to do something big. They wanted to launch a balloon to the edge of space. It carried scientific tools, a LEGO® figure of R2-D2, and a photo of their cat Loki.

Rebecca is 11 and Kimberly is 9. They named their project the Loki LEGO Launcher. They set three criteria (cry-TEE-ree-uh). Meeting these goals would make their project a success. 

Space is dark. The girls wanted to film this blackness. They also wanted to know how high the launcher flew. Their third goal was to find the launcher after it fell to Earth.

The plan was simple: A special balloon would lift a platform of equipment into the sky. Then the balloon would pop and the platform would fall back to Earth.

The girls’ parents helped gather materials, and Kimberly plotted the basic design. The sisters built a triangle of thick plastic pipe, with plywood in each corner to support their equipment. They attached a GPS unit to track the spacecraft’s position, as well as height sensors, cameras, and a parachute to slow the platform’s fall. They added R2-D2 and Loki for fun. 

The sisters knew they could use the balloon only once. That meant they couldn’t perform any test flights. But they knew how much the balloon could lift, so they weighed their platform. They realized it was too heavy. 

The girls replaced the plastic pipe with the lightweight shafts of archery arrows. Now the spacecraft passed the test!

The girls made a plan. A balloon would lift a platform into the air. The platform would carry scientific tools. Then the balloon would pop. The launcher would fall to Earth.

The girls’ parents helped find materials. Kimberly designed the launcher. The sisters built a thick plastic triangle. They put wood pieces in each corner. These held their scientific tools. 

The girls put a GPS unit on one corner. This device tracks an object’s position. They also added cameras, height sensors, and a parachute. They added R2-D2 and Loki for fun. 

The sisters knew the balloon would pop in space. They could use it only once—no test flights. But they did test the design. They knew how much the balloon could lift. They weighed the platform. It was too heavy. 

The girls traded the plastic for lighter archery arrows. Now the launcher passed the test!

Finally, it was time to launch. The family drove to an open area. “We turned on the sensors, blew up the balloon, and let go,” says Rebecca. 

Three hours later, the balloon popped, and the launcher fell to Earth. The GPS signal showed that it had landed in a field 82 kilometers (51 miles) away. The Yeungs found it right-side-up and almost perfectly intact!

The sensor data showed that the launcher had risen 24,000 meters (78,000 feet). Video from the cameras showed the blackness of space. “We were really proud,” says Kimberly.

After sharing their project online, the girls were invited to show it to President Barack Obama at the White House Science Fair this past April. One thing about the launch that impressed the president: Loki and R2-D2 never fell off!

It was finally time to launch. The family drove to an open area. “We turned on the sensors, blew up the balloon, and let go,” says Rebecca. 

The balloon popped three hours later. The launcher fell to Earth. The GPS signal showed that it had landed 82 kilometers (51 miles) away. The Yeungs found it in a field. It was right-side-up and not broken!

The height sensors worked. They showed that the launcher rose 24,000 meters (78,000 feet). The cameras had filmed the blackness of space. “We were really proud,” says Kimberly.

The girls shared their project online. Then they were invited to show it to President Barack Obama. They brought it to the White House Science Fair this past April. The president was impressed with the launcher. Loki and R2-D2 never fell off!