A GPS tracker tied to a balloon launched by 5th graders at Jefferson Intermediate School in Pella has made a fourth trip around the globe in two months. In partnership with the Pella Amateur Radio Club, the students learned about the technology and were able to then follow it on their computers and smartphones, wherever the wind carries it.

In the past, when the students attempted this same experiment, the first year, it traveled to Ohio and the second year, it got lost in the Bermuda Triangle. This balloon was launched on November 5th, and as of January 1, the students’ balloon has circumvented the earth four times and is still flying. They visited 55 different countries, three different Oceans, and seven seas.

The balloon has varied in altitude from 39,000 feet to 42,000 feet and the speed has varied from 16 mph to 176 mph. On average, it takes about two weeks to travel around the world.

This science project is supported by the Pella Amateur Radio Club and is financed by the Pella Community Foundation and the Marion County Community Foundation.

Anyone can follow this balloon by going to the following URL:
https://aprs.fi/#!mt=roadmap&z=11&call=a%2FWB0URW-8&timerange=604800&tail=604800