Action Man’s mission in space with QE school

A handful of Year 10 and 12 computer science and media students at Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne have been involved in Project EOS (Edge of Space), with the purpose of sending ‘Action Man’ up and away in a high altitude balloon. The capsule and its space pioneer will be launched on 16 July and tracked at the edge of space. Everyone can watch his progress from launch to touchdown via a live link.

“We will be taking some amazing HD video footage and pictures of the ascent and descent, with a view to recovering Action Man safely,” say students Morgan Bedford and Ben Barnes who also explained that many of the integral components, such as the base antennae, the balloon filler assembly and the Action Man payload having been built by the students themselves. The funding came from the projects sponsor, Intrepid Security, which has allowed the students to have access to the resources they need to get the project working.

Mr Paul Calvert, the teacher currently running the project, said, “It’s been a long process for us, with a steep learning curve. However, the students have thoroughly enjoyed rising to the challenge and utilising their formidable science and maths skills to overcome any problems we have encountered, which is what projects like these are all about. I would like this to be the start of a continued project, with the students having complete control. Maybe planning new ideas and concepts with a view to launching a flight every year for various scientific experiments and passing down the knowledge they have learnt onto others. Who knows, we might even try and break the world altitude record in years to come!”

The launch will take place at Dorset Gliding Club, Eyres Field, Puddletown Road, Wareham, Dorset BH20 7NG on 16 July between 8am and 10am. For more information visit www.projecteos.co.uk