UNF ozone sensors successfully launched into space
The University of North Florida successfully flew ozone sensors into space on the Neptune One spaceship test vehicle that launched from the Space Shuttle Landing Facility of NASA's Kennedy Space Center last Friday.Central Florida space tourism company, Space Perspective, flew the Neptune One vehicle containing the UNF sensor payload to its target altitude and traversed the Florida peninsula before splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico and being recovered.
The ozone sensor instrument, developed by Dr. Nirmal Patel, UNF physics associate lecturer, and UNF physics students including Miguel Bolante and Karli Dattilo, was built to test innovative atmospheric science technology. The UNF payload was successfully recovered after termination of the flight, and water did not enter the sensor as it splashed down in the Gulf waters.