Slice of π: Newsletter for Nerds

Success! 86,000-Foot Flight Paves the Way for Weather Balloon Program

In response to the devastating floods this past summer, our Weather Balloon Wednesdays crew is engaged in a multi-year Weather Balloon Project to design a scalable, real-time weather monitoring system that sleepaway campers in Hill Country can deploy easily.

This first test launch—an 800g high-altitude balloon that successfully traveled to its 86,000-foot burst altitude—was the ambitious trial run that will inform the design of the 15-20 balloon kits we plan to send to a handful of camps for deployment in Summer 2026.

Can You Help? 

Helium is a scarce resource, and procuring it will be a major challenge. If you have a solid source for affordable helium or industry contacts who can help, please contact us.

URGENT: Guinness World Record

Launchpad crewmember Aidan, a 7th grader, is racing the clock to secure the Guinness World Record for the World's Youngest Nuclear Fusioneer.

Aidan first successfully achieved fusion on November 30, 2024. Since moving his Fusor experiment to Launchpad, the machine reliably generates fusion.

The obstacle is simple and URGENT: the current record holder achieved the title on his 13th birthday. Aidan turns 13 on Monday, December 8th.

The only thing missing is an official witness.

We need one physics professor or nuclear engineering expert to physically observe the event to attest to the successful production of fusion.

Aidan is ready: the machine is running.

Elbow Grease: Launchpad Gives Thanks to Our Volunteers

Launchpad was literally built by our community. This Giving Tuesday, we give thanks to the volunteers—kids and parents alike—who made our opening possible.

During Thanksgiving break, we thanked the crew who powered the physical transformation of our space. To reward their efforts, we hosted open lab hours. It was incredibly rewarding to see these dedicated volunteers try advanced tools like CAD, 3D Printing, and Laser Cutting for the very first time!

Your effort and time are invaluable resources built into the very foundation of Launchpad. Thank you.