Ladies and gentlemen, we have liftoff!

Today a dream has come true. The payload was launched into space this morning from Spaceport America, New Mexico on an UP Aerospace rocket. This experiment ventured into the blackness of the void above, touching the stars in the name of science and the pursuit of knowledge. I would like to thank everyone who has helped us make this a reality; without your help, it would never have been possible.

It is not often that a group of kids from the lunch table in 8th grade are ultimately able to follow through on a miniature space program of their own. At the end of the day, that's why this is special. Space exploration is critical for the future of our species; without it we are doomed to remain trapped on this lonely little pebble forever, a future I hope to never see, and a future I am determined to help prevent. It is the natural continuation of history for us to want to push the limits of exploration. As a society, we have always looked beyond the horizon, yearning to expand our knowledge of the world we all share. The day that the first boots press into the dust on Mars will outshine even the deeds of Columbus, as in that moment mankind will become a species of two worlds.

We must do this not only in the name of science, but also in the name of progress. This progress will be achieved only when space is available to all rather than a select few. That idea is what this project is really all about. Space exploration is hardly ever the domain of teenagers, and through completing this project we are taking a small step towards making miniaturized satellites much more practical. This will in part help open the door to such projects for schools around the country, or even the world, enabling students to not only learn technical skills first hand, but also inspiring them to dream. Just as the Apollo missions 50 years ago brought wonder to the eyes of future scientists and engineers, so could firsthand experience in the classroom. Thank you to everyone for your support, patience, and kindness. Few would be willing to help a group like us, and you all did. I can never express my gratitude enough in words, and will have to hope that this simple string of text will suffice. I will upload the data as soon as the payload is returned to me, and will post images from the onboard camera when I get the footage from UP Aerospace.

 

In this image you can see both mission control and a shot of the rocket moments after ignition. This is a still taken from the Celestis livestream of the event.