Real or Fake News #3

High school students Sophie Taylor and Ethan Jimenez have made history by putting a plastic pig in space. What started off as a fun science project at Florida’s Freeport High School has turned into a record-breaking event. Equipped with a modified weather balloon made of nylon, spandex, and Kevlar – the same materials used in space suits – along with a GoPro camera and GPS tracking, the pig reached a height of 108 km. That’s 8 km past the Karman line which marks the boundary to outer space. To put that into perspective, most weather balloons burst at around 80 km and the lowest satellites orbit at around 160 km.

“We never expected it to get as high as it did,” Sophie told WKRG News.
Vocabulary
Kevlar = super-strong bulletproof material
Comprehension Questions
  1. What materials did they use?
  2. What height did the pig reach?
  3. What is the Karman line?
  4. What makes this a special event?
Discussion Questions
  1. Would you like to cross the Karman line?
  2. Was science your favorite subject in school?
  3. Did you do any memorable science projects?
  4. Why do you think they chose a plastic pig? What would you have chosen?
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