Alberta University students become first Canadians in NASA program

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A group of students from the University of Alberta have become the first Canadians to be accepted into NASA’s RockSat-X student program after working on a project to help understand the earth’s climate.  

The students were able to witness a rocket ship launch at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, USA, carrying a project they worked on at the university before being accepted into the NASA program.  

The students’ project, ‘PEPPER-X,’ aimed to equip rocket ships with sensors that could help them understand the solar system and how the sun affects the earth’s atmosphere.

The rocket carried two sensors: an electron detector that logs energy levels and a magnetometer that detects low-frequency radio waves.

One of the students, Carl Berresheim, joined Steve Berard on This Week in the Peace to discuss the project. 

Berresheim, who was born and raised in Fort St. John before attending the university, says the project will improve the accuracy of their models for predicting magnetic storms.

The program got pushed back by a year due to logistical challenges. With a launch date of 2025 and needing to keep the timeline, the students became the first Canadians accepted into the NASA RockSat-X program. 

Back in August, Berresheim watched as the rocket carrying his project was launched, calling it a “very surreal” experience. 

“It’s very humbling watching the rocket go up. It just shakes you to your bones,” said Berresheim.

Berresheim is currently working as a mechanical engineer for a new satellite project called “Radicals,” and says he wants to keep working in the aerospace industry. 

He graduated from North Peace Secondary School in Fort St. John in 2019 before attending the University of Alberta. 

To view the full episode of This Week in the Peace featuring Berresheim, look below.