Thursday, June 13, 2013
This year’s conference informally
began on Thursday, June 13th with
tours of Vermeer Manufacturing
Company and Pella Corporation.
Vermeer is an international
manufacturing company that
produces equipment for farms
(like round hay bailers) and roads
(like the world’s largest road leveler).
Most people know the Pella
Corporation for their high-end
windows.
After touring these factories,
many attendees retired to dinner at
George’s Pizza and Steak House.
That was followed by a public
concert in the town square.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Friday’s events began with
check-in and a light breakfast. I was
pleasantly surprised when Dr. Bob
Leonard asked to interview Mike and
me for his radio program — In Depth
— on radio stations KNIA and KNLS.
Mike and I took advantage of the
opportunity to acquaint radio
listeners with near space and its
educational benefits.
There were six presentations and
one demonstration at GPSL this year.
Dr. Howard Brooks of DePauw
University and two of his students
gave the first presentation. They
discussed their experience designing
and flying multiwave photometers.
12 September 2013
The Great Plains Super Launch
(GPSL) 2013 met in the Vermeer
Science Center of Central College in
Pella, IA. Mike Morgan (N0MPM) and
Jim Emmert (WB0URW) of Pella
Explores Near Space (PENS) hosted
the conference. Their planning began
in late 2010.
■ BY L. PAUL VERHAGE NEAR SPACE
Go to www.nutsvolts.com/index.php?/magazine/
article/september2013_NearSpace for any
additional files and/or downloads associated with
this article. You can also discuss this topic at
http://forum.nutsvolts.com.
The 2013 Great Plains Super Launch
This year's Great Plains Super Launch took place in
Pella, IA — a town proud of its Dutch heritage. One
of the town's landmarks is the Vermeer windmill
which is the largest Dutch windmill in the United
States. It's a working windmill that grinds flour for a
local business (Jaarsma Bakery). You learn a lot
about technology by visiting the Vermeer Mill. The
same can be said when you attend the GPSL.
Pella is a town with hospitality. Many
stores in the city square posted
greetings like this.
