Minnesota’s new state flag reached new heights this week when it was launched into space by a team from the University of Minnesota.

U.S., Minnesota and University of Minnesota flags were launched Wednesday as part of a project by a team from the Mechanical Engineering department at the school in Minneapolis.

According to associate professor Ognjen Ilic, a payload carrying nanofabricated materials, fabricated at the University of Minnesota Nano Center cleanroom, was launched from Montgomery, Minn., to study how the materials behave outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The researchers are watching for material resistance to increased radiation and interaction with cosmic rays, among other things, Ilic said.

The vessel carried a suite of instruments, such as cameras, thermometers, GPS and altitude and pressure sensors controlled by an onboard computer.

After a Wednesday morning launch, the payload was retrieved later in the day.

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