University of Iowa graduate Ryan Helland helped build a research sounding rocket for a NASA project called VIPER.

It will measure electromagnetic fields in the ionosphere. Researchers hope that data will help them better understand the physics between Earth and space and what happens to radio waves when they leave Earth.

Helland says his Iowa work ethic made him stand out.

“I actually started working from the ground up. He liked me because I was a farm boy and would do the work nobody else wanted to do,” Helland said.

If all goes well, his hard work will be launched Wednesday night in Virginia.