Students at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) are rolling up their sleeves for a high-tech, sky-high mission to livestream Monday's total solar eclipse. As part of NASA's Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project, the students' Atmospheric Physics Exploration team has spent about a year and a half preparing to send a high-altitude weather balloon up to a dizzying 80,000 feet, WXYZ reports.

The launch, which takes place in Ohio, is intended to capture not just awe-inspiring views but critical atmospheric data during the solar spectacle. The EMU initiative is one part of a larger effort by 70 institutions gearing up to analyze the eclipse's effects, according to Mlive. However, a test launch Wednesday had some heart-stopping moments when the balloon line snapped, promptly leading to an equipment scramble — though, thankfully, only the balloon drifted off, and the essential gear was reclaimed.

The APEX team's real-world assignment takes on a definitive edge, giving science students a taste of the unpredictabilities inherent in research. The balloon is designed to climb past the thickest layers of Earth's atmosphere, soaring past the cruising altitude of commercial airliners, for a rare celestial perspective that EMU students will share with the world. "It's so cool to be doing science, I get to do real science!" EMU senior Rosalyn Friend exclaimed in an interview captured by WXYZ.

With the big day approaching, the EMU team remains optimistic. Despite Wednesday's hiccups, the students appear ready for Monday's challenge, and viewers around the globe can tune in to the eclipse livestream via CBS News Detroit at 2 p.m. EMU Physics Professor Dave Pawlowski praised the students, "They have done an incredible job designing, building, troubleshooting, and testing the equipment that will be launched and should be extremely proud of this project," as recounted by Mlive. The next chance to capture such an eclipse? Not for another two decades, making Monday's high-altitude ballet of science, a true must-see event.