Civil Air Patrol’s fifth annual launch day for the national High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for cadets soared to success Aug. 2, with three weather balloons climbing into the stratosphere carrying payloads containing nearly 200 experiments from 105 squadrons across 42 wings.
The launch at Anderson Preparatory Academy in Anderson, Indiana, brought together CAP cadets and adult members, National Headquarters staff, and mission partners from across the country for a full day of STEM engagement, aerospace education, and real-world mission experience.
A collaborative effort between National Headquarters and the Indiana Wing, the challenge featured the launch of three high-altitude weather balloons to the edge of space, each carrying science experiments designed by cadets from across the nation.
The balloon launch is the centerpiece of CAP’s national cadet STEM challenge — an experiential program aimed at sparking cadet interest in science, technology, engineering, and math though space science, atmospheric research, and aerospace engineering.
The Indiana Wing has hosted the launch day ever since the competition’s start in 2021, providing mission support that includes launch logistics and site coordination, payload preparation, chase operations with aircraft and drones, communications, and ground tracking and recovery.
“This event brings together aerospace education, cadet programs, and operations into one cohesive program,” said Col. Jamie Griffith, Indiana Wing commander. “We’re proud to play a central role in this national challenge, and I’m grateful for the 50-plus cadets and adult volunteers across our air, ground, and communications teams who made the mission possible.”
The three balloons reached burst altitudes between 84,000-88,000 feet before returning to Earth. Each team’s experiments were loaded in a compact 40-gram capsule and flown aboard one of the balloons, followed by an Indiana Wing search-and-rescue exercise mission after landing.
First Lt. Michael Dean, commander of the Anderson Preparatory Academy Cadet Squadron, once again served as the local host.
The entire day was documented using CAP aerial drone footage, aircraft cameras, and ground team footage, with data and media provided by NearSpace Education, CAP’s technical launch partner. Each balloon carried a GPS-enabled sensor pod that delivered real-time tracking and environmental data, including:
Altitude and ascent/descent speeds
Wind speeds and GPS coordinates
Environmental data including temperature, ultraviolet light exposure, solar radiation, and cosmic ray measurements
Cadets will use these data sets, combined with post-launch reports from NearSpace Education, to analyze near-space conditions’ impact on their experiments, deepening their understanding of high-altitude environments and STEM applications and contributing to meaningful STEM learning experiences to determine how humans can live and work in space in the future.
Once recovered from corn and soybean fields by the cadet ground teams, the experiment capsules were shipped back to the participating squadrons, where approximately 1,200 cadets will begin the analysis and reporting phase of the challenge. In addition to the scientific component, cadet teams also compete in four judged categories:
Mission Patch Design
Prelaunch Video
Post-launch Documentary Video
Science Experiment Report
Winners in each category will receive grants from the Air & Space Forces Association, with the top overall team earning a $5,000 prize and the Col. Joe Kittinger High-Altitude Balloon Challenge Cup, to be awarded by Sherry Kittinger during a ceremony Nov. 6.
The nationwide challenge is offered at no cost to cadets, exemplifying CAP’s mission to promote aerospace education and foster the next generation of innovators, explorers, and STEM leaders.
For more information, see the National CAP High-Altitude Balloon Challenge webpage or contact [email protected].
