Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Aiden Morris (left) and Cadet Airman Ian Riach share a screen during the Air & Space Forces Association’s StellarXplorer national finals. The two cadets were teammates on the “Wolfpack” from the Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron, which captured third place on the final day of the National Space Design Competition. (Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association)
The Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron StellarXplorers team took third place April 24 at the finals of the 2025-2026 National Space Design Competition in Denver.
The cadets’ Top 3 performance put an exclamation point on Civil Air Patrol (CAP) participation in StellarXplorers and CyberPatriot — the Air & Space Forces Association’s space and cyber STEM competitions.
About 550 CAP teams signed up for the competitions, which officially ended in Denver. One of 10 teams competing for top honors in StellarXplorers, the Colorado Springs team was joined by CAP’s Capt. “Bud” Jackson Composite Squadron team from Edison, New Jersey.
Teams from the Air Force Junior ROTC and public and charter high schools rounded out the field.
Maj. Gen. Regena Aye (left), CAP’s national commander, joins members of the “Wolfpack” on the awards podium as they are recognized for their Top 3 finish in the National Space Design Competition. On stage with Aye, from her left, were team director/coach Maj. Bill Blatchley, Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Parth Nayak, Cadet Lt. Col. Hally Hallare, Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Aiden Morris, Cadet Airman Riach, and assistant coaches Maj. Donna Fay Assistant Coach and adult member Dalton Williams. (Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association)
“Our teams exemplified our core value of excellence at StellarXplorers. I was honored to spend time with these inspiring young leaders and grateful for how they represented CAP — with pride and professionalism.”
Aye, who was on hand for the competition, added, “The Colorado Springs team, which finished third, remained calm under pressure, executed with focus, and demonstrated outstanding teamwork. The New Jersey team showed equally inspiring character, demonstrating tremendous sportsmanship and delivering a strong performance in their first year of national-level competition.”
A Space-Focused STEM Program
StellarXplorers is a national space-focused STEM program created by the Air and Space Forces Association to inspire and motivate tech savvy K-12 students to pursue careers in aerospace, aviation, and engineering.
It is best known for its National Space Design Competition, where student teams solve real-world space system design challenges — such as orbit determination and satellite component selection — using professional-grade Systems Tool Kit (STK) simulation software.
Nearly 400 teams participated in StellarXplorers this season, with the finalists battling through four intense online rounds to secure their place in Denver.
Maj. Bill Blatchley, the Colorado Springs team’s director/coach, said the 10 teams in the finals were given eight hours to complete the mission scenario on the final day of competition.
“This involved establishing an orbit of a communication satellite that would be able to receive data from a satellite at Lagrange Point 1. This satellite would then need to communicate radiation sensor data to a moon base near the South Pole on the moon and download imagery to an Earth station.”
Blatchley said each team also had to select components for the mission satellite, including the sensors, radio transmitters, solar panels, batteries, and processors to fulfill mission requirements.
“An important part of the scenario was to select a launch vehicle and launch location for the system and provide enough fuel to meet a 12-year mission life,” he said.
Finally, the team had to brief a panel of industry and military professionals on their solution methodology.
Cadet Lt. Col. Hally Hallare (seated, center) huddles with her Wolfpack teammates — (from left) Cadet Chief Senior Master Sgt. Aiden Morris, Cadet Airman Ian Riach, and Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Parth Nayak on the final day of competition. (Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association)
Meet the Members of the ‘Wolfpack’
Members of the Colorado Springs team, nicknamed the “Wolfpack,” were:
Cadet Lt. Col. Hally Hallare (team captain)
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Parth Nayak
Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Aiden Morris
Cadet Airman Ian Riach
Maj. Donna Fay, 1st Lt Jared Tesone, and adult member Dalton Williams served as the team’s assistant coaches.
Members of the top three teams in the finals were awarded a cash prize to pursue their future STEM education and career goals.
Hallare, the team captain, plans to pursue a degree in astronautical engineering, ideally at the U.S. Air Force Academy or the U.S. Naval Academy.
“My experience in Civil Air Patrol has played a significant role in shaping that goal. It has helped me develop discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills, and taught me how to apply them in technical environments like StellarXplorers.”
Experience, Teamwork Led to Success
Previous experience in the competition helped the team’s performance this season, Hallare said. “We overcame a number of challenges, especially adjusting from a two-person team last year to a four-person roster this year. That transition had differences in working styles, but we learned how to adapt and come together to tackle complex scenarios effectively.”
Teamwork was a factor in the team’s success, she said.
“We delegated tasks efficiently and quickly identified each team member’s strengths. We also applied communication and collaboration skills emphasized in CAP. In highly technical scenarios where every second counts, clearly defined roles and strong team dynamics are needed to make the most of the time available.”
While competing in StellarXplorers national finals, the Capt. “Bud” Jackson Composite Squadron’s “Team Challenger” poses for a group photo before the national finals in Denver. Team members, from left, were Cadet Capt. Param Gor, Cadet Staff Sgt. Aarya Samadhiya, Cadet 2nd Lt. Lohitaksh Arige, Cadet Maj. Darsh Shah, Cadet Master Sgt. Sai Prateek Thotapalli, and Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Maheah Ramani. (Photo by Jud McCrehin, Air & Space Forces Association)
Members of the New Jersey CAP team, “Team Challenger,” were:
Cadet Maj. Darsh Shah (team captain)
Cadet 2nd Lt. Lohitaksh Arige (vice-captain)
Cadet Capt. Param Gor
Cadet Chief Master Sgt. Mahesh Ramani
Cadet Master Sgt. Sai Prateek Thotapalli
Cadet Staff Sgt. Aarya Samadhiya
Adult CAP members working with the team included 1st Lt. Bhavin Shah (director/coach) and 2nd Lt. Trishia Soni.
Wrapping Up the Cyber Season
Blatchley also serves as the National Headquarters Cyber Mission Team deputy for education and awareness and says his team’s Top 3 finish in StellarXplorers was a fitting conclusion to CAP’s 2025-2026 space and cyber seasons.
In March, a cadet team from the Virginia Wing’s Burke Composite Squadron made it to the CyberPatriot 18 awards podium — placing second in the All Service Division’s Cisco Networking Challenge and third overall in the All Service Division during the championship round.
CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program and, like StellarXplorers, was created by the Air & Space Forces Association to inspire K-12 students toward STEM careers.
The Virginia team, “Cyber Monkeys,” was accompanied by “Team Iridium” from the California Wing's Fullerton Composite Squadron, which also participated in the championship round. Both teams were semifinals award winners in CyberPatriot 18, and both teams previously represented CAP in the national finals.
Opportunities Abound in CAP
Blatchley reported CAP had 78 teams registered in StellarXplorers for 2025-2026, which was a 30% increase from last season. Fifty-six of those teams competed in at least one qualification round and 46 participated in all three qualification rounds, he said.
There were 477 CAP teams registered for the CyberPatriot 18 season, which was “in line with the previous season,” Blatchley said. Of those registered teams, he pointed out that 296 participated in at least one round.
Civil Air Patrol has a robust cyber program, which prepares its cadet teams for their next season’s competition through several national cadet special activities and a series of CyberCamps each summer. The program helps steer CAP youth toward STEM careers that will aid in maintaining national security for the future.
Information on CAP’s cyber programs can be found here. Squadrons can also register to host a CyberCamp this summer during the weeks of July 6 and July 20, which will give them a preview for the 2026-2027 competition. More information on CAP cyber education is available here.
Hallare, the captain for the Colorado Springs team, said she was “incredibly grateful” for mentors like Blatchley, and for the CAP support her team had throughout the StellarXplorers season.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to compete again next year,” she said.
