North Carolina Community Colleges Fly High in the Annual High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge

May 29, 2026 Grace Rodrigues 3-min. read

A team about to launch their high altitude balloon — A group of students release their balloon in a parking lot.

Nine teams from across North Carolina came together to compete in the 2026 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). This year-long competition challenges community college teams to design, build and launch scientific experiments aboard high-altitude balloons.

Students from community college campuses worked alongside faculty mentors, following NASA’s engineering design process, to develop payloads that can collect data in conditions that are similar to those in space. Teams present their work throughout the year, then compete in a statewide launch and recovery event where their payloads are evaluated on design, performance, scientific results and overall execution.

Students leave the program with hands-on experience while developing technical skills and gaining essential teamwork, communication, and leadership tools.

“This challenge gives students the opportunity to serve as the engineers, scientists and leaders on their own projects,” said Jobi Cook, associate director of NC Space Grant. “The HABC experience helps them build practical, career-ready skills that translate directly to opportunities in aerospace and beyond.”

This year’s challenge included 115 students and 15 faculty mentors. In addition to their technical work, each team was required to conduct community outreach activities as part of the challenge. Between presentations and demonstrations at schools, libraries, 4-H programs and community organizations, participants reached 647 people across North Carolina by sharing their enthusiasm for STEM and aerospace education.

Best Overall Team

South Piedmont Community College earned the Best Overall Team Award for its performance throughout the challenge. The team also achieved the competition’s highest altitude, reaching 96,003 feet during flight.

The view from Southern Piedmont Community College’s payload as their balloon popped.

Award Lineup

As well as Best Overall, teams competed for several other awards:

Highest Apogee: South Piedmont Community College
Closest to Predicted Landing Site: Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute
Best Payload: Wake Technical Community College South Campus
Best Photo/Video: Wake Technical Community College South Campus
Best Outreach: Edgecombe Community College

A high altitude balloon bursts into shreds into pieces in space. — Winner of Best Photo award: Wake Technical Community College South Campus’s balloon pops in space.

A student presents their balloon project — A student from the Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute presents his teams’ payload, which won the Closest to Predicted Landing Site Award at just 1.6 miles off.

Students high five and celebrate after a successful high altitude balloon launch — Students from the Edgecombe Community College team, critECCly stable, high five after a successful balloon launch.

In addition to their outreach work, ECC team members Isabella, Dani and Ajeda recently earned first place in the Postsecondary Career Pathways Showcase Industrial Engineering Technology category at the SkillsUSA for their project, High Altitude Ballooning Ultraviolet Transmission in Near Space. The team will advance to the National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta this summer.

From left, Isabella de Leon, Daniella Ponce and Ajeda Thomas post in front of their table display at SkillsUSA. Photo from Edgecombe Community College’s HAB team.

The High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge showcases the hard work, creativity and enthusiasm of students from across North Carolina. Throughout the year, participants take on real-world challenges and share their passion for STEM with hundreds of community members across the state.

The NC Space Grant looks forward to welcoming returning and new teams for next year’s challenge.