high-altitude ballooning | North Carolina Space Grant Skip to main content
NC State Home
NC Space Grant Logo NC Space Grant

high-altitude ballooning

A team about to launch their high altitude balloon

May 29, 2026

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

In early March, teams from across the state assembled at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, NC to compete in the 2024 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). Awards were given in various categories, such as Highest Altitude and Best Photo, with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s team taking home the Best Overall Team award.

Jun 20, 2024

Community Colleges Across NC Participate in the Annual High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge

In early March, teams from across the state assembled at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, NC to compete in the 2024 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). Awards were given in various categories, such as Highest Altitude and Best Photo, with Rowan-Cabarrus Community College’s team taking home the Best Overall Team award.

Jun 7, 2023

Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Teams Fly High in Annual Challenge

Teams from across the state gathered at Catawba Valley Community College in late March to compete in the 2023 North Carolina Space Grant Community College High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge (HABC). Teams received various awards ranging from Highest Altitude to Best Photo. Wake Technical Community College’s high-altitude ballooning team won the Best Overall Team award.
Students standing on a stage with their medals. In the background, a projection says "Engineering technology and design"

Jul 13, 2022

NC Students Earn SkillsUSA Honors

NC Space Grant congratulates the SkillsUSA Championship 2022 medalists on their incredible performance at this year’s national competition. Special congratulations are extended to several national honorees from Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) and Edgecombe Community College (ECC) who also participated in the 2022 NC Space Grant-supported NC High-Altitude Ballooning Challenge and Competition.
Theurer speaks at the 2019 annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in San Francisco. He delivered a presentation at NOAA's booth on the satellite technology NOAA uses and the products they can create from these satellites.

Jun 4, 2020

HAB Team Alumnus Peers at Earth Remotely from Above

From launching high-altitude balloons to working on NOAA satellite data projects, Ryan Theurer is building an exciting space science career.

Mar 3, 2020

Big SkillsUSA Wins for NC Community College Students

After winning in the state level SkillsUSA championship, NC Space Grant-supported Edgecombe Community College earned national titles.
A view of the Pamlico River from the Edgecombe Community College high-altitude balloon

Aug 1, 2019

Ballooning Teams Fly High Despite Weather

This view of the Pamlico River, taken from the Edgecombe Community College high-altitude balloon, won in the best photo or video competition category. Each year since 2015, the NC Space…