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On May 19, nine Louisiana universities and one high school sent 11 student-designed payloads to the edge of space aboard NASA scientific balloons launched from the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas. The payloads, weighing 7 to 9 pounds, carried experiments in atmospheric science, cosmic ray detection, and solar cell performance. The launches marked the 74th and 75th flights in a partnership between NASA and the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium, part of the LaACES program designed to introduce undergraduates to scientific ballooning through hands-on engineering and mission planning. Each team followed NASA-style design reviews before arriving in Texas, where facility staff provided launch support, weather briefings, and helium fills to ensure safe operations. The program is funded by NASA’s National Space Grant College and Fellowship program and has supported over 500 students since its start, launching more than 60 balloon flights and 135 payloads.

The two balloons ascended to near-space altitudes and were tracked and recovered about 60 miles north of the launch site near Ben Wheeler, Texas. Student teams retrieved their payloads and analyzed sensor data, presenting findings to NASA engineers, faculty mentors, and peers. Savannah Matlock, a Louisiana State University student, described seeing the flight data for the first time as a defining moment that validated the team’s work and reinforced her interest in aerospace research. The recovery process and post-flight analysis mirrored the operational environment of NASA’s broader Scientific Balloon Program, which supports advanced research in astrophysics, atmospheric science, and planetary studies using high-altitude balloons.

Program directors Doug Granger and Aaron Ryan oversaw the LaACES initiative, ensuring each payload met flight readiness standards before launch. Hugo Franco, operations manager at the balloon facility, emphasized the facility’s role in supporting student launches and fostering interest in ballooning. The LaACES campaign provided students with direct exposure to NASA’s mission workflow, from payload design and testing to launch, tracking, and recovery, bridging academic learning with national research operations. By placing students in this ecosystem, the program aims to cultivate the next generation of scientists and engineers for NASA, academia, and the aerospace industry.

Since its inception, LaACES has served as a pipeline for future innovators, with participants gaining experience that often shapes career trajectories. The May 19 launches represent the first flights of the 2026 campaign, setting the stage for continued collaboration between Louisiana institutions and NASA’s balloon program. For the students involved, the moment their payloads lifted off symbolized the culmination of months of preparation and a tangible step toward future opportunities in science and engineering.