Louisiana Students Launch Scientific Payloads with NASA

• Louisiana students launched 11 payloads into the stratosphere on May 19, 2026, marking the 74th and 75th flights of the LaACES program.
• The initiative provides hands-on aerospace experience, bridging academic learning with real-world NASA mission operations.
• Participating teams successfully recovered their experiments, which gathered data on cosmic rays, atmospheric conditions, and solar cell performance.

The LaACES Program

• The Louisiana Aerospace Catalyst Experiences for Students (LaACES) program is a collaboration between NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility and the Louisiana Space Grant Consortium.
• Since its start, the program has supported over 500 students from 13 institutions, facilitating more than 60 balloon flights and 135 unique payloads.
• Participating institutions in 2026 included Louisiana State University, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana State, McNeese State, Loyola University, Southern University, and St. Joseph’s Academy.

Mission Operations and Engineering

• Students follow a NASA-modeled engineering lifecycle, including preliminary design reviews and flight readiness assessments.
• The 2026 campaign utilized latex balloons capable of carrying 7- to 9-pound payloads to near-space altitudes.
• NASA facility personnel provided operational support, including weather briefings, helium filling, and launch-line guidance.
• Following the flight, student teams analyzed their sensor data and presented findings to NASA engineers and faculty mentors.

Scientific Objectives

• Research payloads focused on a diverse range of studies, including:
  • Atmospheric science
  • Cosmic ray detection
  • Thermal management
  • Ultraviolet characterization
  • Stratospheric wind analysis
  • Solar cell performance