Las Cruces students are "Go For Launch"

Students from Las Cruces spent two days in September at the Challenger Learning Center to learn about space, microgravity research, and to have an out-of-this-world experience.

Under the direction of CEO Michelle Lucas and retired astronaut Wendy Lawrence, the students, ranging from grade 8-12 from across the Las Cruces Public Schools District, formed teams to compete in a payload design competition. They were given instructions on size and limitations and were asked to develop their own original idea for sending something into space, and for what purpose.

Five teams designed payload proposals which ranged from ants and praying mantis experiments, to sending a desert tarantula and a rock crab to low Earth orbit. Ultimately the team named Sunny Side Up won the competition with a payload proposal to send sea cucumbers to space to study their regenerative properties, and to see if they could be a food source for astronauts on long-term missions.

The students who are part of Team Sunny Side Up are Alanalisa Baca (Vista), Angela Perez (Vista), Audrey Smith (White Sands), and Aly Sylis Vasquez (Organ Mountain High School).

The winning team’s design will now go into a national competition, with one designed payload being chosen for a voyage to the International Space Station. The winner of the overall Go For Launch! Series will be announced in early 2026.

“Programs like Go For Launch! give our local Las Cruces students hands-on experiences that turn curiosity into real-world innovation,” said Dr. . We look forward to future events with Michelle and her team,” shares Dr. Stephanie Hofacket, director of teaching and learning, K-12 STEM for LCPS.

Higher Orbits was developed 10 years ago by Lucas, who formerly worked at NASA in Mission Control and as an astronaut trainer. Because of her experiences as a child and her work in industry, she was moved to give back and to bring space-inspired STEM to the “backyards” of students across the country with hands-on project-based learning. New Mexico is the 23rd state to host an event.

The STEM organization has held 93 Go For Launch! events around the country and has sent 24 student experiments to space in that time. There are currently four Higher Orbits student experiments onboard the International Space Station.