From the Classroom to the Stratosphere with the MaxIQ Space HAB Mission

What happens to temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, light and ultraviolet radiation as an experiment rises through the atmosphere?

The MaxIQ Space High Altitude Balloon Ride Share gives high school learners the opportunity to investigate questions like these by designing and coding experiments that fly on a NASA high altitude balloon mission.

MaxIQ Space has participated in this mission annually since 2023, enabling student experiments to travel from the classroom into the stratosphere. The programme forms the Gaining Altitude stage of the MaxIQ Space Pathway to Space, bridging the gap between classroom experiments and more advanced missions such as the International Space Station Ride Share.

A real mission rather than a classroom simulation

During the programme, student teams develop a scientific question, design an experiment, programme their hardware and test it in preparation for flight.

Their experiment must operate autonomously within a defined mass, volume and power allocation. Once launched, the learners cannot adjust the programme or repair the hardware. Their experiment must continue recording reliable data throughout the mission.

This creates an authentic engineering challenge. Learners must decide:

• What they want to investigate
• Which variables they need to measure
• How frequently measurements should be recorded
• How the sensors should be calibrated
• How the electronics will respond to low temperatures and changing atmospheric conditions
• How the experiment will store sufficient data
• How they will recognise and explain unexpected results

These are the same kinds of questions that scientists and engineers consider when preparing research instruments for flight.

Springbot at the centre of every experiment

The upgraded MaxIQ Space High Altitude Balloon programme uses the Springbot as the main processor and data platform.

Springbot already includes environmental sensors and a microSD card interface, allowing it to measure conditions and store time-stamped data throughout the flight. Its built-in sensing capabilities provide an accessible starting point for teams investigating temperature, relative humidity, natural light, ultraviolet radiation and changes in the atmospheric environment.

Student groups can extend their experiments by adding compatible xChips. More advanced teams can design their own sensor circuits and connect them using MaxIQ Space interface boards, subject to the technical and safety requirements of the flight.

This flexible architecture allows several levels of participation. A team undertaking its first flight experiment can work with Springbot’s existing sensors, while a more experienced team can integrate a specialised sensor and test its performance in the stratospheric environment.

What could students investigate?

Each group develops its own research question. Possible investigations include:

• How temperature changes during ascent through different layers of the atmosphere
• How light and ultraviolet measurements change with altitude
• The relationship between atmospheric pressure, temperature and altitude
• How exposed and insulated sensors respond differently during flight
• Whether different materials provide effective thermal protection
• How quickly sensors react to changing environmental conditions
• Whether a student-designed sensor continues to operate reliably at high altitude
• How flight data compares with measurements collected on the ground

Additional sensors may be required for some investigations. All proposed payloads are reviewed before flight to confirm that they comply with the agreed electrical, mechanical, material and safety requirements.

The student mission journey

The programme takes each participating team through five connected phases.

1. Define the mission

Students select a research theme, develop a testable hypothesis and identify their variables, measurements and success criteria.

2. Build and test

Teams programme their Springbot, connect any additional sensors, calibrate the experiment and collect sample data. A parallel engineering model allows learners to test and refine their work without disturbing the final flight unit.

3. Qualify the experiment

Each team documents its programme, power requirements, sensor configuration and test results. The flight unit is reviewed against the mission acceptance requirements before integration into the shared payload.

4. Fly and collect data

The experiment operates autonomously during the high altitude balloon flight, recording measurements to its microSD card. The actual launch schedule and flight profile depend on the confirmed balloon campaign and operating conditions.

5. Analyse and communicate

After recovery, learners analyse their data, compare it with their original hypothesis and identify limitations or unexpected findings. Teams prepare a research poster, report or presentation explaining what they discovered and what they would change in a future mission.

Developing more than technical skills

The High Altitude Balloon Ride Share brings science, technology, engineering and mathematics together in one coherent project.

Students learn to work with sensors, coding, electronics, data logging, graphs and time-series information. They also develop project management, teamwork, documentation, problem-solving and presentation skills.

Most importantly, learners experience the complete research process. They move from asking a question to designing an investigation, testing their solution, meeting a flight deadline and defending their conclusions using real data.

For Grade 9 learners, this experience can arrive at an important point in their education. The technologists and engineers needed ten years from now are sitting in Grade 9 classrooms today, deciding whether to continue with mathematics and physical science. An authentic mission can help learners understand where those subjects may take them.

A step on the Pathway to Space

The MaxIQ Space Pathway to Space gradually builds the knowledge and confidence required for increasingly sophisticated missions.

Learners begin by using Springbot to investigate conditions on Earth. They then explore remote sensing and communications before progressing to rockets, low altitude balloons and high altitude balloon experiments.

The High Altitude Balloon Ride Share represents the transition from ground-based experimentation to an authentic flight environment. It prepares teams to understand the requirements, discipline and systems thinking needed for later missions, including experiments aboard the International Space Station.

Not every student needs to become an aerospace engineer. The experience also introduces careers in atmospheric science, electronics, software development, data science, environmental monitoring, mechanical engineering, project management and technical communication.

Designed for schools, education networks and sponsors

Schools can participate individually or as part of a district, education network or sponsored cohort. Each team pursues its own research question while sharing the wider mission experience with other participating groups.

A coordinated cohort also creates opportunities for teams to compare results, attend joint workshops and present their findings to scientists, engineers, sponsors and members of the space industry.

Corporate sponsors can support access for groups of schools, contribute technical mentors and connect the mission with their own future workforce development priorities. The programme produces tangible evidence of participation: completed experiments, test documentation, flight data, learner presentations and research findings.

Join the next mission

MaxIQ Space is inviting expressions of interest from schools, universities, education networks, science centres and sponsoring organisations interested in participating in the next Springbot High Altitude Balloon Ride Share.

Flight dates, payload capacity, technical limits and logistics are confirmed for each mission before enrolment opens. Programme pricing and prerequisites may be found here.

To register your interest, contact MaxIQ Space and tell us about your institution, the age or grade of your learners, and the type of investigation your team would like to explore.

A classroom experiment can begin with a simple question. With the right pathway, that question can travel into the stratosphere.