ARLINGTON, Va. — Huntsville High School Space Force JROTC No. 2 is a finalist in the Air & Space Force Association’s StellarXplorers IX National Finals.
The unit is one of 10 finalists in the competition April 20-22.
From an initial field of nearly 350 teams that began the competition in October, the top 10 units advanced through four online rounds to earn an all-expense-paid trip to Space Center Houston.
They represent high schools, JROTC units, and Civil Air Patrol squadrons from across the country. While some teams are returning to defend their winning titles, others are first-time qualifiers looking to claim the title of national champions.
This is Huntsville High’s second competition.
The other units represent schools in Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and Illinois.
“The National Finals Competition is always such an exciting time for this STEM program,” StellarXplorers Director Rebecca Dalton said. “We are incredibly proud of our finalists and all the teams that participated, and we expect this year’s event to be nothing short of spectacular.
“These students are the future of the space industry.”
The StellarXplorers Program Office is planning a robust final mission for the teams to complete, challenging them with orbit determination, satellite design, and launch vehicle selection challenges.
Teams will present their solutions to a panel of industry experts, and winners will be announced at an awards banquet on April 22. Members of the top three teams receive scholarships to pursue their STEM education and career goals.
StellarXplorers is supported financially by the Air and Space Forces’ STEM K-12 Office, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance, and BAE Systems. Educational support is provided by Ansys, Coyote Enterprises, and Space Center Houston.
The Air & Space Forces Association is the single-largest professional military association dedicated to air and space power and the advancement of aerospace education.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.