Donate

Simulated mission This is a labeled demonstration. It is not a live balloon flight and is not counted in production statistics.

Mission complete · 5th grade STEM

WF-0142

Kidinnu Academy · El Cajon, California

Mission Control Finder page Payload kit

TEAM Charter School — Stockton, California Kidinnu Academy — El Cajon, California Alta Vista Innovation High School — San Bernardino, California Richmond Charter Academy — Richmond, California The School of Arts and Enterprise — Pomona, California Desert Sage School — Tucson, Arizona Desert Star Academy — Fort Mohave, Arizona Avondale Elementary (Imagine School) — Avondale, Arizona FIT Academy — Apple Valley, Minnesota DuBois Integrity Academy — Riverdale, Georgia Sandhills Theatre Arts Renaissance School (STARS) — Vass, North Carolina Wayne Preparatory Academy — Goldsboro, North Carolina South Scioto Academy — Columbus, Ohio KCC Riverview South — Riverview, Florida Palmer Ranch (Imagine School) — Sarasota, Florida

Altitude —
Speed —
Distance —
Time aloft —
Temperature —
Landing —
Open mission
LaunchMarch 21, 2026
Altitude0 ft
Speed67 mph
Distance170 miles
Time aloft2h 34m
Temperature72°F
Illustrative student-built payload box with tracker and parachute against the sky
Illustrative — not a live flight.

The human message

Hello from El Cajon. We built this at school. If you are reading this, we are already connected.

Mission timeline

  1. Payload armed

    Tracker tested. Recovery card attached.

  2. Launch
  3. 10,000 feet
  4. Entered stratosphere
  5. Maximum altitude

    76,410 ft

  6. Descent detected
  7. Landing detected
  8. Payload found

    Finder report approved for public display (first name + approximate place).

  9. Returned

    Payload back at school. Mission complete.

Connections

STATE

Your balloon just entered Arizona.

Arizona

RECOVERY

Someone found the payload and told the classroom where it landed.

Near Yuma, Arizona

We predicted vs. what happened

We predicted

East · 90 miles

Max altitude 80,000 ft

Duration 2h 20m

California

Imperial Valley, California

5th grade STEM

What actually happened

Distance error 41 miles

Altitude error 3,590 ft

Duration error 14m

Near Yuma, Arizona

Illustrative recovered payload and parachute in open country
Illustrative — not a live flight.

Recovery

Public landing: Near Yuma, Arizona

Finder

Maya — Agricultural land east of Yuma, Arizona

Walking the dog along a canal road. Thought it was a weather instrument from the irrigation district.

A prepaid label was provided after the finder report was reviewed. The payload is back with the launching classroom.

Share this mission · Found moment