Higher Orbits To Host A Stellar Soirée Celebrating 10 Years of Go For Launch!, and 100th Event

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 8, 2026

Higher Orbits To Host A Stellar Soirée Celebrating 10 Years of
Go For Launch!, and 100th event.

The Chicago celebration honors a decade of inspiring future STEM leaders through space exploration, astronaut mentorship, and hands-on learning.

CHICAGO, Illinois — Higher Orbits, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring students through space-based STEM, leadership, and teamwork programs, will host a Stellar Soirée, a special anniversary celebration commemorating 10 years of the organization’s flagship Go For Launch!  Program on June 27, 2026. The ticketed event will bring together astronauts, alumni, educators, industry leaders, and supporters in Chicago for an evening celebrating a decade of impact and the future of the next-generation workforce.

Over the past 10 years, Go For Launch! has engaged more than 3,000 students across 23 states, and supported more than 24 student experiments launched beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The Stellar Soirée recognizes the students, mentors, volunteers, and partners who helped build that legacy while reinforcing the growing importance of STEM education and workforce development in the expanding space economy.

The event will take place inside the Henry Crown Space Center at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, a place where history and possibility coexist. Home to the Apollo 8 Command Module, the Mercury Aurora 7 capsule, and a remarkable collection of artifacts tracing humanity’s reach beyond Earth, the venue stands among the nation’s most iconic space exploration destinations. At the center of the evening will be the SpaceX Dragon capsule that carried the very first Go For Launch!  student experiment into orbit, serving as a powerful symbol of the program’s real-world impact and student achievement.

“As we celebrate 10 years of Go For Launch! , we are also celebrating the thousands of students who discovered confidence, purpose, and possibility through these experiences,” said Michelle Lucas, founder and CEO of Higher Orbits. “The Stellar Soirée is an opportunity to reconnect our alumni community, strengthen lifelong mentorship and professional networks, and continue building pathways for students to thrive in a future increasingly shaped by space, innovation, and emerging technologies.”

The evening will feature appearances by veteran NASA astronauts Wendy Lawrence, Don Thomas, and Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, with additional special guests to be announced. Attendees are encouraged to embrace the event’s “elevated cosmic cocktail attire” theme as they gather to celebrate “a decade in Higher Orbits.”

The Stellar Soirée will serve not only as a celebration, but also as a reflection on the growing need to prepare students for careers connected to the modern space industry. As commercial spaceflight, satellite technologies, aerospace manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space-based research continue to expand, organizations like Higher Orbits play an important role in developing adaptable, collaborative, and STEM-ready future leaders.

Higher Orbits is also hosting other events in the Chicagoland area before and after the Stellar Soirée. The Higher Orbit’s Student Symposium: Alumni Rendezvous will be held from June

24-27, and the following week marks the 100th Go For Launch! event. The 100th Go For Launch! will be held June 29-30 in Deerfield, Illinois, the same location where the organization hosted its very first Go For Launch!  program alongside astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger.

The Stellar Soirée is a limited-capacity ticketed event. Supporters interested in attending or learning more can visit https://higherorbits.org/stellar-soiree/.

ABOUT HIGHER ORBITS

Higher Orbits is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses space to inspire students to pursue STEM fields while building teamwork, leadership, and communication skills. Through immersive, hands-on programs including Go For Launch! and other educational initiatives, Higher Orbits has engaged thousands of students across the country, empowering them to succeed in school, careers, and life. Learn more at HigherOrbits.org.