Higher Orbits
Michelle Lucas
(281)451-5343
michelle@higherorbits.org
Higher Orbits Go For Launch! Space-Inspired STEM Event Lands in Albuquerque for The First Time This Week
Higher Orbits Galactic HQ – October 14, 2025 – Higher Orbits is bringing its flagship program, Go For Launch! to Albuquerque, NM for the first to help inspire students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This event will be held at the NewSpace Nexus Launchpad where students in grades 8-12 will participate in space-based group activities that are designed to help them develop critical skills needed for success in their future careers.
On October 18-19, students will have the opportunity to work with a featured astronaut and other aerospace professionals as they design a spaceflight experiment that could fly to the International Space Station. This unique opportunity offers students the chance to learn through mentorship, and teamwork in group settings.
Retired NASA astronaut Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger will be the featured astronaut at this event. Astronaut Metcalf-Lindenburger was chosen as one of NASA’s Educator Astronauts and flew on the STS-131 mission as a Mission Specialist.
“One of my favorite aspects of Higher Orbits is watching students from various STEM backgrounds come together to form a team and leave having designed an experiment that could fly in space, all within a period of two days. That type of learning would take weeks in a traditional school environment,” shares Astronaut Metcalf-Lindenburger.
Go For Launch! is the hands-on flagship program of Higher Orbits, a non-profit that aims to encourage students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The program is designed for students of all backgrounds—from the STEM novice to the more experienced—with the hopes of helping ALL students gain the skills and confidence necessary to enter the workforce as the STEMists and Explorers of the future.
The students work with industry professionals on teamwork, communication, research design, and leadership skills. While focusing on spaceflight, Go For Launch! students have the chance to work alongside a featured astronaut at each event to learn and develop important skills that can be applied in any professional field.
"It's great to be heading back to Albuquerque for the first time," said Michelle Lucas, founder and CEO of Higher Orbits. "We run this program all across the country and it is always exciting to work in a new cosmic community to meet their stellar students and share this Space/STEM adventure with them!”
Go For Launch! participants not only have access to incredible mentors, they also have the opportunity to compete to design an experiment that could fly to the International Space Station.
One lucky team will be selected as the winners of the Go For Launch! Albuquerque event. Their team's experiment will then further compete against winning experiments selected from other Higher Orbits 2025 series events, which includes events in Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Ohio, Alabama, and Virginia, as well as the event winners from the recently held Las Cruces event. Space Tango, a Higher Orbits partner, will then build the overall winner's experiment, which will launch on a future cargo mission to the International Space Station.
“The NewSpace Nexus Pathways to the Stars program and Higher Orbits’ Go For Launch! share the same mission, to help students see themselves in the future space workforce,” said Casey Anglada DeRaad, CEO and Founder of NewSpace Nexus. “By connecting inspiration with real-world pathways, we’re helping New Mexico students turn curiosity into careers in space and technology.”
Go For Launch! Albuquerque is open to students in grades 8-12 from New Mexico. Running October 18-19, 2025, Go For Launch! Albuquerque will be held at NewSpace Nexus Launchpad. Interested students can register online at www.GoForLaunch.space.
Go For Launch! Albuquerque is generously supported by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium and the following sponsors: Moon Mavens – Sandia National Laboratories; Host & Team Terrestrial Newspace Nexus; Suborbital Supporters AIAA Albuquerque Chapter, Apex Technologies; Mission Media – N2K and T-minus Daily; and Intergalactic Voyagers A-B Emblem, Uniphi Space Agency, Space Tango, Candor Threads, AIAA, and Space Shirts. All events are supported by the EASE Coalition which is supported by Burns & McDonnell.
Higher Orbits is truly honored to work with many communities, companies, and individuals. It's through these partnerships that the organization is able to inspire the next generation of STEMists and explorers—the future workforce of our country. Go For Launch! has been conducted 93 times in 23 states and has resulted in 24 student experiments being launched to space.
About Higher Orbits
Founded in 2015, Higher Orbits is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization creating an experimental learning lab for secondary school students across the United States, focused on the multifaceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight in order to launch the next generation workforce our world desires. www.higherorbits.org/
