Col Joe Kittinger National CAP AE High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets

2026 Col Joe Kittinger CAP National AE High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets 

 

In Memory of Col. Joe Kittinger HAB Challenge Legacy Ambassador (1928-2022)

                                     

Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928, in Tampa, Florida) a former command pilot, career military officer, and retired Colonel in the United States Air Force made the first stratospheric space dive from a high-altitude balloon in 1959. Spending his military career as both a fighter pilot and a research and development test pilot, he participated in Project Excelsior, testing the effects on pilots ejecting at a high altitude. In 1960, he set a record for the longest skydive from a height greater than 102,000 feet (31 km). See the amazing video of Kittinger's historic jump and the significant contributions to future aviation and space travel HERE. More on his life is HERE. Kittinger, the winner of the Frank G. Brewer Memorial Aerospace Award - Individual Category in 2022 died December 9, 2022. We wish to extend sincere gratitude to Mrs. Joe Kittinger for continuing Col. Kittinger's legacy of being the HABC Ambassador and the benefactor of the Kittinger Cup and $5,000 team prize.

 

Registration for the sixth annual Col Joe Kittinger CAP National AE High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets is open until May 18 (midnight local time of squadron). 

Registration Link  

Registration closes at midnight YOUR squadron's local time on 18 May.  Registrations are time-stamped with time/zone and no late registrations will be accepted. 

1. The team's cadet names will not be needed to register a squadron team.  Those names will be requested in May. This will give enough time to create the final team listing. 

2. Only one team per squadron is allowed. 

3. There is no limit on the number of cadets on the team, but the number should be reasonable to expect each cadet to have a part to contribute in the Challenge.  

Each team should follow the 2026 Guidebook, which will provide all details, to include important dates, required submission information and links, and any other pertinent information.

• NOTE: Three deliverables are required for 2026. Previous challenges have included two videos, but for this year, only the post-launch video will be required -- providing teams with more time for research, analysis, and other areas of the competition. Here are the three deliverables: mission patch, science research slide, and post-launch documentary video.  

For questions not found in the guidebook, contact HAB@capnhq.gov.

2026 HABC Registered Teams will be listed to track how many teams, from how many wings and in what regions, to include any APO team(s) registered. 

                                                      

 

Approved CAP Flying V Logos for HABC Use on Slides and in Video (no logo use on mission patches): 

• Clear background/full CAP name with no alterations allowed

Vertical Black    Vertical Blue    Vertical White 

Horizontal Black   Horizontal Blue    Horizontal White

2026 CAP National AE High-Altitude Balloon Challenge for Cadets Team:

 

Lt Col Liz Dunster, co-director, NCWG

Maj Nicholas Green, co-director, NCWG

Lt Col Karen Cooper, administrative lead, RIWG

Maj Julie Sicks-Panus, scoring team lead, NHWG

Maj Brent Wooters, media specialist lead, NCWG

Capt Zach Glennon, scoring team, NHWG

Rolland Grayhek, NHQ/AE

Ginny Smith, NHQ/AE

 

The Indiana Wing provides expansive HABC support during the annual August launch day for the overall SAR-EX, ground team (payload recovery), communications, public affairs, weather balloon launch assistance, and HABC capsule coordination/packaging. 

 

Much appreciation to:

• Indiana Wing Commander, Col. Jamie Griffith, for overall wing HABC support 
• Lt. Michael Dean, GLR-IN-803 Anderson Prep Academy Cadet Squadron commander - host site for launch day
• Lt. Col Frank Merrill, GLR-IN-802 Titan Cadet Squadron commander - comms site for launch day

                                   

                                    

                                     HABC Sponsor

THANKS to all 2025 teams for another year of hard and impressive work.

 

Read the CAP.News article about the 2025 winners at Civil Air Patrol Cadets Reach New Heights in High-Altitude Balloon Challenge.  The awards slide deck with links to all videos, is found in the right menu column. 

 

CONGRATULATIONS to MAR-VA-007 William P. Knight Composite Squadron as the 2025 Kittinger Cup and $5,000 winner!  

                    

 

The Challenge included award grants in all categories provided by the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) for teams to complete more STEM projects and a grand prize for the top cumulative scoring team - a $5,000 award and Kittinger Cup provided by Mrs. Joe Kittinger in memory of the late Col. Joe Kittinger, the HABC benefactor and ambassador. 

 

CAP appreciates both the AFA Education Council and Mrs. Kittinger's continued support. 

   

                                                        

2025 HABC Certificate (is fillable and printable)

2025 HABC Certificate Typing Template, if needed 

 

SEE ALL 2025 AWARD WINNERS:

Information on the 2025 Challenge is HERE.

Click on the  2025 Awards Slide Deck to see the winners of each category of awards: mission patch, pre and post launch videos, and science experiment slide report.

• See the 30-minute HABC awards ceremony video HERE.

• Many thanks to CAP National Commander Maj. General Regena Aye for her wonderful message to all participants at the first portion of the video.  

• Much appreciation to the Air & Space Forces Association (AFA) for supporting the program with squadron award winners' grants. 

2025 HAB Challenge historical page is found HERE.

2024 HAB Challenge historical page is found HERE. 

2023 HAB Challenge historical page is found HERE.

2022 HAB Challenge historical page is found HERE. 

Inaugural 2021 HAB Challenge historical page (with all winners and other information) is found HERE.