"Let's take a picture of the Earth."
High Altitude Balloon Program · Est. 2026
Gateway Ascent is a multi-year student engineering program at Gateway Christian School.
Students ages 7–17 are designing, building, and launching a high-altitude weather balloon —
learning real electronics, physics, and teamwork along the way.
This isn't a kit or a simulation. Everything is designed and built by our students,
guided by experienced parent engineers and coaches. Our long-term goal: send a camera
to the edge of space and bring back a photograph of the Earth.
Welcome to the Coaches' Corner. This is where parent coaches, teachers, and mentors will share what students have been building, what's coming up next, and what we need from the broader community to keep the program flying.
More updates as Phase 1 prototyping kicks off — students get their first LoRa boards this month.
Solder and program Arduino microcontrollers and LoRa radio systems from scratch. No kits — real engineering.
Stream sensor readings — temperature, pressure, altitude — from the balloon to a ground station in real time.
Calculate lift, ascent rates, and atmospheric pressure in the classroom — then verify every number with real flight data.
Design a complete payload — power, sensors, comms, and structure — that survives altitude, cold, and the journey home.
Operate in real sub-teams with defined roles: comms, structures, sensors, ground station. Older students lead younger ones.
Stand on the field and watch something they built rise into the Texas sky. Every launch is a real milestone, not a simulation.
A one-page overview of the five stages of a high-altitude balloon mission — payload construction, FAA safety rules, trajectory prediction, controlled helium fill, and APRS-based recovery.
Download PNG
A breakdown of every part of the flight vehicle — balloon, parachute, radar reflector, the insulated payload box, triple-layered tracking systems, and the ground-station command center.
Download PNGAges 7–17. The builders, programmers, and future aerospace engineers of Gateway Christian School.
Also join us on Remind For SMS text alerts, join our Remind group. Text @gwascent to 81010 — no app required, and your phone number stays private.
Student info + parent contact — takes about 60 seconds
Gateway Ascent runs on community support. Every donation goes directly to hardware, helium, and launch costs. We believe pursuing knowledge and excellence honors God — and we'd love to have your help.
Want to volunteer a skill? Reach out: phillip.mabry@gmail.com