In a stunning display of what happens when you mix military discipline with simulation software, the Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron’s Wolfpack clawed their way to third place at the Air & Space Forces Association’s National Space Design Competition. The event, held in Denver on April 24, featured 10 teams pretending to design actual satellites while adults hovered nearby with clipboards and encouragement.

Maj. Gen. Regena Aye praised the squad for remaining “calm under pressure,” a feat made all the more impressive given that the pressure mostly involved choosing solar panels and not yelling at teammates over orbital math. The New Jersey team, fresh to the national stage, earned similar nods for basic sportsmanship and not quitting on day one.

StellarXplorers, the competition’s official name, exists to steer K-12 students toward aerospace careers by making them solve pretend space problems with real engineering tools. Nearly 400 teams entered this year; only a handful survived four online rounds of increasingly stressful spreadsheets before the live finale, where each group received eight hours to design a 12-year satellite mission, pick a launch rocket, and brief actual professionals without fainting.

Coach Maj. Bill Blatchley noted that success hinged on selecting the right sensors, batteries, and fuel margins—skills that will surely come in handy the next time these cadets need to power a school science project. Team captain Cadet Lt. Col. Hally Hallare credited last year’s two-person experience for teaching the four-member Wolfpack how to argue productively about who does the coding.

The New Jersey “Team Challenger” also competed, its members listed with ranks that would make any actual Air Force officer do a double take. Their adult coaches stood by, presumably ensuring no one accidentally launched a theoretical satellite into the judges’ coffee.

The weekend wrapped up CAP’s dual STEM season, which also included CyberPatriot. A Virginia team placed respectably in the cyber division, proving that CAP cadets can both orbit the Earth and secure a network in the same calendar year. With 78 StellarXplorers teams and 477 CyberPatriot squads registered nationwide, the organization continues to offer ambitious youth the chance to practice national security skills before they’re old enough to rent a car.

Hallare, already eyeing astronautical engineering at a service academy, called the experience “incredibly grateful” and vowed to return next year, presumably with even more complicated orbital equations and the same four-person roster.

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