Saint Francis University Engineering

09/02/2026

It's launch day! Our HASP team's stratospheric balloon payload will be in flight in no time. You can watch the flight from NASA's camera here.

The High Altitude Student Platform (HASP) is designed to carry up to twenty-four (24) student payloads to an altitude of about 36 kilometers with flight durations of 15 to 20 hours using a small volume, zero pressure balloon. It is anticipated that the payloads carried by HASP will be designed and b...

07/22/2026

ASTRA-SFU is cleared for flight. Congratulations to this outstanding team, led by Austin W. and Br Marius Strom, and including Braden M., Owen B., and Noah H., with support from Dr. Wagner and her son Thomas.
The High Altitude Student Platform (HASP)

07/22/2026

It's test day for the ballooning payload in Texas. Right now our lil guy is in the test chamber, experiencing temperatures ranging from about -50C to +50C and very low pressures, to simulate the conditions of the flight. So far, so good.

07/20/2026

07/20/2026

The SFU Nearspace Ballooning team is representing in Texas! We are at NASA's Columbia Scientific Ballooning Facility in Palestine, Texas, to test our payload (thermal and pressure tolerances) for its September flight with NASA's High Altitude Student Program, HASP.

04/21/2026

SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Congratulations to General Engineering Senior Ian Shuey! He has accepted a position at Leonardo DRS in Johnstown as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer.