Xplorers Beyond

By Brynnley Prijatel

Did you know the Air Force Association created a club? StellarXplorers is an organization designed with space in mind. Participating teams work together during contests to solve different problems and scenarios created by the staff. 

According to StellarXplorers website, the program was created in 2014 and still flourishes today. The club spends up to six hours on Fridays practicing. 

Dallas Musso, senior, explained, “My greatest experience was probably with the people in the club, we all had a different thought process, so we all had to consider each other's opinions in a timely manner.” 

The objective is to see who can collect the most data promptly while following the constraints of the competition ahead. The Pueblo County High School StellarXplorers team has attended national tournaments in previous years. A day at nationals is filled with excitement and creativity.

Axel Enochson, senior, stated, “My greatest experience was from two years ago, in which our team scored incredibly well on a practice round. While we did not score as well on the qualifying round, the coordination and collective understanding that we experienced during the round influenced our ability to work as a team and my ability to cooperate with others in a workplace setting.”

When competing, teams must remember their budget and the purpose of their space mission. The different teams are judged on various criteria, including; creativity, practicality, and presentation. After all the hard work is over awards are given after competitions, and you can also apply for, and perhaps, receive scholarships.