Many students probably know something about space from playing computer games or watching movies and TV shows. Teachers can expose them to the real thing by launching their experiments into near space on a weather balloon. This article describes how to use high-altitude ballooning (HAB) as a culminating project to a chemistry unit on experimental design, gas laws, and air pollution. The authors describe how to design an instructional unit and perform a balloon launch, and they also provide examples of other student projects.