Student Experiment to Fly on International Space Station

September 18th, 2012

This fall, eighth grade science students at Hammond, Lime Kiln and Wilde Lake middle schools will compete for a chance to fly an experiment on the International Space Station. One Howard County experiment will be among 17 selected nationally for astronauts to conduct during a six-week period next spring. A $20 thousand grant from the Maryland Space Grant Consortium enabled HCPSS participation in the project, part of the national Student Space Flight Experiments Program (SSEP) .

Starting in mid-September, students will learn about forces and motion in science classes, then break into teams to design research proposals for microgravity experiments. In November, a committee of local scientists will select one proposal from each school to submit to a national selection committee, which will select one of the three for the May-June 2013 space flight. All students at the three participating schools will also be invited to enter a mission patch design competition. One Howard County patch will be chosen to ride along on the space flight.

Learning and activities around the microgravity experiment will constitute the Grade 8 first-quarter science curriculum at the participating schools, and offer a valuable opportunity to engage students in real-world learning experiences, according to Mary Weller, coordinator of secondary science for the school system. “Gravity affects every biological, chemical, and physical system we encounter each day, so these experiments could provide data with important implications in science, engineering, medical and other fields,” she said. The experiment will consist of a “mix stick,” containing up to three separate fluids. Astronauts will activate the experiment in space by breaking the stick to mix the fluids. Students may simultaneously conduct the same experiment on land in order to compare results in low versus earthbound gravity.

Weller explained that the microgravity project aligns well to the next-generation science curriculum now on the horizon. “Authentic, project-based learning is a great example of the Common Core approach,” she said, referring to the recently adopted curriculum standards that integrate reading, writing, and math instruction into all academic subjects. Students will practice skills in proposal writing and presentation as part of the project.

The funding provided by the Maryland Space Grant Consortium was essential to getting the project off the ground, Weller noted. “The cost of launching the project on a ferry vehicle and returning it to Earth is no small matter. We are indebted to them for their generous support.”

The SSEP is spearheaded by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, a non-profit organization that inspires the next generation of scientists and engineers by engaging their natural human impulse to be curious and explore. “If we as a nation are to compete in the 21st century, we must begin to teach science as a process of discovery, like science itself,” said Center Director Dr. Jeff Goldstein, adding that the student competition follows the approach used by NASA to select research projects designed by professional scientists.

The SSEP is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC. This on-orbit educational research opportunity is enabled through NanoRacks LLC, which is working in partnership with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.