"The whole idea of education is to prepare our students for the real world," said Jeff Goldstein, center director of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), which runs SSEP. Goldstein emphasized that hands-on experience in real research activities is crucial for preparing students for careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). "A very effective way to do that is to bring professional experiences into the classroom and ask our students to be scientists and engineers right now."

In participating communities, student teams engaged in a structured microgravity science curriculum before proposing their own experiments. The selected projects will use Mixstix-a type of flexible tube containing separate compartments, which allows different substances to be mixed in space for experimentation. This mission saw nearly 1,900 proposals submitted, with one top experiment chosen from each community to be flown to space.

Here are some highlighted projects from the mission:

- Mesa, AZ: Grades 4-12 students from Zaharis Elementary, Red Mountain Ranch Elementary, and Red Mountain High School will study the growth of *Staphylococcus epidermidis* biofilms in space. This research aims to understand how this bacteria, often a source of infection, forms clusters in microgravity, potentially offering new insights into astronaut safety.

- Lamont, CA: Eighth-grade students at Mountain View Middle School will examine *Spinacia oleracea* (spinach) germination in space compared to Earth. As spinach is a nutritious plant, findings could help enhance astronaut diets during space missions.

- Pickerington, OH: Seniors at Pickerington High School North will investigate how Liquid I.V., a powdered hydration product, performs in space. This project seeks to understand how effectively plant cells can be hydrated with this mix in microgravity, which could support astronaut hydration during missions.

- Grantsburg, WI: Ninth-grade students at iForward Public Online Charter School will observe the growth of brine shrimp in space. The team hypothesizes that brine shrimp, known for their resilience, might grow larger in microgravity, with implications for aquaculture and environmental research.

- Sandy, UT: Tenth-grade students at Hillcrest High School will study how well entomopathogenic nematodes-small worms used in pest control-infect an insect host in space. This project could lead to practical methods of pest control in space agriculture.

Several students have shared how participating in SSEP has influenced their aspirations. Elizabeth Miller, a ninth grader from Mesa, said, "It has greatly strengthened my research, writing, presentation, teamwork, and leadership skills." Victor Morris, also a ninth grader from Grantsburg, noted, "Participating in the program gives us a feel of what being an actual scientist is like. Sending brine shrimp to space makes having a career as a space engineer seem a lot closer and a lot more realistic."

"One of the common threads that we hear from teachers is that this was the most difficult and most rewarding STEM program they've ever done," added Goldstein. "Through SSEP, we see that students change their view of what science and STEM actually are, and many students say, 'Yes, I want to consider this as a career.'"

Related Links
NASA Student Spaceflight Experiments Program
Space Tourism, Space Transport and Space Exploration News