Thanks to a lead donation from Corning Incorporated and the Corning Incorporated Foundation, Clarkson University’s Clarkson Discovery Challenge-Space (CDC-Space) kicked off the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 16 to the International Space Station (ISS) in September 2021.
This exciting STEM project builds upon the strong partnership and rich history of K-12 outreach between Clarkson University and regional school districts. Roughly 150 students learned about microgravity experiment design and proposal writing as part of the SSEP. Over the span of two months, Clarkson STEM faculty and students worked with science teachers and middle and high school students from Harrisville, Canton, Brasher Falls, Parishville-Hopkinton, and Norwood-Norfolk schools.
Of the 52 proposals from our North Country School Partners, the round one local judges selected three to move on to the next round. From there, the SSEP Mission 16 to the ISS National Step 2 Review Board selected one experiment to be performed on the ISS with an expected launch date of Spring/Summer 2022.
CONGRATULATIONS! The National Step 2 Review Board for the SSEP has selected Harrisville Central School students Elaine LaVancha (10th grade), Ethan LaVancha (8th grade), and Hailey Meagher (10th grade) along with the teacher Nicole Taylor as the finalists with their experiment titled, “The effects of microgravity on chlamydomonas reinhardtii algae when exposed to optimal nutrient levels” as the flight experiment for SSEP Mission 16 to the ISS.
Students will compare the outcomes to the results obtained from conducting the same research on Earth. The team is also invited to present its findings at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and to attend the launch of the experiment in Cape Canaveral, FL.
“The students were able to explore their own research ideas and get the satisfaction that they can be real scientists through experiments. They were empowered to put their thoughts on paper and perform their own research. Who knew that microgravity was a thing and is important in our daily lives? The experience will be something they will never forget. Some are already thinking of their proposal ideas for next year,” said Taylor.
Drs. Katie Kavanagh and Dr. Seema Rivera, who are Director and Associate Director of Clarkson’s Institute for STEM Education, respectively, co-directed the program. Dr. Rivera said, “This project is challenging work in ‘normal’ times, but COVID has made it trickier. However, the students have shown a solid commitment to this work; it was clear from our meetings that they are excited about doing research. Their teacher, Ms. Taylor, said this ignited their interest in pursuing STEM and they are seeing themselves as scientists!”
Clarkson Bioscience and Biotechnology Ph.D. student Alicia Lamb said, “It was such a privilege to assist Clarkson’s Institute for STEM Education with the SSEP program. SSEP encourages children and teenagers to think critically, become more scientific writers, and gain proficiency at reading reliable sources – all essential for our future scientists! It was exciting working with such a variety of classes and students as I guided them through the constraints and necessary details of designing an experiment that can be sent all the way to space! These North Country students are creative, determined, and enthusiastic. What more can you ask for!?”
Thank you again to Corning Incorporated and the Corning Incorporated Foundation for their support in this program so students in the North Country were able to compete in this Space Challenge.
About the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program [or SSEP] is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.
Learn more about the SSEP: http://ssep.ncesse.org
https://www.clarkson.edu/news/north-country-students-chosen-send-experiment-space
