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Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP) Mission 6 to the International Space Station
by Tom Ervin
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, in partnership with NanoRacks LLC, announce a new opportunity for school districts across the U.S. and internationally to participate in the eighth flight opportunity of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP).
SSEP Mission 6 to ISS will provide each participating community a real research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment, and all launch services to fly the mini-lab to ISS in Fall 2014, and return it safely to Earth for harvesting and analysis. Mirroring how professional research is done, student teams across the community submit research proposals, and go through a formal proposal review process to select the flight experiment. The design competition–from program start, to experiment design, to submission of proposals by student teams–spans 9 weeks from February 24 to April 28, 2014. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experiment design. Additional SSEP program elements leverage the experience to engage the entire community, embracing a Learning Community Model for STEM education.
SSEP is open to U.S. schools and school districts serving grade 5 through 12 students, 2- and 4-year colleges and universities, informal science education organizations, and internationally through the Center’s Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education. SSEP is not designed for an individual class or a small number of students.
SSEP Mission 6 to ISS includes an experiment design competition February 24 through April 28, 2014. Flight experiments are selected by May 29, 2014, for a ferry flight to ISS in Fall 2014. All communities interested in participating in Mission 6 to ISS are directed to inquire no later than October 31, 2013.
For information on the Mission 6 to ISS flight opportunity, please visit necesse.org.
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