ssep | student spaceflight experiments program - revised...

GeneralProgramBriefingRevisedFebruary3,2020

•  IsahighcaliberSTEMeducationprogramforgrades5-16tunedtonextgenerationnationalscienceeducationstandards;

•  Isdesignedtobeanationalmodelforinspiringandengagingthenextgenerationofscientistsandengineers,andtoaddressscienceliteracy.

11thgradersfromFitchburg,MAruntitrationstooptimizetheirSSEPflightexperiment

NationalCenterforEarthandSpaceScienceEducation

Inspire…thenEducate



CreatedtoAddressU.S.StrategicNeed,SSEP:





BreakingNewGroundinCommercialSpace:

SSEPisthefirstpre-collegeSTEMeducationprogramthatisboth–

aU.S.nationalinitiativeandimplementedasanon-orbit

commercialspaceventure.

InsidetheKiboModuleofISS.PhotocourtesyofNASA.

•  AformalproposalreviewculminateswithaNationalReviewBoardselectingthecommunity'sflightexperiment.

•  Studentteamsaregiventheopportunitytopresenttheirexperimentdesignattheirveryownresearchconference,typicallyheldattheSmithsonianNationalAirandSpaceMuseum.

SSEP Student Researchers from Southside High School,SanAntonio,TX.

CommittedtoStudentOwnershipinExploration,toScienceasaJourney,andtotheJoysofLearning

IneachSSEPcommunity:

•  OnestudentteamdesignedexperimentisselectedtoflytotheISStobeconductedbyastronauts.

•  LocaleducatorsdelivertheSSEPmicrogravitycurriculumtotypically300+students.•  Over9weeks,teamsof3-5studentseachdesignamicrogravityexperimentandwritea

formalresearchproposalvyingforthecommunity’sflightslot.

TheStudentSpaceflightExperimentsProgram(SSEP)isaprogramoftheNationalCenterforEarthandSpaceScienceEducation(NCESSE)intheU.S.,andtheArthurC.ClarkeInstituteforSpace Education internationally. SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership withNanoracks LLC and DreamUp PBC, which are working with NASA under a Space ActAgreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a NationalLaboratory. NCESSE, the Clarke Institute, Nanoracks, and Dream Up are designated SSEPStrategicPartners.

DeepInvestmentinPartnership:StrategicPartners–theSSEPTeam

•  SmithsonianNationalAirandSpaceMuseum

•  InternationalSpaceStationNationalLaboratory–ManagedbytheCenterfortheAdvancementofScienceinSpace(CASIS)

•  SubaruofAmerica,Inc.

•  TheNationalSpaceGrantCollegeandFellowshipProgram

•  MagellanAerospace

•  BigKidScience

•  NASANebraskaSpaceGrantConsortium

•  CarnegieInstitutionofWashington/CarnegieAcademyforScienceEducation

SSEPNationalPartnersprovideuniqueassetsandcapabilitiesthatenhancetheprogramonanationallevel.NCESSEandtheClarkeCenterareproudtopartnerwiththefollowingorganizationsontheSSEP–

DeepInvestmentinPartnership:NationalPartners&Sponsors

DeepInvestmentinPartnership:LocalPartners&Sponsors

•  Over1,250LocalPartnershavesupported303SSEPcommunityprogramsin191uniquecommunitiesacrosstheU.S.,Canada,andBrazil.Todate,58communitieshavetakenpartinatleast2,andasmanyas9,flightopportunities.

•  Over2,400schoolshaveparticipatedinSSEPprogrammingwiththeirgrade5-16students.

•  34SpaceGrantconsortiahaveprovidedpartialsupportfor142ofthe303SSEPcommunityprogramsconductedtodate.

SSEPLocalPartnersprovidethatenablesSSEPatthecommunitylevel.Eachcommunityhasitsownunique approach to their SSEP community experience. Local partners assist communities insuccessfullydeliveringtheSSEPexperience,andincludeschooldistricts,privateschools,NASASpaceGrantleadinstitutions,otherUniversities,businesses,foundations,privatephilanthropists,andlocalresearchinstitutions.NCESSEandtheClarkeCenterareproudtopartnerwiththeseinstitutionsandindividualsthatareintroducingthefrontiersofhumanexploration–andrealscience–tograde5-16students.

TheBasics

•  SSEPwaslaunchedinJune2010byNCESSEinpartnershipwithNanoRacks,LLC.Itisnowalmost10yearsold.

•  AU.S.nationalScience,Technology,Engineering,andMathematics(STEM)educationinitiativethatgivestypically300+studentsacrossacommunitytheabilitytodesignandproposerealmicrogravityexperimentstoflyinlowEarthorbit,firstaboardtheSpaceShuttleandnowaboardtheISS.

StudentResearchersfromDillardElementarySchool,ElkGrove,CAanalyzingthefirstinaseriesoftrialstestingthehatchrateandgrowthoffairyshrimp.

•  SSEPimmersesandengagesstudentsandtheirteachersinrealscience—onthehighfrontier—sothatstudents,asearlyas5thgrade,aregiventhechancetoberesearchers—andexperiencesciencefirsthand.

NationalCenterforEarthandSpaceScienceEducationandtheArthurC.ClarkeInstituteforSpaceEducation


Topleft,ISSCommanderSunitaWilliamsactivatesaSSEPFMEMini-lab.Bottomleft,AstronautRickyArnold,ontheISSholdingtheSSEPMission12flightmini-labfromHillsboroughCounty,FL.

LaunchHistory16SSEPFlightOpportunitiesSinceJune2010

•  STS-134(finalflightofSpaceShuttleEndeavour)•  STS-135(finalflightoftheU.S.SpaceShuttle

Program)•  M1:SpaceX-D1(demonstrationflightforSpaceX

commercialresupply)•  M2:SpaceX-1 •  M3a:Orb-D1(demonstrationflightforOrbital

Sciencescommercialresupply) •  M3b/M4:Orb-1 •  M5:Orb-2 •  M6:Orb-3(lost),SpaceX-5(re-flight) •  M7:SpaceX-7(lost),SpaceX-8(re-flight)•  M8:SpaceX-9•  M9:SpaceX-10•  M10:SpaceX-11•  M11:SpaceX-12•  M12:SpaceX-15•  M13:SpaceX-18

Todate,SSEPMissionshaveflownon:

CommunityNetwork:303SSEPCommunityProgramsToDate

Todate,SSEPprogramminghasbeenconductedbycommunitiesin42statesandtheDistrictofColumbiaintheU.S.,5ProvincesinCanada,andacommunityinBrazil.

Mapsarenottoscale

TrackRecordToDate

•  303communityprogramshavebeendeliveredin191communitiesfrom42states,theDistrictofColumbia,5ProvincesinCanada,andacommunityinBrazil.

•  58communitieshaveparticipatedinatleast2andasmanyas9flightopportunities,reflectingthesustainablenatureoftheprogram.

•  126,600grade5-16studentsacross2,482schoolswerefully immersed in microgravity experiment design andproposalwriting.

•  25,518flightexperimentproposalsreceivedfromstudentteams.

•  314experimentsselectedforflight.281experimentshaveflown.33experimentsrepresentingMission14areexpectedtolaunchSummer2020.

•  9NationalConferencesheldattheSmithsonianNationalAirandSpaceMuseumandtheStephenF.Udvar-HazyCenter,the10thislikelyJune/July2020.5thgradestudentsfromFortBend,TXconductatrialoftheir

project,“GrowingSolanumTuberosuminmicrogravity”

StudentsfromWinfield,ALremovekudzuseedsfrompodsbeforescarifyingthem.

StudentsfromHoustonrecordPlanarianpre-flightdata.

Above:loadedandassembledType3FMEMini-labRight:graphiclabelingcomponentsofaType3FMEMini-lab

StudentflightexperimentteamsreceiverealflightcertifiedhardwarefabricatedbyNanoracks.Studentsassemble,fill,seal,andshiptheFMEMini-labtoNanoracksinHoustoninpreparationforlaunch.



FlightHardware:FluidMixingEnclosure(FME)Mini-Lab

Type3FMEMini-labs

Type2FMEMini-labs

Type1FMEMini-labs

FluidMixingEnclosure(FME)Mini-Lab:HeatSealedContainment

•  EachSSEPexperimentmustpassNASAFlightSafetyReviewtoensuresamplesposenorisktotheastronautcrew,ferryvehicles,orISS.

•  Morelevelsofcontainment=lessrestrictionsonsamples.

•  ThecurrentFMEMini-labhas3containmentlevels:themainsiliconetubetogetherwithtwopolyethylenebagsheatsealedaroundthetube.

MissionHighlight:SSEPMission13toISS

LaunchVehicle:SpaceX-18

LaunchDate:July25,2019at6:01pmEDT

ReturntoEarth:August27,2019,SpaceX-18

PayloadDesignation:SSEP15–GeminiNamedforNASA’sProjectGemini

NumberofStudentFlightExperiments:41Oneforeachofthe38M13communities;36communitiesflew1experiment,1communityflew2experiments,and1communityflew3experiments

StudentResearchersfrombothWinnipeg,Manitoba,Canadaflightexperimentteamsfor



UniversitySystemofMarylandstudentsperform

preliminaryexperimentsandanalyze

cultures.

Elementaryschool

studentstesttheir

crystalexperiment

beforeflight.

•  NumberofParticipatingCommunities:38,with1communityflying2mini-labsand1communityflying3experiments

•  TotalNumberofStudentsFullyEngagedinExperimentDesign:23,117fromgrades5-16

•  NumberofStudentTeamProposalsSubmitted:3,683

•  TotalNumberofProposalsSubmittedforStep2Review:122

•  NumberofStudentsEngagedinMissionPatchArtandDesignCompetition:34,145

•  TotalNumberofMissionPatchesSubmitted:21,200

•  TotalNumberofMissionPatchesSelectedtoFly:67

Mission13totheISS:Scope



NASAimageofSpaceX-15nightlaunch

Mission13totheISS:CommunitiesandFlightExperiments,1-19

Mission13totheISS:CommunitiesandFlightExperiments,20-38

SSEP2019NationalConference:StephenF.Udvar-HazyCenter,July1-2,2019

PhotosofSSEPStudentResearchers,andattendeesofthe2019SSEPNationalConference

InTheirOwnWords

EPICMOTIVATION&INSPIRATIONtobethebeststudentscientistambassadorsforCanada&theworld.Theprogramhasmeantamonumentalshiftinthinkingaboutscienceanditsfutureimpacts.Ourkidshavedreamthugedreamsofcures,treatments,andsolutionstosomeoftheworld’sgreatestchallenges:disease,healthpromotion,hunger,foodproduction,wastereductionandinnovativefuelsources.Ithasimpactedthewaytheyviewscience,engineering,technologyandmathinanexhilaratingandcaptivatingway...SimplyputithasbeenMAGICAL!

—MariaNickel,SSEPCommunityProgramDirector

Providingthiskindoflife-changingopportunitytostudentsiswhatkeepsusenergizedtocometoworkeverymorning...—TerryTeays,PhD.,AssistantDirector,MarylandSpaceGrantConsortium

Thiswholethingissounbelievable.Wearedoingrealscienceresearchthatreallymatters.Whatwedesignwillreallyflyinspaceaboardtheverylastspaceshuttlemission.Thiscouldbealife-changerforme.ItissomethingthatIwillsomedaytellmygrandkidsabout.Howcool!

—IsaacJepsen,SSEPStudentResearcher(Senior),Iowa

SSEPisthebestreallifeapplicationprogramthatmystudentshaveeverexperienced!—AlisonThammovongsa,SSEPCommunityProgramDirector

ItisnotoftenthatanopportunitylikeSSEPcomesalong,withsuchanopportunitytocreatealastinglegacyforstudents,communities,andthenation.AstheDirectoroftheIndianaSpaceGrantConsortium,IamhonoredandhumbledtosupportthisworthyadditiontoIndiana’slegacyofspaceflightandexploration;assomeonewhohashadapassionforspacesinceIwassix,Iamexcitedfor,andinaweof,whatthestudentsfromAvicennaAcademyinCrownPointareaccomplishingsoearlyintheirlives.

—BarrettS.Caldwell,Ph.D.,Director,IndianaSpaceGrantConsortium

ThismightbethebestexperienceIhaveeverhad.TheopportunitytoworkwithothersthatenjoyscienceasmuchasIdowasgreat.Itopenedmyeyestohowthescientificmethodisusedinreallife.Thishasshownmethatifyouworkasateamandbounceideasoffeachotheryoucanaccomplishanything.

—AlexA.,SSEPStudentResearchers(Grade8),NorthCarolina

[SSEP]maybethemostimportantdevelopmentforthefutureoftheU.S.spaceprogram.–J.R.Dailey,DirectoroftheSmithsonianNationalAirandSpaceMuseum

Allthosethatworkonthefrontiersofhumanexplorationwerechildrenoncethatdaredtodream.

ssep | student spaceflight experiments program - revised...

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