Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP)
A New U.S. National STEM Initiative for Grades 5-12
to inspire the next generation
of spaceflight engineers and space scientists
Time-Critical Opportunity: Student Experiments Flying on STS-134
Space Shuttle Endeavour
the Final Scheduled Flight of the Space Shuttle Program
|
NOTES TO READER: |
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), launched June 2010, is a national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education initiative that provides middle and high school classes across a school district the ability to propose experiments to fly in low Earth orbit, and to celebrate that accomplishment with their local community and with national and global audiences. The SSEP supports a local experiment design competition in each participating school district, together with extensive local programming that embraces a community-wide engagement model for STEM education.
Phase 1 of the program is a unique and historic opportunity for students to propose an experiment to fly aboard STS-134, the final scheduled flight of the Space Shuttle. Selected student experiments would fly for 10 days aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. Launch is tentatively scheduled for November 2010, but a launch slip to at least mid-January is expected, enabling this student spaceflight experiments opportunity.
NEW: JUNE 30, 2010
SSEP Program Costs Reduced, and Expanded Option (Option 3 below) for Small School Districts and Individual Schools. Read THIS SSEP Blog Post.
To provide maximum flexibility for participation in the SSEP we have developed 3 possible levels of participation:
Option 1) For School Districts with enrollment of greater than 5,000 students: the full community-wide engagement initiative in STEM education, with two components:
• a Flight Experiment Design Competition across your community, with students vying for at least one experiment slot reserved for you aboard STS-134;
• a Community Program: diverse programming, online resources, and real time web experiences, meant to engage your students, their teachers, and their families. One program component provides for a National Team of scientists and engineers spending a week in your community to talk to 2,000-4,000 of your students—one classroom at a time, and providing presentations to families and the public;
Option 2) For School Districts with enrollment of greater than 5,000 students: Option 1 above, but without the programming delivered by the National Team of scientists and engineers;
Option 3) For School Districts with enrollment of less than 5,000 students, or individual schools: reservation of a single experiment slot on STS-134, and the same experiment design competition and community-wide programming as in Option 2, but reflective of the smaller community size.
We want the final voyage of the Space Shuttle to also mark a new beginning for private sector sponsored student experiments in space, which organizations on the SSEP Team have pioneered. The flight of Endeavour will be used as a gateway to Phase 2 of the SSEP—sustainable, ongoing access to space for grade 5-12 students inspired to propose experiments for low Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station (with transport via the Russian Progress and Soyuz vehicles), and on suborbital space flights.
To our children, who are America’s future in the 21st century—
be part of history … by making history.
To schools and school districts committed to STEM education—
together we can help your students step into the shoes of scientists and engineers—right now.
PLEASE SHARE THIS WITH SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS, DISTRICT SCIENCE OFFICES, PRINCIPALS, AND TEACHERS
Read about this time-critical program opportunity and a call to action in your community on the SSEP Overview page.
SSEP is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), a project of the 501(c)(3) Tides Center, in partnership with American Aerospace Advisors Inc. (AAAI). The STS-134 flight opportunity uses the AAAI CREST-1 (Commercial Reusable Experiments for Science & Technology) routine access-to-space payload.
This on-orbit 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.
All content on this website is Copyright 2010, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE). Any use of this cotent without the permission of NCESSE is prohibited.
