NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is graciously inviting SSEP students, teachers, and family members, as well as representatives of SSEP partner organizations, to watch the historic launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Dragon capsule aboard, from KARS Park on KSC grounds. Liftoff is scheduled for 12:22 pm EDT, April 30. Dragon will carry […]
Archive | Program News
SPECIAL UPDATE: Aquarius Payload Integration – Houston in Receipt of Mission 1 Mini-Labs for Flight of the Dragon
April 6, 2012, 10:00 pm EDT: Student flight experiment teams have reached a milestone. NanoRacks in Houston is now in receipt of 14 of 15 Fluids Mixing Enclosure (FME) mini-laboratories for integration into the Aquarius payload. The mini-labs were to be delivered today, but there’s a hitch — always is with real science. (And it’s not […]
Communities and Partners Formally Announced for SSEP Mission 2 to ISS
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education is proud to announce the new Community Profiles and Local Partners: SSEP Mission 2 to ISS page. The 11 communities profiled on the page are providing the opportunity for 15,120 grade 5-12 students to design and propose real experiments for flight aboard the International Space Station […]
To Mission 2 to ISS Student Researchers and Teacher Facilitators: The Mission 2 FAQ Just Posted
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) for Mission 2 to ISS was just posted by Dr. Harri Vanhala, NCESSE’s Flight Operations Manager for SSEP. It includes lots of questions asked by student researchers, and Dr. Harri’s thoughtful answers. All Mission 2 student researchers and their teacher facilitators should carefully review the FAQ. While it is long, […]
Student Challenge: Understanding Weightlessness – You Want Me to Take a Bathroom Scale Where?
As I write, the clock is ticking down to the currently scheduled launch of SpaceX’s Falcon rocket, which will ferry Dragon and the Aquarius payload of SSEP Mission 1 experiments to the International Space Station. We’re now just 36 days away from the earliest possible launch date … which means I’ve got plenty of time […]
America’s Space Program – Get In The Spirit
With the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet, a new era in human spaceflight is upon us. SSEP student researchers and their teachers are truly helping to blaze that new trail. So here’s a treat. Get into the spirit of spaceflight with this stunning new video of a Space Shuttle launch, and listen to the […]
Important Information Regarding the Mission 2 to ISS Experiment Mini-Laboratory
The microgravity mini-laboratory that all Mission 2 to ISS student experiment design teams are using is identical to that used for Mission 1 to ISS. Virtually all constraints on the mini-lab’s transportation to the International Space Station, and its operation in orbit, are also identical to those for Mission 1 to ISS. There is one […]
New Target Launch Date for Aquarius, SSEP Mission 1 Payload to ISS
SpaceX has announced that they are targeting the historic launch of their Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station for April 30, 2012. NASA will set a formal launch date after a Flight Readiness Review currently scheduled for April 12, but, for now, April 30 at 12:22 p.m. EDT is the target for the launch […]
Preliminary Announcement: SSEP Honored to Welcome 11 Communities Aboard for Mission 2 to ISS
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) is proud to announce the 11 communities across America that have come aboard SSEP Mission 2 to the International Space Station (ISS). Mission 2 provides for a microgravity experiment design competition in Winter/Spring 2012, and the flight of Antares—the Mission 2 experiments payload—to ISS in […]
Student Mission Patches Selected to Accompany Aquarius – the SSEP Mission 1 Experiments Payload to the International Space Station
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is about inspiring America’s next generation of scientists and engineers, and engaging entire communities in the process. Student teams proposing real experiments to fly on the International Space Station is the core SSEP activity. But community-wide engagement, and cross-disciplinary learning are also cornerstone objectives for SSEP in the context of […]