IMPORTANT NOTES
All information added or updated since this page first went up on June 22, 2018 is in GREEN TEXT below.
Information still to be determined (if any) is in RED TEXT below.
Dates and times that are subject to change at NASA’s discretion are in PURPLE TEXT below.
Last update of this page: August 10, 2018, 11:47 am EDT
Quick Jump:
1. Introduction and Nomenclature for the Log
2. Pre-Launch Activities
3. Launch and Berthing
4. Flight Experiment Log, On-Orbit Operations: Mission 12 Mercury Payload
5. Undocking and Landing
6. Return of Experiments to Student Teams
1. Introduction and Nomenclature for the Log
This page provides student flight experiment teams a log of all activities associated with the 34 flight experiments comprising the SSEP Mission 12 Mercury payload from the time the mini-laboratories are received in Houston before the flight of SpaceX CRS-15 to the point when the mini-labs are shipped back to the flight teams after return to Earth. While this page will feature general progress reports on the status of the SSEP M12 Mercury payload, its main purpose is to provide updates to the student flight experiment teams as quickly as possible regarding the handling of their mini-labs on station, so that they can effectively conduct their ground truth experiments. Teams are advised to bookmark this page and check it for updates throughout the mission.
As per the SSEP Mission 12 to ISS: Flight Operations page:
Updates to Student Teams on the Progress of Their Experiment
Astronauts will work with the SSEP payload at times of the day that fit best in their overall work schedule. Even though crew interactions with the experiments are to take place on pre-specified Crew Interaction Days, the time of interaction can vary from one Crew Interaction day to the next. While the SSEP program team may know the astronauts’ planned work schedule a few days in advance, we’ll not know exactly when the payload is handled until the task is complete. After the astronauts have completed handling of the SSEP payload, NanoRacks will forward a report on the activity to the SSEP program team at NCESSE, and we will then post the details – including the time at which the payload was handled – on this page to make the information available to all student teams as quickly as possible. The report will be posted as soon as it is received, but it may take up to 24 hours for the information from the International Space Station to make its way to the Log. That means, for example, that the details of an activity conducted by the astronauts on the afternoon of a specified Crew Interaction Day will be posted on the Experiment Log no later than the afternoon of the following day (and likely far sooner than that).
Conducting Your Ground Truth Experiments
Ground truth experiments – the control versions of the experiment conducted on Earth while the microgravity experiment is being conducted in orbit – are an essential part of analyzing the results of the flight experiment. Once the flight experiment returns to Earth, simultaneous harvesting and analysis of both the flight experiment and the ground truth experiment allows the research team to assess the role of gravity in the physical, chemical, or biological system under study. It is hard to imagine how the role of gravity can be determined without ground truth experiments conducted at the same time as the flight experiment.
However, given that it may take up to a day to receive a report on exactly what time a specific activity was conducted with an experiment aboard the ISS, student teams are encouraged to shift activities with their ground truth experiments by 1 day (24 hours). That will allow teams to ensure that the timing of activities they carry out on their ground truth experiments accurately reflects the timing of activities with their experiment aboard the station. This is especially important for experiments that are sensitive to exact timing. For example, if a microbiological experiment is likely to produce different results depending on whether it is active for 40 or 50 hours, the teams will want to match the exact timing of the experiment aboard the station with their ground truth experiment.
Nomenclature: The purpose of this log is to provide the student flight experiment teams information on the handling of their experiment, as well as to provide updates on the progress of the Mission. Each SSEP experiment is assigned a serial number before launch. This serial number is used by NCESSE, NanoRacks, and NASA to identify individual SSEP experiments. For this log, the individual experiments are identified using the serial number, e.g., NRP-10009-4, S/N 1030, together with the Community and Experiment names (see Section 4 below).
Originally Projected Launch Date: June 6, 2018
SSEP Mission 12 to ISS Mercury Payload
Ferry Vehicle: SpaceX CRS-15 (SpaceX Falcon rocket with Dragon spacecraft)
Launch Site: Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida
Rescheduled: to June 9, 2018
Rescheduled: to June 28, 2018 at 6:03 am ET
Rescheduled: to June 29, 2018 at 5:41 am ET
June 29, 2018 at 5:42 am EDT: SpaceX CRS-15 successfully lifted for launch from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Dragon separated from Falcon 9’s second stage about nine minutes and thirty seconds after liftoff. Both the Falcon 9 and the Dragon spacecraft for the CRS-15 mission are flight-proven, or are being reused for a 2nd launch. All launch stages were nominal and Dragon continues on it’s way to the International Space Station for an anticipated rendezvous on Monday, July 2, 2018.
July 1, 2018 at 6:54 am EDT: Three days after launch and ahead of schedule, the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft was grappled by the Station’s Canadarm2. At 9:52 am EDT Dragon was installed on the Earth-facing side of the ISS’s Harmony module.
4. Flight Experiment Log, On-Orbit Operations: Mission 12 Mercury Payload
Interactions Scheduled Prior to Flight (subject to change) CLICK ON TABLE TO ZOOM
Experiments 1 – 16
Experiments 17 – 34
Record of Reported On-Orbit Interactions
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1033: Belen, New Mexico, Death and Decomposition of Tomato Leaves in Microgravity
(U-2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1033: Bridgeport, Connecticut, Effect of Microgravity on Nanoparticle-Cellular Interaction
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1033: Burleson, Texas, The Effects of Microgravity on Penicillium Mold Growth
(U-2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1033: Ector County, Texas, The efficacy of Ideonella Sakaiensis in a Microgravity Environment
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1033: Galloway-Stockton University, New Jersey, The Effects of Microgravity on PGMA based Self-Assembly and Impacts on Drug Delivery Systems
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1033: Honolulu, Hawaii, How microgravity affects reproduction inCaenorhabditis elegans
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1033: iFORWARD-Grantsburg, Wisconsin, Grain Size and Distribution Analysis of Gallium in Microgravity
(A=0) Action: Tube held tightly for 120 seconds; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
NRP-10009-8, S/N 1033: Jackson County, Georgia, The Effects of Microgravity on Hatching Rate of Artemia salina
(U-5) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-9, S/N 1033: Moreno Valley, California, Effects of Microgravity on Soybean Germination
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-14) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1034: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, Prevention of muscle atrophy in microgravity: an evaluation of L-carnitine in planarian (Dugesiatigrina)
(U-14) Action: Activated (Both Clamps Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1034: Stamford, Connecticut, Effects of Crossbreeding Sordaria fimicola in Microgravity
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1034: Sumter, South Carolina, The Effects of Microgravity on Seed Germination in Sodium Polyacrylate
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1034: University System of Maryland – College Park, Maryland, The Effect of Microgravity on Bacteriophage Replication and Infectivity
(U-5) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1034: Winfield City, Alabama, The Effects of Microgravity on the Germination of Kudzu Seeds
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1034: WNY-STEM – Buffalo/Niagara, New York, The Effect of Ascorbic Acid on the Rate of Regeneration in Microgravity
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-14) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
NRP-10009-8, S/N 1034: Kalamazoo and Detroit, Michigan – St. Fabian, Planarian Worm Tail Regrowth
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened); When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-14) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1035: Brazosport, Texas, Would Lactuca sativa var. capitata Seeds Germinate in Microgravity?
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1035: Corcoran, California, Broccoli Study
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1035: East Orange, New Jersey, Effect of Microgravity on Brassica Rapa Germination and Root Growth
(U-5) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1035: Fort Bend, Texas – Elementary, Growing Solanum Tuberosum in Microgravity
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-14) Action: Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1035: Fort Bend, Texas – Secondary, The Effect of Microgravity on the Germination ofApium graveolens
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1035: Hillsborough County, Florida, The Effect of Microgravity on Wheat Germination
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1035: Indianapolis, Indiana, Growing Carrots on the International Space Station in Microgravity
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-5) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
NRP-10009-9, S/N 1035: Kalamazoo and Detroit, Michigan – St. Monica, Rust in Microgravity
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(A+2) Action: Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-14) Action: Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-5) Action: Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 4:30 PM EDT, 07/29/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1036: Knox County, Tennessee, The effect of microgravity on tooth decay
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
NRP-10009-2, S/N 1036: Pharr, Texas, What is the effect that microgravity has on the development of synthetic Brine Shrimp?
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-3, S/N 1036: Port St. Lucie, Florida, The Effect of Microgravity on the Growth of Golden Lake Artemia
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(A+2) Action: Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-14) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
NRP-10009-4, S/N 1036: Riverside, California, The Brine Shrimp
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(A+2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
NRP-10009-5, S/N 1036: San Jose, California, The Effect of Microgravity on Spider Plant Seed Germination
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-6, S/N 1036: Sanger, California, The effect microgravity has on the developmental stages of brine shrimp
(A=0) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-7, S/N 1036: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Addition of “green plastic” to enhance cement properties in Space
(A=0) Action: Activated (Both Clamps Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 12:20 PM EDT, 07/03/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/03/18
NRP-10009-8, S/N 1036: Springfield, New Jersey, Will Tardigrade Eggs hatch and develop in Microgravity?
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-9, S/N 1036: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Growth of Lacinato in Microgravity
(U-14) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 11:55 AM EDT, 07/18/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 2:56 PM EDT, 07/18/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
NRP-10009-1, S/N 1037: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Can Yarrow germinate in microgravity?
(A+2) Action: Activated (Green Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 2:30 PM EDT, 07/05/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 3:10 PM EDT, 07/05/18
(U-2) Action: Deactivated (Blue Clamp Opened)/Shaken; When Action Occurred on ISS: 8:30 AM EDT, 08/01/18; Time NanoRacks Notified NCESSE: 1:51 PM EDT, 08/01/18
August 3, 2018 at 12:38 pm EDT: Robotic flight controllers released the SpaceX Dragon cargo spacecraft from the ISS’s robotic arm.
August 3, 2018 at 5:23 pm EDT: Dragon’s thrusters were ignited for a de-orbit burn.
August 3, 2018 at 6:17 pm EDT: Dragon splashed down in the Pacific southwest of Los Angeles, CA.
(Dragon splashdown. Photo courtesy of NASA Spaceflight.com)
6. Return of Experiments to Student Teams
August 6, 2018 at 12:23 PM EDT: NanoRacks confirmed the SSEP Mission 12 Mercury payload is in hand in Houston. Return to Earth processing will begin today and if all goes as planned, the payload will be ready for return shipping to communities tomorrow, August 7th.
August 7, 2018: NanoRacks confirmed that all flight mini-labs were processed and sent to FedEx for return shipping to communities.
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (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 Dream Up, PBC and NanoRacks LLC, working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. SSEP is the first pre-college STEM education program that is both a U.S. national initiative and implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture.
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), and Subaru of America, Inc., are National Partners on the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.