SSEP Mission 14 to the International Space Station (ISS)

Information to be determined is in RED TEXT below.
Information that is subject to change is in GREEN TEXT below.

Last update of this page:  February 6, 2023, 1:00 pm EDT

 

SpaceX-21 (SpaceX CRS-21) was the vehicle designated by NASA to carry the Apollo payload of 33 Mission 14 experiments to ISS. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and problems identified with experiment samples close to the launch, 27 of the 33 experiments flew on SpaceX-21, while 5 Mission 14 experiments were manifested on later launches – SpaceX-22, SpaceX-23, and SpaceX-26. Unfortunately, one additional experiment could not be flown due to COVID-19 impact on flight team availability.

 

Payload Ferry Flights and ISS Crew Data

SpaceX-21 (SpaceX CRS-21): Mission 14A - 27 of 33 experiments

Ferry Vehicle to ISS: SpaceX-21

Launch Date: December 6, 2020, 11:17 am ET (useful reference NASA Consolidated Launch Schedule at nasa.gov)
Crew:
none
Launch Site: Launch Complex (LC) 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL

Berthing at ISS:
December 7, 2020, 1:40 pm ET: Cargo Dragon 2 docked with Harmony module
December 8, 2020, 4:00 am ET: SSEP Apollo payload transferred to ISS

Launch Date History:
Initial Launch Date: August 5, 2020
Rescheduled to: NET October 30, 2020
Rescheduled to: NET November 15, 2020
Rescheduled to: November 22, 2020
Rescheduled to: December 2, 2020
Rescheduled to: December 5, 2020
Rescheduled to: December 6, 2020, 11:17 am ET

Ferry Vehicle for Return to Earth: SpaceX-21
Crew: none
Unberth/Landing Date: January 12, 2021 (undock from ISS)/January 13, 2021 at 8:28 pm ET (return to Earth)
Landing Site: splashdown in Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, off Florida west coast

Payload Duration on ISS: 5 weeks

Notable: Visit the NASA ISS website for a comprehensive overview of ISS construction, on-orbit research, operations, crews, and multimedia galleries; read about the SpaceX Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft at nasa.gov

ISS Crew for SSEP Mission 14 Payload Operations: Expedition 64 (see Expeditions Schedule at nasa.gov)
Commander Sergey Ryzhikov (Russia);  Flight Engineers Kate Rubins (USA), Michael Hopkins (USA; Twitter: @Astro_illini ); Victor Glover (USA; Twitter: @VicGlover); Shannon Walker (USA);  Soichi Noguchi (JAXA; Twitter: @Astro_Soichi); Sergey Ryzhikov

SpaceX-22 (SpaceX CRS-22): Mission 14B - 3 of 33 experiments

Ferry Vehicle to ISS: SpaceX-22

Launch Date: June 3, 2021, 1:29 pm ET (useful reference NASA Consolidated Launch Schedule at nasa.gov)
Crew: none

Launch Site: Launch Complex (LC) 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL

Berthing at ISS: June 5, 2021, 5:09 am ET

Launch Date History:
Initial Launch Date: NET May 2021
Rescheduled to: NET June 2021
Rescheduled to: June 3, 2021, 1:29 pm ET

Ferry Vehicle for Return to Earth: SpaceX-22
Crew: none
Unberth/Landing Date: July 9, 2021
Landing Site: splashdown in Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, off Florida west coast

Payload Duration on ISS: 5 weeks

Notable: Visit the NASA ISS website for a comprehensive overview of ISS construction, on-orbit research, operations, crews, and multimedia galleries; read about the SpaceX Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft at nasa.gov

ISS Crew for SSEP Mission 14/15 Payload Operations: Expedition 65 (see Expeditions Schedule at nasa.gov)
Commander Akihiko Hoshide (Japan; Twitter: @Aki_Hoshide); Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei (USA; Twitter: @Astro_Sabot); Oleg Novitskiy (Russia; Twitter: @novitskiy_iss; Instagram: novitskiy_iss); Pyotr Dubrov (Russia); Thomas Pesquet (France; @Thom_astro; Instagram: thom_astro); Shane Kimbrough (USA; Twitter: @astro_kimbrough; Instagram: astro_kimbrough); Megan McArthur (USA; Twitter: @Astro_Megan>; Instagram: astro.megan

SpaceX-23 (SpaceX CRS-23): Mission 14C - 1 of 33 experiments

Ferry Vehicle to ISS: SpaceX-23

Launch Date: August 29, 2021, 3:14 am ET
 (useful reference NASA Consolidated Launch Schedule at nasa.gov)
Crew: 
none
Launch Site: Launch Complex (LC) 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL

Berthing at ISS: August 30, 2021, 10:30 am ET

Launch Date History:
Initial Launch Date: NET August 2021
Rescheduled to: August 18, 2021
Rescheduled to: 
August 28, 2021 at 3:37 am ET
Rescheduled to: 
August 29, 2021 at 3:14 am ET

Ferry Vehicle for Return to Earth: SpaceX-23
Crew: none
Unberth/Landing Date: September 30, 2021
Landing Site: splashdown in Atlantic, off Florida east coast

Payload Duration on ISS: 4.5 weeks

Notable: Visit the NASA ISS website for a comprehensive overview of ISS construction, on-orbit research, operations, crews, and multimedia galleries; read about the SpaceX Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft at nasa.gov

ISS Crew for SSEP Mission 14/15 Payload Operations: Expedition 65 (see Expeditions Schedule at nasa.gov)
Commander Akihiko Hoshide (Japan; Twitter: @Aki_Hoshide); Flight Engineers Mark Vande Hei (USA; Twitter: @Astro_Sabot); Oleg Novitskiy (Russia; Twitter: @novitskiy_iss; Instagram: novitskiy_iss); Pyotr Dubrov (Russia); Thomas Pesquet (France; @Thom_astro; Instagram: thom_astro); Shane Kimbrough (USA; Twitter: @astro_kimbrough; Instagram: astro_kimbrough); Megan McArthur (USA; Twitter: @Astro_Megan>; Instagram: astro.megan

SpaceX-26 (SpaceX CRS-26): Mission 14D - 1 of 33 experiments

Ferry Vehicle to ISS: SpaceX-26

Launch Date: November, 26, 2022, 2:20 pm ET (useful reference NASA Consolidated Launch Schedule at nasa.gov)
Crew: 
none
Launch Site: Launch Complex (LC) 39A, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL

Berthing at ISS: November 27, 2022, 7:39 am ET

Launch Date History:
Initial Launch Date: October 1, 2022
Rescheduled to: November 15, 2022
Rescheduled to: November 18, 2022, 5:27 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 19, 2022, 6:04 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 21, 2022, 4:19 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 22, 2022, 3:54 pm ET
Rescheduled to: November 26, 2022, 2:20 pm ET

Ferry Vehicle for Return to Earth: SpaceX-26
Crew: none
Unberth/Landing Date: January 9, 2023/January 11, 2023
Landing Site: splashdown in Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, off Florida west coast

Payload Duration on ISS: 6 weeks

Notable: visit the NASA ISS website for a comprehensive overview of ISS construction, on-orbit research, operations, crews, and multimedia galleries; read about the SpaceX Falcon rocket and Dragon spacecraft at nasa.gov

ISS Crew for SSEP Mission 16 Payload Operations: Expedition 68 (see Expeditions Schedule at nasa.gov)
Commander Sergey Prokopyev (Russia; Twitter: @SergeyProkopye1; Instagram: sergey._prokopyev); Flight Engineer Dmitri Petelin (Russia; Instagram: astro_petelin90); Flight Engineer Frank Rubio (USA; Instagram: astro_frankrubio); Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata (Japan; Twitter: @Astro_Wakata); Flight Engineer Josh Cassada (USA; Twitter: @astro_josh; Instagram: astro_cassada); Flight Engineer Nicole Mann (USA; Twitter: @AstroDuke); Flight Engineer Anna Kikina (Russia)

 

SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Payload and Program Data

Payload Designation: SSEP16 – Apollo (named for NASA’s Apollo Program)
Starting with Mission 12 to ISS, SSEP experiment payloads were named for NASA human spaceflight programs; for SSEP Missions 5 to 11, experiment payloads were named for Apollo Command Modules; prior to Mission 5, payloads were named for Apollo Lunar Modules.

Number of Student Team Flight Experiments: 33
32 communities participated in SSEP Mission 14 to ISS
33 experiments were selected, with 32 communities flying 1 experiment and 
1 community flying 2 experiments

Payload: Suite of Fluids Mixing Enclosure (FME – Mark II) Mini-laboratories
Stowage: Nanoracks Express Rack in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM; also nicknamed Kibo) on ISS

History: 
The 16th SSEP flight opportunity—SSEP Mission 14 to the International Space Station—was announced by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education on March 22, 2019, with accompanying Video Clips describing SSEP by Center Director, Dr. Jeff Goldstein: Clip 1 (NASA), Clip 2 (NASA)

Current Status:
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on student flight team availability, launch of the Mission 14 experiments required 4 separate launches. 27 of 33 experiments launched on SpaceX-21 on December 6, 2020, and returned to Earth on January 13, 2021; 3 experiments launched on SpaceX-22 on June 3, 2021, and returned to Earth on July 9, 2021; 1 experiment launched on SpaceX-23 on August 29, 2021, and returned to Earth on September 30, 2021; 1 experiment launched on SpaceX-26 on November 26, 2022, and returned to Earth on January 11, 2023; one experiment could not be flown due to Covid-19 impact, and the community decided not to fly the experiment,

A List of Important SSEP Mission 14 to ISS Subpages:
SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Critical Timeline
SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Mini-Laboratory Operation
SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Mission Patch Art and Design Competition
SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Flight Operations – SpaceX-21
→ SSEP Mission 14 to ISS: Experiment Log – SpaceX-21
SSEP Mission 14/15 to ISS: Flight Operations – SpaceX-22
→ SSEP Mission 14/15 to ISS: Experiment Log – SpaceX-22
SSEP Mission 14/15 to ISS: Flight Operations – SpaceX-23
→ SSEP Mission 14/15 to ISS: Experiment Log – SpaceX-23
Launch Viewing Plans for SpaceX-21 and Flight of SSEP Mission 14 ‘Apollo’

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 DreamUp PBC and NanoRacks LLC, which are 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.