SpaceX Dragon Transports Student Experiments to Space Station

May 22, 2012

Ann Marie Trotta
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1601
ann.marie.trotta@nasa.gov

RELEASE: 12-160

SPACEX DRAGON TRANSPORTS STUDENT EXPERIMENTS TO SPACE STATION

WASHINGTON -- The SpaceX Dragon capsule, which on Tuesday became the
first commercially developed and built spacecraft to launch to the
International Space Station, is carrying among its cargo a suite of
15 science experiments designed by students.

Known collectively as Aquarius, the experiments will assess the
effects of microgravity on physical, chemical and biological systems.
The students have been immersed in every facet of research, from
definition of the investigation to experiment design, proposal
writing and a formal NASA proposal review for selection of flight
experiments.

"This unique student activity adds a new dimension to the
International Space Station and its role as America's only orbiting
national laboratory," said Leland Melvin, NASA's associate
administrator for Education. "It also clearly demonstrates that
students still can actively participate in NASA microgravity
opportunities in the post-shuttle era."

Aquarius is sponsored by the Student Space Flight Experiments Program
(SSEP), which is a cooperative venture by the National Center for
Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) and NanoRacks LLC, a
national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
education initiative. The organizations work together to give 300 to
1,000 students across a community the opportunity to design and
propose microgravity experiments to fly in low Earth orbit.

The first two SSEP payloads flew in 2011 aboard space shuttles
Endeavour and Atlantis on the STS-134 and STS-135 missions
respectively. This third round of experiments will be the first to be
conducted in orbit by space station astronauts.

The announcement of opportunity for Aquarius was released in July
2011. It elicited responses from 12 communities in nine states and
the District of Columbia. A total of 779 student teams, with 41,200
members ranging from fifth graders to community college, submitted
proposals. After a formal two-step review process in fall 2011, the
final 15 flight experiments were selected. They all passed a formal
NASA flight safety review, clearing the final hurdle on their journey
to launch.

This is one of many programs that use NASA's science and exploration
missions to encourage students to pursue a STEM-centric school
curriculum. Building a robust cadre of scientists and engineers for
the future is a high priority for NASA's Office of Education.

The Dragon flight to the International Space Station is the second
demonstration mission for SpaceX under NASA's Commercial Orbital
Transportation Services (COTS) program. The demonstration flight is
intended to lead to regular resupply missions to the space station.

To learn more about the SSEP, including future opportunities for
student participation, visit:

http://ssep.ncesse.org


To learn more about NASA's education program, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/education


To learn more about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station


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