A New U.S. National STEM Initiative for Grades 5-12 to inspire the next generation of spaceflight engineers and space scientists

This is a Time-Critical Opportunity
Student Experiments on STS-134, Space Shuttle Endeavour

June 7, 2010—The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) provides middle and high school classes across the U.S. 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. Entire school districts can participate, with student teams proposing experiments like professional scientists and engineers.

Phase 1 of the program is a unique and historic opportunity 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 mid-January is expected, enabling this student spaceflight experiments opportunity.

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.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) will immerse students across a local community in an exciting, high profile scientific investigation that is designed and owned by the students—the Flight Experiment Opportunity—and leverage the excitement by wrapping powerful, community-wide science education programming around the experience—the Community Program. It is about engaging students, their teachers, and their families in science education, with a focus on the process of inquiry, and in a manner that is customized to a school district’s strategic needs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

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

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.

The on-orbit research opportunity was 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.

For more information - http://ncesse.org/2010/06/ssep/

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