EVENT: NASA Shuttle Flight Loading Workshop
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 18, 9:30-11a.m. and 12-6 p.m.
WHERE: Center for Space Research, MCC Building at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus (Maps of The University of Texas at Austin can be obtained at: www.utexas.edu/maps/main <http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main>).
BACKGROUND: Under NASA’s assurances that shuttle missions will continue, 23 high school students and 12 teachers from throughout Texas and New York, along with NASA officials, will visit the Center for Space Research at The University of Texas at Austin Feb. 18 - 19 to load flight samples that will launch on the space shuttle and fly on the International Space Station.
The students and teachers won the opportunity by conducting microbiology experiments sponsored by the Texas Space Grant Consortium, part of the Center for Space Research at UT Austin.
As part of the NASA-sponsored education program, students grew crystals in their classes while learning about biological substances that carry out many important functions for humans, animals and plants.
"The Texas Space Grant Consortium and The University of Texas Center for Space Research are proud to host this next generation of space scientists and engineers. This is a great opportunity for students to interact with NASA engineers, university professors, and graduate students involved in space research. We welcome these participants and hope this experience inspires them to pursue careers in science and engineering," says Dr. Wallace Fowler, professor of aerospace engineering and director of the Texas Space Grant Consortium.
The students recorded results of their experiments, formed hypothesis, conducted research, and wrote essays about protein crystallization. The students competed against high school students throughout the state. Middle school teachers were given the opportunity to conduct classroom projects to clinch an opportunity to load the flight sample and attend the shuttle launch.
The high school students and teachers will work with scientists and engineers from NASA’s Microgravity Research Program from the Marshall Space Flight Center, mix biological solutions and seal the chemicals in small tubes or pipettes. The samples will be frozen until launch. The experiment was to launch in May but is presently on hold after the recent Columbia shuttle disaster.
During their visit, the group will conduct experiments in the UT Austin Chemistry Department, participate in the flight simulator in the Aerospace Engineering Department and interact with students from the UT KC-135 microgravity team while learning about careers and opportunities for study at UT Austin.
These students and teachers are waiting to receive VIP invitations to travel to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to attend the launch of the Space Shuttle, which will transport their experiments into space.
“Texas Space Grant Consortium is pleased to sponsor Texas and New York students, the scientists and engineers of the future, for this exciting mission,” says Margaret Baguio, education and outreach coordinator for the Texas Space Grant Consortium, and host of the group for two days.
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