ITA Student Outreach Program


ITA is committed to the future of space development and education. In 1990, ITA created a successful student hands-on outreach program which allows students to develop and fly their own experiments in space. Over 30 educational institutions in the U.S. and internationally have flown their own experiments through ITA's donation of hardware and space access.


Usually, one teacher or one student interfaces with ITA to design the experiment and document the materials to be flown and the experimental protocol. Some schools involve corporate affiliates to assist in design and to supply flight materials. Students participate in many aspects of the experience. Press briefings and student rallies are held, and some lucky students get to go to Cape Canaveral and participate in loading the experiment in the Shuttle payload, named "CMIX" (Commercial MDA ITA eXperiments) and attend the launch.

The students' experiments are housed in an automated laboratory, the ITA Materials Dispersion Apparatus, or MDA. ITA handles all of the NASA integration and documentation.

The students benefit in many ways. It gives young people a unique real-life learning experience and it communicates the benefits of space and science to many young people.

ITA is now expanding its existing student program to include additional U.S. and international corporate sponsors. French students in the Alsace region are currently preparing an experiment, in cooperation with the International Space University, for launch on ITA's next mission (STS-95, October, 1998).

For additional information see "Student Experiments in Space: A Private Sector Model" by V. A. Cassanto and B.J. Wood. Paper # IAF-97-P.3.02 presented at the 48th International Astronautical Congress. October 6-10, 1997, Turino, Italy.


ITA Student Space Shuttle Experiments on CMIX-1 STS-52

 Flight  Experiment  No. of wells  School  Sponsor  Sch Affiliates
 STS-52 Larval Development of Brine Shrimp  1 Titusville High School, Florida  ITA Spaceport, Florida
  STS-52 Coreopsis Seed Germination  1 Citrus High School, Florida   ITA Spaceport, Florida
  STS-52 Columbine Seed Germination  1 Wakulla Middle School, Florida   ITA Spaceport, Florida
  STS-52 Coreopsis Seed Germination  2 Tate High School, Florida   ITA Spaceport, Florida
  STS-52 Mustard- Spinach Seed Germination  2 The Peddie School, NJ   ITA  N.A.
  STS-52 Brassica Rapa (Mustard Seed Variety) Reproduction  10  J.P. McCaskey High School, PA   ITA  N.A.
  STS-52 Clotting Fibrinogen with a Snake Venom Enzyme  2  T.C. Williams HS, VA, Jeb Stuart HS, VA, Dunbar Senior HS, VA   ITA National Space Society, National Institutes of Health

ITA Student Space Shuttle Experiments on CMIX-2 STS-56

Flight Experiment  No. of Wells School Corporate Sponsor School Affiliates
  STS-56 Fish Egg Hatching  2 Pennsville High School  ITA/ Spaceport Florida ORBIS Scientific
  STS-56 Zoology and Botany Experiments  8 Stewart & Whitcomb Elementaries  Lockheed  N.A.
  STS-56 Mushroom Mycelial Growth  4 Unionville High School, PA  ITA J.B. Swayne Spawn Co.
  STS-56 Brassica Rapa Production  2 J.P. McCaskey HS, PA  ITA  N.A.
  STS-56 Heart Cells in Culture  2 The Peddie School, NA  ITA Worthington Biochemical
  STS-56 Human Red Blood Cell Morphology  2 International Space University  ITA/Wood Associates  N.A.

ITA Student Space Shuttle Experiments on CMIX-3 STS-67

 Flight  Experiment  No. of Wells  School Corporate Sponsor  School Affiliate
 STS-67 Seeds in Space  4 Brandywine Wallace Elementary, PA  ITA  N.A.
  STS-67 Brine Shrimp and Seeds in Space  2 Hazel Green HS, AL  ITA   N.A.
  STS-67 Seeds in Space  4    ITA/Lockheed   N.A.

ITA Student Space Shuttle Experiments on CMIX-4 STS-69

Flight  Experiment  No. of Wells  School Corporate Sponsor School Affiliates
 STS-69 Vegetable Seeds  3 Hazel Green HS, AL  ITA/Rantek  N.A.
 STS-69 Vegetable Seeds  2 Brandywine Wallace Elementary, PA  ITA  N.A.
 STS-69 Cardiomyocite Degenerration  2 Tufts Univ./ U. of Kansas  ITA Worthington Biochemical

ITA Student Space Shuttle Experiments on CMIX-5 STS-80

 Flight Experiment No. of Wells  School Corporate Sponsor School Affiliates
 STS-80 Formation of DNA/Biliposome -condensate  2 International Space University  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 Electro- Rheological Fluid Particle Dispersion in Microgravity  2 International Space University  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 California Poppy Seeds  2 McGaugh Elem. School Seal Beach, CA  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80  Biosurfactants  2 Southern HS, Baltimore, MD  ITA Center for Marine Biotech
 STS-80  Lead Iodide  4 Glenbrook HS, IL  ITA National Space Society
 STS-80 Water Bears  2 Glenbrook HS, IL  ITA National Space Society
 STS-80 Killifish Embryos  3 Glenbrook HS, IL  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 Metal Durability  1 Mount Nittany Middle School, PA  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80  Gas Diffusion  1 Park Forest Midlde School Mount Nittany Middle School, PA  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 Gelatin and Base Diffusion  1 Park Forest Middle School  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 Tin Crystal Production  1 New River Middle School, FL  ITA Spaceport Florida
 STS-80 Larval Development of Artemia Salina  2 Titusville High School  ITA  N.A.
 STS-80 Fibrinogen Blood Clot Formation  2 Manhasset High School, NY  ITA American Diagnostica

 


A Canadian student working with the Canadian Space Agency CAPE Payload before launch on the Shuttle to the Mir Space Station.

 

Click on the picture to go to the student web site to learn more...

 

 

 


Papers published regarding our Student Outreach Program

"A University Among the Stars," International Space Business Review, Spring 1986, J.M. Cassanto.

"Space Experimentation: Motivating Students in the Sciences", 31st Space Congress, April 26-29, 1994, V.A. Cassanto, U.R. Alvarado.

"Student Experiments in Space A Private Sector Model," Cassanto, V.A, Wood, B.J., 48th International Astronautical Congress, Oct 6-10, 1997. Turin, Italy.

"Student Experiments in Space, A Private Sector Model," Cassanto, V.A., Wood, B.J., Student Experiments in Space A Private Sector Model. Earth Space Review, Vol. 7., No. 2, pp. 25-28, 1998.

"ISS - The First International Space Classroom: International Cooperation in Hands-on Space Education," ISU Annual Symposium, "ISS The Next Space Marketplace,", 1999, V.A. Cassanto, D.C. Lobao.


Go to the ITA Main Home Page

 Why ITA is THE Commercial Space Company

 What ITA provides to its customers

 What is Microgravity?

 The ITA team

 Space qualified hardware

 Completed Flights

 Past Clients (1983-2000)

 ITA student outreach program

 Upcoming Flights

 News

Web Links

 Contact Info

For further information about ITA or to receive a brochure, please send us