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.
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 |
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. |
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. |
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 |
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...
"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.
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