1. Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP)
Overview of SSEP:
A New U.S. National STEM Initiative for Grades 5-12 to inspire the next generation of space scientists and spaceflight engineers
Current Opportunity:
Student Experiments on STS-134 the Final Scheduled Flight of the Space Shuttle Program the Flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour scheduled to launch on
February 26, 2011
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, a project of the 501(c)(3) Tides Center, in partnership with NanoRacks, LLC. This is a national Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education initiative that provides middle and high school classes in grades 5-12 across an entire school district 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.
SSEP supports a local experiment design competition within each participating school district, coupled with extensive local programming that embraces a community-wide engagement model for STEM education. Student teams compete to use an experiment slot reserved just for their district in a flight-certified mini-laboratory scheduled to fly in low Earth orbit.
The vision is to provide routine student access to space via commercial payloads, and to leverage the power of such access into a STEM education program delivered across an entire school district, and serving a network of such communities across the nation.
Phase 1 of the program is a unique and historic opportunity for students to propose an experiment to fly aboard STS-134, the final scheduled flight of the Space Shuttle. Selected student experiments will fly for 10 days aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, with liftoff scheduled for February 26, 2011.
This on-orbit educational research opportunity 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.

2. Shelton Public Schools Participation in SSEP
    
Shelton Public Schools Participation in SSEP
The Shelton Public School Districts (SPSD) participation in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program, overseen by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, allows us to conduct an experiment design competition for our grade 5-12 students. Our student teams will be vying for use of an experiment slot reserved specifically for the Shelton Public School District in a mini-laboratory to fly aboard the final scheduled flight of the Space Shuttle—the flight of Endeavour on February 26, 2011.
SSEP will also provide us a suite of resources to engage our community, including: a customized SSEP blog allowing our students to provide ongoing reporting on SSEP activities in our community, weekly Tweet-ups for our students to communicate with scientists and engineers, and an online environment where ‘student voices of mission control’ can provide reporting on our selected experiment from pre-flight to landing. Our students will also be able to attend an SSEP conference in Washington, DC, where they can present on their experimental designs, and our selected student team can report on their experimental results.
SSEP will allow us to expose and immerse both teachers and students in real science, including: framing of the science to be explored, the process of experimental design, proposal writing, a 2-step formal review process leading to the selection of the SPSD experiment for flight aboard STS-134, a formal NASA Flight Safety Review, assessment of experimental results, and the ability to participate in a SSEP science conference in Washington, DC.
This multi-faceted approach, which supports student experiments across a broad range of scientific disciplines, reflects the very best in STEM education. SSEP is about allowing our students to truly become scientists, and as part of a historic mission they will never forget.
Through SSEP, we want to help ensure that some of the next generation of America’s scientists and engineers come from our community. It is in the best interest of our community, our state, and our nation, and at a time when America must compete in the high technology marketplace of the 21st century.
Visit the SSEP Homepage:

3. The Essential Question
    
The Essential Question
What phenomenon associated with a
physical, chemical, or biological system would I like to explore with gravity turned off for 10 days?
Our participation in SSEP would mean that the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education will reserve an experiment slot in a flight certified, easy-to-use mini-laboratory—the Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA)—that has over a 10-year heritage of flying experiments in a Space Shuttle mid-deck locker for: the research community, workforce development programs at universities, and grade 5-12 student experiments. The MDA provides for experimental samples to be combined in microgravity. The experiment design competition is therefore about the design of a science experiment, and not the engineering of an apparatus. The essential question that drives student design is—
What phenomenon associated with a physical, chemical, or biological system would I like to explore with gravity turned off for 10 days?
Source: SSEP webpage: experiment/

4. Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP)
Program Connections
Shelton Public Schools
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education
Shelton High School
Community Volunteers interested in STEM Education
Shelton Intermediate School
PerkinElmer
CT Space Grant Consortium – University of Hartford
The SPSD is committed to STEM education. Our participation in SSEP enhances our STEM commitment in a number of ways:
The SSEP is a truly HISTORIC opportunity to get our students across the district excited about science through community-wide immersion:
This is an experiment design competition allowing students the ability to propose a REAL experiment, using a mini-laboratory where half the 90 experiment slots are dedicated for researchers’ use, and half to student experiments;
One experiment slot is reserved specifically for the winning Shelton team to fly aboard the last scheduled space shuttle flight – Shuttle Endeavor scheduled to launch in February of 2011;
This is a community-wide immersion program to engage grade 5-12 students, their teachers, their families and the public :
As mentioned earlier, the SSEP program includes:
A custom blog to provide full and ongoing coverage of SSEP in our community, where we have oversight of content and updates;
Weekly Tweet-ups for all our students the ability to talk with scientists and engineers;
“Student voices of mission control” provides internet coverage from pre-flight to landing;
The winning team in Shelton will have the ability to travel down to the Kennedy Space Center to deliver their experiment samples, and there on the Shuttle’s return for harvesting;
The student teams will have the ability to attend a science conference in Washington, DC, where they can do presentations on their experiment designs, hear featured speakers in science, engineering in education and have tours of he National Air and Space Museum.
This program will expose and immerse both teachers and students in real science: including framing of a science investigation, experiment design, writing a proposal, a formal review process, a formal flight safety review, participating in a science conference, and communicating design approaches and results at the conference.
By implementing this STEM program across the community we will create partnerships with local universities, businesses and community stakeholders as a stepping stone to other systemic, high profile programs in STEM;
   
Finally, we want some of the next generation of American’s scientists and engineers to come from our community.

5. STS-134 Mission Crew
This is a picture of the mission crew for the STS-134 flight. The STS-134 crew members are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori. Endeavour will deliver spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank, additional spare parts for Dextre and micrometeoroid debris shields. This will be the 36th shuttle mission to the International Space Station.
It is important to note, that the SSEP is NOT a NASA project. The SSEP uses a commercial payload, the NanoRacks CREST-DreamUp (Commercial Reusable Experiment for Science & Technology) payload, which will contain the winning team’s experiment from Shelton, and placed aboard Shuttle Endeavor. In short, Shelton is working in partnership with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education to “rent’ space on a commercial payload that will be flying aboard Shuttle Endeavor. SSEP is blazing a new trail for national STEM programming using commercial access to space.
This on-orbit educational research opportunity 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.
Launch Target: 4:04 p.m. EST - Feb. 26, 2011 Orbiter: Endeavour Mission Number: STS-134 (134th space shuttle flight) Launch Window: 10 minutes Launch Pad: 39A Mission Duration: 10 days Landing Site: KSC
Source:

6. Shelton’s Design & Implementation Team
    
Shelton’s Design & Implementation Team
Name
Position
School Representative
Area of Expertise
Patrick Cahill
Teacher
SHS
Mathematics
Mary Clark
Science
Faylynn Haight
Specialist
Perry Hill
Enrichment
Robert Karkut
SIS
Jerry Kelley
Erica McNeil
Shane Morse
Daniel Nazzaro
Ernie Pagliaro
Michelle Piccolo
Math/Science
David Presutto
Administrator
Patricia Presutto
Ken Saranich
Language Arts
Patrice Sage
Katie Spodick
Media Specialist
Technology
Joan Tichy
Gayle Tracey
The Shelton Design and Implementation Team will lead the way in ensuring this competition and opportunity is a success for all.
The members include:
Source: SSEP Homepage

7. Subscribe to the SSEP Blog at the SSEP Homepage for Program News
Presented By:
Tina Henckel
Assistant Director of STEM Education & Data Management
SSEP Community Program Director
STS-134 will be the 133rd flight of the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and the 25th and final voyage of the orbiter Endeavour, which began service in May 1992 on STS-49.
The Shelton Public School System will be the only school system in the State of Connecticut that has secured an experiment slot on the final space shuttle, STS-134, scheduled to launch in February of 2011.
The SSEP is a wonderful, comprehensive program in science and technology education to engage our entire community demonstrating that real science is fun, done by ordinary people like you and me, and is reflective of a personal and an emotional journey of exploration and learning. This is nothing short of a celebration of learning for our entire community.
Thank you!
Subscribe to the SSEP Blog
at the SSEP Homepage
for Program News