Student Experiment to fly on the International Space Station

ELLICOTT CITY, Md - This fall, eighth grade science students at Hammond, Lime Kiln and Wilde Lake middle schools will compete for a chance to fly an experiment on the International Space Station.  One Howard County experiment will be among 17 selected nationally for astronauts to conduct during a six week period next spring.

A $20 thousand grant from the Maryland Space Grant Consortium enabled Howard County participation in the project.  It is part of the national Student Space Flight Experiments Program.

In September, students will learn about forces and motion in science classes then break into teams to design research proposals for micro gravity experiments.  An experiment will be selected for the May - June 2013 space flight.

All students at the three participating schools will be invited to enter a mission patch design competition.  One Howard County patch will be chosen to ride along on the space flight.