Kids in Micro-G Debbie Biggs K-12 Integration Lead ISS National Lab Education Project

What is Kids in Micro-G?

The Kids in Micro-G Challenge is a national student experiment design challenge for grades 5-8. The purpose of the challenge is to give students a hands-on opportunity to design an experiment or simple demonstration that could be performed both in the classroom and on board the International Space Station (ISS). Each of the experiments were designed and developed by the students themselves. The apparatus for the demonstrations is constructed using materials currently available to the astronauts on board the ISS. The materials consist of commonly found items in the classroom and used for science demonstrations.

2010 Final Selections StatusTitle and DescriptionSafety HazardsLocation Grade Level National Winner Water Absorption/Capillary: This experiment will determine the water absorption rates of two different materials. Possibility of liberated colored fruit drink. Brownwell Middle School Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 8 th National Runner- up Bottle Blowing in Space: This experiment will determine if blowing across the tops of bottles filled with different amounts of water will create the same tones in space as on Earth. Possibility of liberated water. Vaughan Elementary Powder Springs, GA 5 th ARC Regional Winner Speed: This experiment will determine if the radius (of the circle of revolution) affects the speed at which an outer object travels around a central object, and whether microgravity will change the results in this experiment. Tethered projectile could create a contact hazard. Hamlin School San Francisco, CA 7 th

2010 Final Selections StatusTitle and DescriptionSafety HazardsLocation Grade Level GRC Regional Winner Water and Hot Sauce: This experiment will determine if adding water to hot sauce in a microgravity environment will affect its surface tension. Fluids will be uncontained. Taco sauce has been determined to be a Tox 1 level substance, possibly causing mild eye irritation Brownell Middle School Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 8 th GSFC Regional Winner- A Newton’s Space Office: This experiment will test Newton’s Laws of Motion using a bag of paper clips. None East Hartford-Glastonbury Elementary Magnet School East Hartford, CT 5 th GSFC Regional Winner- B Motion of Projectiles: This experiment will investigate the effects gravity has on the motion of slingshot projectiles. Speed, distance traveled and path of projectile will specifically be studied. Possible eye contact with a projectile. Carl Sandburg Middle School Old Bridge, NJ 6 th

2010 Final Selections StatusTitle and DescriptionSafety HazardsLocation Grade Level KSC Regional Winner Low Gravity Artist: This experiment will study human adaptability focusing on the role that gravity plays in a human’s ability to draw a picture. None Windy Ridge Orlando, FL 6 th LaRC Regional Winner Liquids in Microgravity: This experiment will determine if liquid will move from its original position inside a bottle while in microgravity. Possibility of liberated water. Virginia Academy Ashburn, VA 8 th MSFC Regional Winner Water Absorption: This experiment will test the water absorption capabilities of various materials in a microgravity environment. Possibility of liberated water. Vaughan Elementary Powder Springs, GA 5 th

Operations Data collection is information that is collected during or upon completion of the experiment. Still image digital photography and HD video is used to document the experiments being performed on board ISS. HD Video downlink is scheduled to receive the video. How science data is returned to the ground is crew discretion; e.g. a crew note; or placed on the T:\Payloads\Kids in Micro-G. The student proposals were uplinked to the ISS in essentially the same format they were submitted to NASA. Our goal is to stay as true to the student’s ideas as possible.

Tips Given to Crewmembers If you need to substitute a different item from what is listed, please make mention of it so the kids can replicate the experiment in their classrooms. Your videotaped comments/feedback on the experiment would be greatly appreciated. If an experiment doesn’t completely work as expected, don’t worry – that’s part of the learning process for the kids. Please explain what happened.

Status Five experiments have been completed: Newton’s Space Office Low Gravity Artist Motion of Projectiles Speed Bottle Blowing in Space

Lessons Learned Six proposals will be selected for New selection process in development. Approved template for procedures will be used. Developing a Kids in Micro-G kit. Added a crew training session prior to crew’s launch. Scheduled with Cady Coleman on Oct. 15.

2011 Timeline September 2010 – Challenge rollout to the educational community November 2010 – Proposals due December 2010 – Selections made January 2011 – PSRP and telecons with schools February 2011 – School videos developed and procedures finalized March 1, 2011 – Ready for operations June 1, 2011 – Operations completed (approximately, two per month)

“Explore and discover. Learn and teach. Build and share. It’s what NASA and teachers and parents do.” Barbara Morgan