Innovation in Focus: Empowering Students to Set Their Sights on the Stars

From the first education investigation sponsored by the ISSInternational Space Station National Laboratory® that launched to station in 2014 to the winners of the 2024 Genes in SpaceAn annual national research competition for students in grades 7 through 12 to design pioneering biotechnology experiments that are conducted by astronauts on the space station. The program is funded by Boeing and miniPCR bio and supported by the ISS National Laboratory® and New England BioLabs. student research competition, the ISS National Lab supports educational projects that are paving the way for the next generation of scientists and explorers. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education projects empower students to engage in groundbreaking research, fostering innovation and curiosity. By providing unique opportunities in microgravityThe condition of perceived weightlessness created when an object is in free fall, for example when an object is in orbital motion. Microgravity alters many observable phenomena within the physical and life sciences, allowing scientists to study things in ways not possible on Earth. The International Space Station provides access to a persistent microgravity environment., the ISS National Lab inspires young minds to pursue careers that will contribute to future scientific advancements and technological innovations. Explore some groundbreaking ISS National Lab-related STEM education projects and their captivating imagery.

The first ISS National Lab-sponsored STEM education investigation, “Ants in Space,” launched to the ISS in 2014. The Stanford University project studied ants in microgravity in hopes of gaining insight into “swarm intelligence” (or how the actions of one impact the behavior of a group). This research allowed educators and students of all grade levels to participate in space-based life science research.

In 2015, Anna-Sophia Boguraev, winner of the 2014 Genes in Space (GIS) competition, watched her investigation launch to the ISS onboard SpaceX CRS-8. Then a high school student, Boguraev now attends Harvard Medical School and recently moderated a GIS-focused panel at ISSRDC(Abbreviation: ISSRDC) The only conference dedicated exclusively to showcasing how the International Space Station is advancing science and technology and enabling a robust and sustainable market in LEO. This annual conference brings together leaders from the commercial sector, U.S. government agencies, and academic communities to foster innovation and discovery onboard the space station. ISSRDC is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, manager of the ISS National Lab; NASA; and the American Astronautical Society. 2024 entitled, “Where Are They Now.”

Do tomato seeds flown in space grow differently than those that remained on Earth? The answer can be found through the award-winning Tomatosphere program, where K-12 students cultivate and study seeds exposed to the space environment. This free program is just one example of the many Space Station Explorers partner programs that use space and the ISS as a learning tool in classrooms.

Sometimes, the path to space can be challenging. Students in the first-ever Space Station National Design Challenge began their projects in 4th grade and finished them as 7th graders, excitedly watching as their investigations launched into orbit. It was a long road to the ISS, but they made it!

After two years of hard work, Boy Scout Troop 209 members were excited to see their projects head to the space station. Their assistant scoutmaster couldn’t have said it better when he remarked, “Even if something fails up there, it’s already a success!”

Are you Team Rocket or Team Groot? Through a partnership with Marvel Entertainment, students ages 13-18 were challenged to design space-based investigations in plant biology and regeneration (Team Groot) or materials science and technology development (Team Rocket). The winning experiments—one exploring alternative methods for watering plants in the absence of gravity and the other testing dental glue—launched to the ISS onboard SpaceX CRS-18.

Story Time From Space, one of the longest-running, most successful education programs sponsored by the ISS National Lab, went live for the first time when NASA astronaut Shannon Walker read “Willow the Water Bear” while orbiting Earth on the space station.

Barbie showed young girls that pursuing a career in space when they grow up is attainable. Her mission to inspire girls reached new heights when two Barbie dolls traveled to the International Space Station.

Slime in space? Absolutely! A project with the infamous Nickelodeon slime in space was fun, VERY messy, and meaningful, because it gave us valuable scientific data on liquid behavior in space. This unique project had the added benefit of showing kids (and adults) that science doesn’t have to be boring.

Research blending Native American cultural heritage with science education and space exploration sent five varieties of Choctaw heirloom seeds to the ISS. Now that the seeds are returned to Earth, Choctaw students in Oklahoma will grow the space-flown seeds to see if spaceflight affects their growth.