General Program Briefing
Dr. Jeff Goldstein
Center Director, National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (USA) http://ncesse.org
Institute Director, Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education (International) http://clarkeinstitute.org
(rev 9/12/15 for M9 start)
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP)
A program of the National Center for Earth and Space
Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S., and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space
Education internationally.
SSEP is enabled through a strategic partnership with NanoRacks, LLC, working with
NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International
Space Station as a National Laboratory.
SSEP is enabled though National Partnerships with: the Smithsonian National Air and
Space Museum, CASIS (Center for the Advancement of Science in Space) , Subaru
of America, and Magellan Aerospace.
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
What is the Student Spaceflight Experiments
Program?
Created to Address U.S. Strategic Need:
• high caliber STEM education program for
grades 5-16 tuned to next generation national
science education standards;
• designed to be a national model for inspiring
and engaging the next generation of American
and Canadian scientists and engineers, and
addressing science literacy.
Breaking New Ground in Commercial Space:
• SSEP is the first pre-college STEM education program that is both a U.S. national
initiative and implemented as an on-orbit commercial space venture.
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
Track Record
11 SSEP flight opportunities have been undertaken
since program inception in June 2010; SSEP on
STS-134 and STS-135; and SSEP Missions 1 through 9 to ISS
124 communities have participated; 171 community programs undertaken;
750+ Local Partners
Data available through the first 10 opportunities (not counting Mission 9):
49,260 grade 5-16 students across 780 schools engaged in microgravity experiment
design and proposal writing;
11,151 flight experiment proposals received from student teams;
113 experiments have flown, including 17 returned on SpX-5, February 10, 2015;
39 experiments flying Winter 2015 on SpX-8 and SpX-9; 22 more in Spring 2016
5 SSEP National Conferences at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
Deep Investment in Partnership
Strategic Partners
NCESSE, Clarke Institute, and NanoRacks
National Partners - USA
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Center for the Advancement
of Science in Space (CASIS), and Subaru of America, Inc.
National Partners - Canada
Magellan Aerospace
Local Partners
Over 750 Local Partners to date, including: school districts, private schools,
27 NASA Space Grant colleges and universities, businesses, foundations,
private philanthropists, and local research institutions providing science advisors.
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
SSEP Community Network
through Mission 8 to ISS
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National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Fluid Mixing Enclosure (FME) Mini-Lab on Orbit
Astronaut Koichi Wakata (Japan)
Crew Interaction Day: Arrival +2
January 15, 2014
SSEP M3b/M4 Falcon II and
Orion Payloads
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National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
Mission Highlight - SSEP Mission 6 to ISS
Original Launch:
Orbital Sciences 3, October 28. 2014, rocket lost
Re-flight:
SpaceX-5, launched January 10, 2015
Return to Earth:
SpaceX-5, February 10, 2015
Payload: Yankee Clipper II
17 SSEP experiments
George Washington University and Georgetown University students
prepare to load chrysanthemum seeds and soil samples into mini-lab .
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
SSEP Mission 6 Experiment Summary
Inspire…then Educate
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
Inspire…then Educate
Mission Highlight - SSEP Mission 6 to ISS
Student Researchers at NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Launch Day
Give NASA Media Briefing on SSEP Yankee Clipper
National Center
National Center
for Earth and Space Science Education
for Earth and Space Science Education
4th Annual SSEP National Conference
National Air and Space Museum July 2-3, 2014
SSEP Researchers for Day 2 Presentations
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All those that work on the frontiers of human exploration
were children once that dared to dream.