FIRST INTREPID INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION CHALLENGE (I²S²C) KICKS OFF AT THE

INTREPID SEA, AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

***

Student Teams from Five NYC Public Schools Will Compete to

Send Experiment Designs to Space

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, in partnership with the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) and The Ramon Foundation, announces its first ever Intrepid International Space Station Challenge (I²S²C). For the first time in the New York City public school system, 195 students from five NYC public middle schools will compete for a chance to send their microgravity projects to the International Space Station (ISS), where an astronaut aboard the ISS will conduct the experiment. After approximately six weeks in orbit, the experiment will be returned safely to Earth for data collection and analysis.

The experiments will be designed to work within an existing, flight-certified research mini-laboratory designed by NanoRacks, LLC and provided through SSEP. The competition will provide students a deeper appreciation of how professional researchers formally compete to obtain limited research assets. There will be approximately 50 teams, and each team, comprised of three to five students, will propose an experiment designed to assess the impact of microgravity on a physical, chemical, or biological system in any number of diverse fields such as seed germination, crystal growth, physiology and life cycles of microorganisms, cell biology and growth, food studies, or studies of micro-aquatic life.

“We are thrilled to provide such a wide range of New York City students with the opportunity to participate in this extraordinary challenge,” said Lynda Kennedy, Vice President of Education at the Intrepid Museum. “This project combines the resources of the Museum with SSEP’s rigorous approach to science research and the Ramon Foundation’s dedication to personal and social excellence to inspire innovation in our city’s students.”

Partner schools include Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy (Brooklyn); Institute for Collaborative Education (Manhattan); PS/IS 30 Mary White Ovington (Brooklyn); Oliver Wendell Holmes Intermediate School 204 (Queens); and the Urban Assembly Institute for New Technologies (Manhattan).

The timeline of I²S²C events is as follows:

• Tuesday, February 10 – Challenge kickoff event at the Intrepid Museum, including remarks by Intrepid Museum President Susan Marenoff-Zausner and former NASA astronaut and Intrepid Museum Senior Advisor for Space Programs, Mike Massimino, followed by student microgravity workshops and tours of the Space Shuttle Pavilion. 
• Monday, April 27 – Special all-school celebration event and deadline for experiment submissions.
• Thursday, May 28 – Challenge winners announced.
• Fall 2015 (date TBD) – Experiment launch to ISS.

About the Museum

The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is a non-profit, educational institution featuring the legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, the space shuttle Enterprise, the world’s fastest jets and a guided missile submarine. Through exhibitions, educational programming and the foremost collection of technologically groundbreaking aircraft and vessels, visitors of all ages are taken on an interactive journey through history to learn about American innovation and bravery.

The Intrepid Museum fulfills its mission to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth by connecting them to history through hands-on exploration while bridging the future by inspiring innovation.

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Our free iPhone app is available now in the App Store.

About the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is undertaken by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in partnership with Nanoracks, LLC. This on-orbit educational research opportunity is 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.

About the Ramon Foundation

The Ramon Foundation was founded by Rona Ramon, the wife of the first Israeli Astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who lost his life in the Colombia accident in 2003. Ilan and Rona’s 6irst born son, Asaf, followed his father’s footsteps to becoming an F16 fighter pilot and was killed during a training mission on 2009. Rona chose to commemorate her loved ones by educating the next generation of youth in their spirit. The Ramon Foundation encourages future generations to realize their personal and social potential. The Ramon Foundation wishes to build a society based on high values and ideals through the inspiration of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli Astronaut, the STS 107 crew and the late Asaf Ramon, Ilan’s and Rona’s son.                   

Luke Sacks

Assistant Vice President, Public Relations & Corporate Communications

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Office: 646-381-5282

lsacks@intrepidmuseum.org