International Space Station to host student experiments Photo Credit/NASA
NASA is teaming with global space agencies as well as some of the top names in commercial space, Internet communications and personal computers to underwrite a pair of out of this world opportunities for teens to develop a life science or physics experiment suitable for the 240 mile high multi-national orbiting science lab.
Astronauts assigned to live and work on the station will carry out the winning experiments selected from a global competition for all to see on the YouTube web site. The renowned physicist Stephen Hawking will serve on the judging committee.
The competition called YouTube SpaceLab will unfold quickly. The experiments will bet launched and carried out next year.
“The space station really is the greatest science classroom we have,” said Leland Melvin, NASA’s associate administrator for education and one of the many astronauts who helped to assemble the orbital outpost.
Space station commander Mike Fossum endorses use of oribiting lab for student experiments Photo Credit/NASA photo
“The YouTube SpaceLab is a once in a life time opportunity to have your experiment performed by astronauts like me on the space station,” added Mike Fossum, the NASA astronaut currently in command of the space station. “Imagine that you become the scientist. Your experiment is performed in space and streamed back to Earth. The world watches as your scientific investigation unfolds.”
Space Adventures, Ltd., has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to carry out the winning experiments in the recently established U. S. National Lab segments of the space station.
A full explanation of the contest from YouTube is available with a click here.
But here are the basics:
-Any student or teams of up to three students in the correct age range may submit up to three experiment proposals. Each must be proposed in a two minute YouTube video that follows the classic scientific method — raise a question in the life sciences or physics fields, pose a hypothetical answer, an experiment technique and the expected results.
-The video pitches must be submitted to YouTube.com by Dec. 7.
– Educators, astronauts and scientists from NASA, and the space agencies of Europe andJapanwill be joined by Hawking to assess the merits of the proposals.
– The public can vote on the proposals on YouTube as well, starting Jan. 3.
– Two global winners will be announced by the end of January.
-The winning experiments will be launched to the station aboard Japan’s unmanned HTV cargo carrier next summer.
– Six regional finalists will be unveiled in March as well. Regional winning experiments will fly aboard the ZERO-G spacecraft operated by Space Adventures.
“My hope is Youtube SpaceLab will inspire more kids to put their hands up in the classroom to study and be inspired by science,” said Zahaan Bharmal, a Google marketing executive who came up with the idea for the competition.