The 24 Student Experiments That Launched on OA-9

On May 21, 2018, an Antares rocket launched a Cygnus resupply vehicle into low Earth orbit. The Cygnus capsule carried about 7000 pounds (3000 kg) of supplies, equipment, and science experiments to the International Space Station. Twenty-four of those science experiments were designed by high school and college students!

Learn more about all the payloads that launched on the OA-9 mission from this video and CASIS’ press release, Orbital ATK’s Cygnus Capsule to Host Research Destined for the International Space Station.

Here is a list of the student experiments with links to more information.

High School

1. The Effect of Hydropriming on the Growth of Basil – International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET) with Space Tango
2. Immiscible Liquid Separation – ISSET with Space Tango
3. The Movement of Polar Liquids Across Electric Fields – ISSET with Space Tango
4. The Contractile Properties of Smooth Muscle in Microgravity, Part 2 – Craft Academy with Space Tango
5. Biological Nitrogen Fixation via Rhizobium-Legume Symbiosis – Mesquite High School through Higher Orbits‘ Go For Launch! program with Space Tango
6. Slime Mold (Physarum polycephalum) Growth in Patterned Structure under Microgravity – Valley Christian High School, Dublin, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
7. Observation of Slime Mold Growth Inside 3D Maze in Microgravity – Chandra Kumala School, North Sumatra, Indonesia, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
8. Different Copper Crystal Morphologies in Microgravity versus in Gravity – Minnehaha Academy, Mendota Heights, MN, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
9. Prevention​​ ​​of​​ ​​Biofilm​​ ​​Formation​​ ​​in​​ ​​Microgravity Using​​ ​​an​​ ​​Antimicrobial​​ ​​Copper​​ ​​Paint – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
10. Measuring Radiation with Respect to Solar Flares and the South Atlantic Anomaly / Light Propulsion in Microgravity / Ferrofluid Heat Dissipation – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
11. The Effects of Microgravity on the Magnetic Qualities of Magnetorheological Fluids​ – Carmel Christian, Matthews, NC, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
12. Measuring the Rate of Lactococcus lactus Fermentation in Microgravity – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
13. The Effects of Microgravity on the Electrochemical Characteristics of a Microbial Fuel Cell – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
14. The Efficacy of Sharklet Material in Preventing the Growth of E. coli Bacteria in Microgravity – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
15. Characterizing Magnetorheological Fluid in Microgravity – Bhattacharya Space Enterprises and Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorne, Australia, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
16. Investigating the Decomposition of Organic Material in Microgravity – Maranatha Christian Schools, San Diego, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
17. The Effect of Microgravity on the Crystallization and Properties of Copper and Bronze via Electroplating – Bhattacharya Space Enterprises and Singapore American School, Singapore, through Quest Institute with Space Tango
18. The Effects of BAM-FX Nutrient Solution and Endophytes on Plant Growth in Microgravity – Valley Christian High School, San Jose, CA, through Quest Institute with Space Tango

Engineers load the last of the cargo into the Cygnus capsule.

Media Credit: Image courtesy of Orbital ATK (now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems)

College

1. CubeRRT (CubeSat to test technology for Earth-sensing microwave radio meters) – Ohio State University, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks
2. EQUiSat (CubeSat to test open-source research and test viability of LiFePO 4 Batteries) – Brown University, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks
3. HaloSat (CubeSat to detect X-rays from the hot halo of baryon gas surrounding the Milky Way Galaxy) – University of Iowa-Iowa City, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks
4. MemSat (CubeSat to evaluate memristor memory devices) – Rowan University, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks
5. RadSat-g (CubeSat to evaluate a new radiation-tolerant computer system) – Montana State University-Bozeman, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks
6. TEMPEST-D,1 (CubeSat, Temporal Experiment for Storms and Tropical Systems Technology – Demonstration) – Colorado State University-Fort Collins, through NASA ELaNa with NanoRacks