ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. – Central Alabama Community College (CACC) has been selected to participate in the prestigious Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), providing students a rare opportunity to propose and design scientific experiments for the International Space Station (ISS).
Organized by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), the SSEP immerses students in authentic research within a microgravity environment. CACC’s involvement is committed to STEM education and Alabama’s aerospace workforce development.
“We are excited to provide our students with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to engage with authentic scientific research,” said SSEP Community Program Director, Dr. Jeremy Carr. “Through this program, students will not only develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills but also gain insights into the exciting world of space exploration.”
CACC students will compete to design microgravity experiments with top proposals advancing for national evaluation. The final selected experiment will undergo rigorous preparation before its launch to the ISS for a four to six-week testing period.
In addition, CACC will engage local schools through a mission patch logo design contest, encouraging broader community participation.
The project is supported by CACC faculty, including Dr. Robin Calvert, Maribeth Farr, and others, and has secured $30,000 in funding to ensure the program’s success.
For more information, contact Dr. Carr at [email protected].
The SSEP is a collaborative effort of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) and Nanoracks, LLC, working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement to utilize the ISS as a National Laboratory.
