SSEP Mission 11 Activities
SSEP Mission 11- Proposal Phase
Students at Stockton University work in teams with faculty to propose experiments in microgravity toi be conducted at the International Space Station. ( Sept- Nov, 2016)
SSEP Mission 11- Review Phase
Three finalist student proposals are selected by a local review panel of scientists at Stockton University. The three finalists are forwarded to the SSEP National Review Panel for selection of the flight experiment. (Nov-Dec, 2016)
SSEP Mission 11 Flight Review and Optimization
SSEP Mission 11 Handoff for Flight Integration in Houston, TX
Experimental and ground based controls are setup for the experiments and the flight module is shipped to Texas (approximately July 19th, 2017)
SSEP Mission 11 Launch- Cape Canaveral, Florida
Expected launch date is August 14th from Cape Canaveral Florida by SpaceX on a Falcon9 rocket/unmanned Dragon capsule. The flight experiments will spend 4-6 weeks at the ISS before return. Experimental material will be analyzed (Sept-Oct, 2017).
SSEP 2017 National Conference. Washington DC.June 28-29th
Stockton students and faculty attended the SSEP National Conference in Washington DC. Students Valkyrie Falciani and Danielle Ertz presented their groups flight experiment preliminary data and protocols for the August flight. Below are photos of the events and a link to the Stockton presentation "Spores in Space."
M11 Launch Countdown
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Dr. Tara Luke assists students Danielle Ertz and Valkyrie Falciani in loading and packing the Stockton SSEP M11 experiment for shipment to NanoRacks/DreamUp in Texas for mission integration.
Launch 8/14/2017
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Stockton SSEP is sending a 5 student and 3 faculty delegation to the Mission 11 launch at the NASA Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX CRS-12 will launch from historic NASA launch pad 39A, site of the Apollo and Shuttle program launches.
Launch Activities
Loading Experiment 7/19/17
Launch Activities
Launch day activities include touring the Kennedy Space Complex, student poster presentations at the Apollo/Saturn V Center and launch viewing from the Banana Creek site (3.5 mi from launch).
M11 Launch on NASA CRS-12 Space X
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
SSEP students were introduced to the launch viewers and then presented posters on their experiments headed for launch in the Saturn V / Apollo Display Hall at the Kennedy Space Center.
The Launch at KSC launch pad 39A
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
The launch was observed at the Saturn V / Apollo Hall/ Bannana River viewing site which was 3.5 miles from the pad. Visibility was excellent despite some high clouds. The countdown went right on schedule and the launch was an awesome sight with an intense burn of the thrusters at liftoff. As exciting was the return of the first stage and pinpoint landing at LZ-1 of adjacent Cape Canaveral AFB.
Stockton team st Kennedy Space Center
Launch day presentations in Saturn V Hall
Stockton team st Kennedy Space Center
SSEP student researchers toured the Kennedy Space Center before and after the launch. The group also visited the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Canaveral Natioal Seahore comprising over 140,000 acres of coast, wetlands and scrub forest that surround and protect the Spaceport complex.