NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Students at North Tonawanda will be sending an experiment to the International Space Station to be conducted by astronauts.
A research project designed by a group of North Tonawanda students will soon be traveling to the International Space Station. Since the start of the school year, students have been working on their projects and proposals for the Student Space Flight Experiment Program's Mission 18.
This group of 11th-grade students has this year's winning experiment testing if bacteria make spores and crystals while in a microgravity environment. That's important because on earth spores and crystals kill insects naturally.
So, as we advance into space and people start to farm there, these students want to make sure spores and crystals can grow.
"We are really, really excited. We are doing trails right now, figuring out specific amounts of chemicals and how we are actually going to do that, so we are running trails along with UB," Melissa Elliot, a biology teacher at North Tonawanda High School.
"We are so excited to be able to work with NASA, like NASA, to be able to work with NASA and maybe even see a lift off into space and it's such a great opportunity for all of us and we are all so excited," Cailee Cinquino, a part of the North Tonawanda High School team.
The district also recognized experiments that received honorable mention as finalists. This includes middle school students in the district. The mission carrying the experiment from North Tonawanda High School is scheduled to fly sometime this summer.
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