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Keith Koehler               June 2, 2003
Telephone:  757-824-1579
Keith.A.Koehler.1{at}gsfc.nasa.gov

RELEASE NO: 03-63

STUDENTS POISED TO LAUNCH EXPERIMENTS ON NASA ROCKET

They have been working feverishly for nine months to prepare their 
experiments for launch aboard a NASA rocket to the upper limits of 
Earth's atmosphere.

Preparing proposals, developing plans, fabricating and wiring 
components, and hours of meetings with NASA personnel, students from 
five states will see their efforts pay off with the launch of a NASA 
sounding rocket on June 5 from the Wallops Flight Facility in 
Virginia.

The students in elementary and high schools from across the country 
will descend on the NASA facility the week of June 1 to take part in 
the final preparations of their experiments, view the launch and 
learn about the success of their efforts.

Part of the NASA Student Involvement Program (NSIP), the sounding 
rocket launch provides students with the opportunity to take what 
they learn in the classroom and apply it in a unique hands-on space 
flight activity.

"The students that participate in this program learn the process of 
developing and flying experiments on rockets," said Phil Eberspeaker, 
chief of the NASA Sounding Rocket Projects Office at Wallops. "In 
addition, while at Wallops they learn about rocketry and the teamwork 
involved to launch experiments into space. We want them to get 
excited about becoming scientists and engineers," Eberspeaker said.

Students from four high schools in New York, Georgia, Illinois and 
Minnesota have been working closely with Wallops engineers and 
technicians to prepare their experiments for the 6 a.m. flight on the 
20-foot tall rocket to more than 25 miles (40 kilometers) altitude.

The student experiments focus on satellite communications, spectral 
imaging and analysis, and materials and fluids in a high stress 
environment.  The flight will expose the experiments to stresses 15 
times Earth's gravity.

In addition to the high school experiments, the rocket also will 
carry an experiment on static electricity developed by students from 
Mason-Dixon Elementary School in Blacksville, WV.  A group of the 
students also will attend the launch.

Lynn Marra, NSIP Manager, said, "The flight opportunities provided 
through NSIP allows these students to experience first hand the work 
of engineers, technicians, and scientists. From this experience, NASA 
hopes that these students continue to pursue degrees and later 
careers in technical fields."

In addition to the sounding rocket flight, students from four high 
schools will travel to Wallops the week of June 8 as part of NSIP to 
prepare experiments for flight on a future space shuttle mission.

The NSIP activities, including the rocket launch, will be web cast on:

http://www.wff.nasa.gov/pages/video_schedule.html#launch


Information on the NASA Student Involvement Program is available at:

http://education.nasa.gov/nsip/index.html

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Mark S. Hess
Chief, Office of Public Affairs
NASA/GSFC, Code 130
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