Yesterday, the Center for Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS), the organization that runs the science on the U.S. segment of the International Space Station (ISS) announced a new program to get students of all grade levels more access to the science conducted on the station.

The program is called Expedition Space Lab and consists of a series of free lessons in four different areas related to research conducted on the ISS: earth and space sciences, engineering and technology, life sciences, and physical sciences. Elementary, middle, and high school students get their own set of activities in these four areas. 

An example of one of the activities is growing a plant in the classroom and following along with a plant growing on the ISS to see the differences in how a plant develops in microgravity. Beyond the free resources, the CASIS program also offers additional resources for a cost. Educators can apply for a grant to cover the cost of purchasing Expedition Space Lab resources.

According to Ray Lugo, Principal Investigator and Chief Executive Officer for the ISS National Lab: We seek to inspire our nation’s youth and achieve great results through the implementation of Expedition Space Lab by reaching even more students, encouraging them to think about what is possible when we dream big and look up.

More Information

ISS National Laboratory press release