Calling all Space Farmers!
Open Enrollment for Growing Beyond Earth at Hutchings Museum Institute
The Project:
Growing Beyond Earth (GBE) is a citizen science project designed to advance NASA research on growing plants in space. Hutchings Museum Institute’s GBE Research Team will conduct a second 49-day trial testing varieties of herbs in a specially-designed growing chamber – much like the plant growing system aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This project is a hands-on opportunity for students to learn research protocols, evaluate results, share conclusions, and work as a team – all while contributing to NASA science to determine which plants humans will grow on the International Space Station, the Moon, and even Mars!
Who can participate:
Middle and high school aged students (11 – 18 years old) are invited to join the research team.
Project Schedule:
This seven-week research project starts Mid-February 2023 and goes through the beginning of April 2023, followed by additional opportunities with NASA, including presenting research at the GROWING BEYOND EARTH® Student Research Symposium at the end of April.
Meeting Schedule:
- Initial Meeting (mid-February 2023, date TBD)
There will be a mandatory first session which will cover student researcher orientation, program overview, training provided by NASA, and the planting of our herb seeds to get started in our growing chamber!
- Open Lab Schedule (Monday through Friday: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm)
For more flexibility, we will use an open lab schedule for the seven-week trial. Student researchers are encouraged to attend the lab twice a week. Lab assistance will be available for that hour. Tasks, data recording, and other responsibilities will assigned in the lab notebook, and reported to NASA weekly. There will be plenty to do for everyone!
- Final Harvest Celebration (Early April 2023, date TBD)
We’ll get to enjoy the fruits of our labor on the final day of the trial – but only after the plants have been weighed, measured and evaluated! We will also submit our findings to NASA and prepare a short presentation of our research for the April 29th GBE Student Research Symposium – prizes will be awarded!
Cost:
Free, registration is mandatory