Introducing Mission Discovery

DESIGNING an experiment to be carried out on board the International Space Station (ISS) sounds like something only elite scientists working for NASA and other special organisations could do!

Thanks to Latitude Group Travel and The International Space School Education Trust (ISSET), the opportunity to design a space-ready experiment that will actually be carried out by the astronauts manning the ISS is now possible for Australian students.

Welcome to Mission Discovery, a 5 day STEM program where students hear presentations from NASA astronauts, take on team challenges and design an experiment to present to a board of judges.

The winning experiment is built and launched into space, to be conducted in this amazing gravity-free environment. The students will even get the results from what occurs!

Several winning experiments have already been performed in space, through the Mission Discovery Program.

These include an experiment called Microbial Fuel Cells, which tested the feasibility of using microbes feeding on waste matter, in a sealed environment, to provide a power source to supplement the main fuel sources on board spacecraft.

Other winning experiments include: studying the use of antibiotics to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus bacteria; the rate at which yeast decomposes organic matter; whether steroid-enhanced plants could grow better in space than on Earth; and whether an enzyme derived from fireflies can cause bioluminescence in microgravity.

Some ideas that made it to the finals include: testing foam designed to treat internal bleeding, carrying out an enzyme reaction experiment and investigating krill in space.

This extraordinary addition to Australian STEM education is just one of Latitude Group Travel’s superb product range.

With a focus on including curriculum-linked, experiential learning activities into custom designed tour itineraries, so that the tour focus is very much on engendering true educational learning outcomes, Latitude Group Travel stands apart in ensuring that students come back with heightened knowledge, experiences and enthusiasm that genuinely supports classroom learning.

With a range of other special programs and bespoke tours that rival the uniqueness of Mission Discovery, schools can access anything from entrepreneurship tours and one of a kind real-world design challenge programs, to an unlimited range of learning opportunities for every subject.

Contact Tori Brookes or Jenny Murphy on (03) 9646 4200 or info@latitudegrouptravel.com.au to find out more.

Mission Discovery: an opportunity for ordinary students to do something extraordinary.