Davison Index

Perry Innovation Center students chosen to send experiment into space


Perry Innovation Center eighth-grade students Kennedy Brezzell, Patrick Ireland, Will Dean, Isaiah Marble and Genna Monterosso proposed an experiment that will analyze the decomposition of rehydrated blueberries on the International Space Station, as well as here on Earth. Photos provided

Perry Innovation Center eighth-grade students Kennedy Brezzell, Patrick Ireland, Will Dean, Isaiah Marble and Genna Monterosso proposed an experiment that will analyze the decomposition of rehydrated blueberries on the International Space Station, as well as here on Earth. Photos provided

GRAND BLANC — Perry Innovation Center students in Grand Blanc have a unique opportunity to participate in the nine-week Student Spaceflight Experiments Program this school year.

Beginning last fall, fifth- through eighth-graders joined together in groups and brainstormed ideas for experiments that could be conducted in space.

Through this year’s Mission 16 program, a spot was designated for a microgravity experiment from PIC. Student groups competed for the spot through a rigorous design and proposal process.

The proposal chosen is an experiment designed by a group of PIC eighth-graders. Students Kennedy Brezzell, Patrick Ireland, Earth.

Observations and measurements will be taken based on the weight, size, microbial film and appearance of the blueberries. The purpose of the experiment is to efficiently decompose food matter to reuse for growing new food in microgravity to better sustain space exploration.

Will Dean, Isaiah Marble and Genna Monterosso proposed an experiment that will analyze the decomposition of rehydrated blueberries on the International Space Station, as well as here on

Will Dean, Isaiah Marble and Genna Monterosso proposed an experiment that will analyze the decomposition of rehydrated blueberries on the International Space Station, as well as here on

As the chosen group, they will be provided with a microgravity research ‘mini-laboratory’ which will be transported to the ISS, where their experiment will be conducted by astronauts according to their instructions.

The students’ proposal states, “On Earth, food waste in America alone includes 1.3 billion tons of food every year and often sits in landfills. Finding solutions to efficiently decompose food matter that may be used again for growing new food in microgravity is key to sustainable space exploration. This is important because more people will be visiting space, where they will have greater quantities of food waste in the near future. Our research question is: How is the decomposition of blueberries affected by microgravity? This experiment should be conducted in microgravity because the results could greatly benefit space agricultural programs.”

In addition to the support and supervision of PIC teachers Karen Cormany and Jason Vallimont, the students are being advised by Justin Stewart, core collaborator at the Society for Protection of Underground Networks. Stewart has also offered the group the opportunity to publish their research in an undergraduate journal, and to do technical writing for DNA sequencing for their experiment. His own research “focuses on identifying key players and patterns in networks of microorganisms with an emphasis on plants, soil and maps.”

The five eighth-graders are now working to make refinements to their experiment, incorporating feedback from the SSEP National Step 2 Review Board. For instance, the students will now add more specifications for astronaut handling of their experiment. They also will secure materials for both the flight and control experiments and make sure any biological material will pass required toxicology tests for space flight. In February, their Flight Safety Review Form is due. SSEP will continue to work on modifications with the group until late spring when the Space X rocket is set to launch the experiment from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

The SSEP is being piloted at PIC with the possibility to expand participation to other eligible (grades five to 12) students at Grand Blanc Community Schools. Funding for Mission 16 participation has been provided by generous support from the Serra Foundation, Michigan Space Grant Consortium, the Grand Blanc Educational Foundation, Horace Mann – Bobby Maksymowski Agency, Sovita Credit Union, PIC Family Council, the Flint Regional Science & Engineering Fair and Grand Blanc Community Schools.

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks LLC which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory. — L.R.