In a groundbreaking partnership with the International Space Station Program, St. Francis High School in Sacramento is taking its science curriculum to new heights—literally. A select team of twelve students, including the dynamic duo of Charlotte Huang and Megan Atkinson, have been chosen among over 100 applicants to design and send an experiment to space. Their mission? To explore how yeast grows in microgravity, and compare it to how it thrives on Earth.
This is no ordinary school project; St. Francis is one of only ten high schools in the country to participate in the program, and the only all-girls institution to score this stellar opportunity. As they prepare for a SpaceX rocket launch set for early April, excitement is palpable among the team. They’re not just learning about science; they’re stepping into the future of biomedical engineering and longevity science.
The gravity of what they’re about to do isn’t lost on them. As they say, there’s no cooler way to understand engineering than launching an experiment into orbit. These young women are full of passion and potential, ready to contribute valuable data that real scientists could use. And who knows? Their journey might inspire a new generation of STEM leaders. It’s a thrilling time for science and a reminder of how far curiosity can take us—beyond classroom walls and into the cosmos!
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Andrew Johnson
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