Out of this world experiment gets big results

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This article was published 10/9/2018 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After a three week stay at the International Space Station, an experiment developed by former Grosvenor School students has returned to Earth for analysis.

Students Charlie Buehler, Keaton Fish, Quinn McMullan, Kale Peterson, and Merrick Williamson recently examined the growth of the lacinato kale they sent to space to see what effect microgravity has on germination and development.

The project, which was nearly a year of work for the students, was part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. The project was launched into space from Cape Canaveral, Fla., where the students got to witness their project flying out of the atmosphere. Throughout the summer, they also maintained an experiment on Earth for comparison.

Peterson, 11, said he was excited by the results of the experiment.

"In microgravity it did germinate and grow, but on Earth, some of the water leaked and that’s what I’m not too happy about," Peterson said. "Now we don’t know if it would have grown.

"I was pretty sure that at least one was going to germinate but I didn’t expect all four to germinate," he said.

Next, the students will write a conclusion to their research to be submitted to the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program and will get together to watch a video of the launch once again.

"I think all the learning that we did was really fun and a great experience," Peterson said.