Is an MTC student going to space?

• No.  A small experimental apparatus designed by MTC students is flying to the International Space Station and will be operated by astronauts before returning to earth approximately 6 weeks later.

Do I have to be a STEM major to participate?  

• No.  Any student enrolled in MTC courses in any discipline during the FA23 semester may participate in a proposal team.

Can I sign up if I am a Corporate and Continuing Education student?

• Yes. Any student enrolled in MTC courses in any discipline during the FA23 semester may participate in a proposal team.

What does it cost to participate?

• There is no cost to students to participate in the design team process.  Materials and consumables will be provided by the School of STEM.  Additionally, every effort will be made to ensure support for student travel for the launch and conference events.  A student should not avoid participating due to financial concerns.

Do I have to be enrolled in a specific course to participate?

• No.  The only requirement to participate in proposal development is that a student is enrolled in ANY MTC course during the FA23 semester.

How much time can I expect to invest in the process?

• This will vary through the 9-week proposal design process.  Teams will meet regularly among themselves and with MTC Faculty Advisors.  Teams may need to coordinate lab time/space to test experimental ideas.  Students should expect to spend at least 2-3 hours per week on the project during the Proposal Phase, and, for those working on the flight experiment, Mission Prep Phase.

What if I don't have 2 other folks to form a team with?

• Submit your information using the registration form and indicate that you would like to be matched with a team.  Program leadership will connect you with other students.

What happens if my team's idea isn't selected for flight?

• As with other resource-limited research efforts, the team that is selected will need substantial support in preparing their experiment for flight.  Students will be able to assist the selected team throughout the SP24 semester.

What's the generally expected timeline of the project?

• The proposal process will last for 9 weeks, starting on September 1, 2023.  The experiment selected for flight will be identified by December 2023.  The launch is tentatively scheduled for late Spring 2024, and the findings conference will be held in late Summer 2024.

What are the duties expected of the team selected for flight?

• The MTC Community Space Program and SSEP at large have a tremendous community engagement component.  The selected flight team, in addition to preparing their experiment, will be expected to represent the program through community outreach and participation in media and publicity events.  Additionally, the flight team may have the opportunity to travel to the mission launch at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and attend a post-flight conference in Washington, DC.

What happens if I graduate during the project year?

• If a student that is involved in flight preparation graduates or otherwise completes their studies before launch, they will still be invited to participate in all associated events and will be named in any publications associated with the project.

What if I have more questions?

• Contact Benjamin Gaston, Dean of the School of STEM (gastonb at midlandstech.edu)