The Ocean City High School students who have been waiting to see their science experiment launched into space experienced another delay on Tuesday.
Just 81 seconds from liftoff at dawn on Tuesday, the rocket launch was aborted due to a mechanical problem (read more from NASA).
“The next available opportunity to launch to the station would be Friday, Jan. 9,” according to NASA.
Ocean City High School seniors Lauren Bowersock, Kristina Redmond, Mercy Griffith, Daniel Loggi, Kaitland Wriggins and Alison Miles have seen several postponements as they wait for their zero-gravity experiment to be transported to the International Space Station (including the explosion of one unmanned rocket).
The OCHS experiment is part of the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program (SSEP), a national program designed to inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers in the U.S. The Ocean City students competed against others nationwide for the opportunity to have their experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station.
The Ocean City experiment analyzes the effect of microgravity on the attachment rate of E. coli bacteria to lettuce cells — information that would be practical if people ever tried to cultivate food during long periods of travel in space.
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