CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) – A group of sixth grade girls from the northwest suburbs are the brains behind a science experiment that will be out of this world.
The girls are part of the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) class at St. Paul of the Cross Catholic School in Park Ridge. The team designed an electromagnet that would remove tiny pieces of space junk from earth orbit.
The experiment was one of 57 selected by the NASA Techrise Student Challenge.
Karl Ochsner, STEAM teacher at St. Paul of the Cross, said the girls will get a $1,500 grant to build an experiment that will fly in a commercial rocket in the spring of 2023.
"They have to have the project completed by October, and it will be sent up in early spring from Up Aerospace," Ochsner said.
The students will be able to monitor the progress of their experiment during a three minute sub-orbital flight. Ochsner said he will try to secure a video feed of the launch.
"When I was a kid my parents sat me down to watch the Moon launch and see the astronauts go into space and that was exciting. Just even making a proposal to NASA to say 'you can actually take my experiment up into space' is just amazing," Ochsner said.
The space junk electro magnet will be constructed using a 3D printer.
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