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Show V Y 4 tjM" j JS-: Young scientists to send experimental designs to NASA v'--: '"" ' ' " ' ' -y r:,w v. v - " ' ' 7 " . 'i9' - ' , ; ' ' - i v '" , - I ' - i, ' , i iij ' . ...-, I Theresa Lints may have hit upon a perfect solution for lubricating the space shuttle's mechanical arm. She has been experimenting with ferrofluids and said "Actually I want to be the first kid in space." photos by Nan Chalat by Nan Cha'at Chris Eisenberg would like to know if a spider can build a web in space. Heidi Frerichs wonders whether weightlessness would affect an organism's tolerance to alcohol. And Theresa lints thinks she might have found a perfect lubricant for the space shuttle's mechanical arm. These high school students might have a chance to test these theories if their experiments are selected to be conducted on a future space shuttle. Twenty Park City High School students will be submitting experiment experi-ment proposals to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Administra-tion (NASA) next month. Right now they are researching their ideas and drawing up written proposals. "There are a lot of factors to consider," said Eisenberg, who is looking for the right kind of spider one which is a prolific web builder. "I thought about sending a colony of ants to see whether they can build tunnels in zero gravity, but it's already been done. "I hate spiders but I'm curious to see what they will do." His classmate, David Ballard, is hoping to send a container of fertilized frog eggs into space. "I want to see how they develop in a weightless environment." But Ballard's Bal-lard's curiosity is far from frivolous. "If humans are planning to have colonies in space we will need to know how the environment will affect their ability to reproduce," he said. Ballard said NASA is on the right track in asking students to participate partici-pate in the research being done in' space. "I think students can come up with some useful ideas." NASA must agree because two lockers are reserved on every flight for student experiments. i The students whose ideas are ' chosen by NASA will be asked to(C refine their experimental- designs and will have a chance to work with NASA scieH i in California and Houston. , The experiments will be construe-, ted to fit inside a 10-inch-by-20-inch-by-20-inch cupboard, said high school science teacher Linda Preston, Pres-ton, who has encouraged students in her honors biology class to participate. partici-pate. "The Space Shuttle Student Involvement Program gives the kids a chance to see a purpose to their education and to expand their horizons. "I've seen' it give at, least one student a trememdous boost in enthusiasm for science," she said, referring to a former student whose projeci was chosen to be taken on the space shuttle. "There is so much we don't know about space. I think we are just beginning to understand how important impor-tant it can be to us., The communications satellites an our improved weather forecasting techniques tech-niques were all made possible by the . space programs," said Preston. ' '....Si ' rn . .'v.- " ' i J .'Ft; s 7 " -'l ' Ml ,'7- -yf'-' ; 71 7V- cv" " N Chris Eisenberg and David Ballard, ooth honors biology students, are planning experiments which will test some of the effects of weightlesness on living organisms. |