Patch design contest a hit with future astronauts

On Saturday, families gathered at the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery for a free event that gave children a chance to design a mission patch for an Ohio University-designed experiment that will go to the International Space Station.

In addition to the patch design station, the event also featured a scavenger hunt and activities related to space and aeronautics such as a wind tunnel for paper airplanes and creating a Mars rover using blue blocks.

Children also had the opportunity to meet Sarah Wyatt, the director of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program at Ohio University, along with the students who designed the experiment that will travel to the International Space Station.

Amanda de Santos, the executive director of the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery, says the museum experienced higher turnout than expected, stating that the museum had roughly 200 visitors come through during a two-hour period.

“I was hoping we’d have people in the building all day and we’ve not just had people in the building all day, we’ve been busy all day,” De Santos said.

A collaboration between the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery and the Ohio University Student Spaceflights Experiment Program, the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Patch Design Competition is open to students K-8 and allows for participants to use their artistic talents to design a mission patch for the upcoming SSEP Mission 19 to the International Space Station.

Designed by undergraduate students Lara Fogwell and Cat Gavin, along with recent Ohio University graduate Jake Magula, the experiment seeks to determine if watercress is a viable option as a food source for future astronauts.

Fogwell, Gavin and Magula’s experiment was one of 21 selected for the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Mission 19 to the International Space Station. At present, Ohio University and Kent State are the only two universities in Ohio that participate in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program.

Corey Beck, a theoretical chemist and assistant professor at Ohio University who previously worked at Vanderberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara, California, said the contest is still accepting submissions until Feb. 10, 2025.

“(The children) are doing some really good designs, so it’s gonna be a tough decision to make when we have to determine the winner,” Beck said. “But people are doing above and beyond what I was expecting.”

Beck says the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery sent out patch design templates to all schools K-8 within Athens County, nearly 2,600 in total. While the museum wanted submissions from at least 100 K-4 students and 100 grade 5-8 students, Beck says the museum expects to have received significantly more when the contest is over.

The winning patch, along with a number of finalists, will be displayed at the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery. Winners may also receive recognition at a local event or within their school community, as well as acknowledgement on the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program website.

Beck says the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery is planning an event to coincide with the launch of the rocket that will transport SSEP Mission 19 to the International Space Station. The launch is currently scheduled for June.

The Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery is hoping to continue to hold collaborative events with the Ohio University Student Spaceflight Experiments Program every three months or so, Beck added.

“Hopefully, (our partnership) just keeps going on and on and we’ll have a lot of different things for students to do,” Beck said.

Cat Gavin, one of the Ohio University undergraduates who designed the experiment that will be going to the International Space Station, says she enjoyed talking with kids about space and seeing their excitement for space science. She said this is because it reminded her of her own childhood.

“I feel like every kid dreams of going to space. It’s been really cool to talk to the kids and see them be inspired and excited about the things we’re doing,” Gavin said.

Wyatt says her goal with events such as these is to spark children’s interest in science and inspire them to explore science. She cited her own experiences watching “Star Trek” with her family and seeing NASA land a man on the moon on her 11th birthday.

“I really enjoy talking to the kids about this, because I want to see them all get interested in science,” Wyatt said. “They don’t have to be scientists, but to make sure they don’t think as though they can’t do it, to get them excited about science, is what I believe in.”

Those who were unable to participate in Saturday’s event can submit their patch designs in PDF form at https://sites.ohio.edu/ssep-omvd-design-contest/ or can attend the Ohio Valley Museum of Discovery during its regular business hours and use the patch design station located in the exhibit hall.

Children who turn in a completed patch design during regular business hours will receive half-off admission to the museum that day. Submissions will be accepted until Feb. 10, 2025 and winners will be announced at a to be determined date in March.

About SSEP

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program [or just “SSEP”] is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks, LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.