The purpose of our 2013 mission was to send a science project into microgravity in a tiny vessel known as a microlab. Our project was sent up to space on the Falcon 9 with many other projects from across the nation. The microlabs collected data for one month aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and crew members sent the data back to Earth periodically.
We conducted research on the topics we initially brainstormed, then created our project based on the inspiration we derived from the lush environment of Hawaii. The specific method we chose was a hydroponics system to grow microgreen arugula in microgravity. Microgreens were ideal for our project due to the fact that they are small enough to fit in our tiny microlab, which is around the size of a stick of butter. Microgreens are also rich in nutrients and flavor, a tasty way to increase fresh produce and vitamins in an astronaut's diet! Our hypothesis was that the microgreen arugula will be physically smaller, and develop a different molecular structure due to the microgravity environment. Through our findings we hope to improve sustainability for explorers in space.
This block diagram of our microlab (see image above), drawn by our very own Nohea, highlights the unique aspects of our project design including a water bag and valve pressurized by rubber bands, camera, and incubator which cradles the seeds. Two red LEDs, one blue LED, and one white LED provide the necessary light frequencies for optimal plant growth. The sides of our microlab are plastic and have air vents covered by GORE-TEX to ensure that our plant has oxygen and that no water can escape. The small system was designed to provide all the necessary conditions for a microgreen plant to grow to its full potential in the span of one month.
Our Girl Scouts microlab was installed on the International Space Station on April 3, 2013, and since then we've received many pictures of our project. It was exciting each time we received new pictures from space to monitor our project. To our dismay we did not actually observe any plant growth in the transmitted pictures, but when we had the opportunity to examine our microlab and analyze our results once it returned to earth, we were ecstatic to discover that our seeds had rooted.
Although our first space science project did not yield the results we had hoped for, we learned that there are lessons in everything, even failure. The areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is continually advancing, even for girls. Reflecting on her participation in this project, team member Nohea said, "I think all the skills that I've learned in this program will help me a lot in the future." The lessons we learned and memories we made during this past year will definitely last a lifetime.
This block diagram of our microlab (see image above), drawn by our very own Nohea, highlights the unique aspects of our project design including a water bag and valve pressurized by rubber bands, camera, and incubator which cradles the seeds. Two red LEDs, one blue LED, and one white LED provide the necessary light frequencies for optimal plant growth. The sides of our microlab are plastic and have air vents covered by GORE-TEX to ensure that our plant has oxygen and that no water can escape. The small system was designed to provide all the necessary conditions for a microgreen plant to grow to its full potential in the span of one month. 
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