Higher Orbits
Michelle Lucas
(281)451-5343
michelle@higherorbits.org
Higher Orbits To Launch Four Student Research Experiments to the International Space Station Aboard SpaceX CRS-33
Higher Orbits Galactic HQ – 19 August 2025 – Through Higher Orbits Go For Launch! programs, five winning student teams will have the opportunity of a lifetime to have their science experiments flown to be conducted on the International Space Station.
Thanks to the work with Higher Orbits payload integration partner, Space Tango, student teams Aeroloco, Cosmic Critters, Chapparal Champions, Icarus, and SuperNOVA will have their science flown aboard the SpaceX-33 Cargo Resupply Services mission.
"We’re thrilled to see this payload, featuring four student-led experiments, launch near the 10-year anniversary of our valued partner, Higher Orbits. Since their inception, Space Tango has flown 19 Higher Orbits experiments to the ISS, and we look forward to continuing this work for the next decade and into future LEO platforms," shares Twyman Clements President & Co-Founder of Space Tango.
Team Aeroloco, the winners of the independent event Go For Launch! Kuiper 2024, includes team members Asher Greene, Shreshta Parthaje, Ryan Sullian, and Grayson Talbot. Their experiment investigates slime mold in microgravity. They have been partnered with Team Cosmic Critters from the Go For Launch! Mars 2024 event as they had similar investigation concepts, thus the teams have worked together on this microgravity experiment. Cosmic Critters team members are Andrew Craig, Emily Cornish, Matthew Peck, Peyton Spera, and Daniel Tabakov.
“Incredible! I still can’t believe we are going to send our own experiment to the ISS!” exclaims Grayson, from Team Aeroloco, who will be in attendance at the launch.
Cosmic Critters team member Andrew Craig shares, “It’s truly a dream come true. I love sharing this experience with my friends. This is personal for me, as I’ve been fascinated by slime molds, slime mold algorithms, and space for a long time, so getting this experiment onto the international space station is simply astonishing. I hope we can discover some amazing things from the experiment and use this unique opportunity to expand humanity’s understanding of optimization, slime molds, and the universe.’ Andrew will also be in Florida to watch their experiment head to ISS.
Winners of the Go For Launch! Midland 2023 Series, Team Chaparral Champions, are also looking forward to this out of this world opportunity. Their experiment will explore silkworms in space. The students who comprise this team are Chantal Estrada, Olatokunbo Ajayi-George, Oluwatobi Ajayi-George, Biak Mang, and Azaan Waseem. This series was made possible by the Midland Development Corporation and Midland Independent School District.
Chantal shares, “Our silkworms’ journey to space mirrors my own: small beginning, stead growth, and reaching heights I never imagined.”
Go For Launch! Nogales was an independent event that came to Nogales, AZ in early 2024. Esther Corella, Ana Garcia, Jose Molina, Nicolas Reyna, and Alexis Simon are the students behind Team Icarus. Their winning experiment will investigate sustainable food growth in microgravity.
“I am deeply grateful for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. What began as a spark of curiosity will soon journey to space, carried to the International Space Station to be conducted by astronauts in orbit! I will always treasure this experience and hope it inspires other young, unique minds to pursue their dreams with passion,” says Alexis Simon.
The final Higher Orbits student experiment slated to fly aboard SpaceX-33 belongs to Go For Launch! Space Coast 2023 winners who went on to win the Go For Launch! 2023 Series, Team Super NOVAs. This team consists of Emma Carr, Ava Golden, Valentina Guillen Pacheco, and Victoria Villa. Their experiment will look at the the creation of biodiesel in microgravity.
“Winning the national competition and having NOVAdiesel chosen to travel to the ISS is an indescribable thrill. It’s a culmination of countless hours of hard work, dedication, and a driving passion for the world of space. Knowing that our idea will contriute to sustainable practices in space exploration fills me with an overwhelming sense of excitement. This opportunity represents the realization of a dream and the beginning of a new chapter in space travel. I’m so proud of my team, and I cannot wait to see our project in action aboard the ISS!” says Valentina, who is out of this world excited to watch her team’s idea literally take flight.
After being awarded the opportunity to have their science flown in space, these selected Higher Orbits teams worked with Space Tango through a series virtual connections to aid in the development of their experiment design.
Space Tango develops modular systems for a variety of R&D and manufacturing applications. With expertise in technology and scientific consulting, Space Tango guides their partners through the process of designing, integrating, and operating their investigations in space.
“Space Tango helps us continue to cultivate an out of this world experience for our students all the way until their payload returns to Earth. Thanks to Space Tango, our student teams are actively involved with their research and the development process of their designs. They can ask questions and see their ideas come to life with Space Tango’s stellar team. We are galactically grateful for their dedication to our students as our payload integration partners since the very beginning of our programs,” said Founder & CEO of Higher Orbits, Michelle Lucas.
Higher Orbits’ four Go For Launch! student experiments flying aboard SpaceX-33 will bring the grand total of experiments sent to space from this program to 24. Go For Launch! has been conducted 91 times in 22 states with more events planned for 2025 and scheduling beginning for 2026.
Go For Launch! is a program I wish I had as a kid. Seeing that this opportunity will allow these four student teams to have their science and hard work flown into space is incredible. Talk about a great way to get young students interested in future careers in math, science, and engineering,” said Higher Orbits supporting astronaut Don Thomas.
About Higher Orbits
Founded in 2015, Higher Orbits is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization creating an experiential learning lab for secondary school students across the United States, focused on the multifaceted worlds of space exploration, research, and spaceflight in order to launch the next generation workforce our world desires. www.higherorbits.org/
About Space Tango
Space Tango is dedicated to utilizing the unique environment of microgravity to discover, design, and manufacture solutions that benefit life on Earth. Through its innovative platform, Space Tango offer research and manufacturing services to a broad range of industries, including bio pharma, materials science, and technology development. For more information, visit www.spacetango.com.
