Startups
Science / STEM

A shipment of Domino sugar is heading to the International Space Station

The Baltimore-refined product is taking off aboard a SpaceX rocket Tuesday. It's part of an experiment happening with students on Earth.

From the Baltimore harbor to space. (Photo by Flickr user Kathleen Tyler Conklin, used under a Creative Commons license.

Sugar that was refined in Baltimore will be included in a payload heading for the International Space Station this week.
On Tuesday, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket taking off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., will have three pounds supplied by Domino Sugar aboard.


Once aboard the space station and under the care of the astronauts there, the sugar will be used to grow crystals in zero-gravity.
Students on Earth can also take part. Kits outlining the Crystal Growth Experiment are set to be available through Kickstrater. In setting up their own experiments, students can help compare between how the crystals grow on Earth and in space. The STEM effort was designed by DreamUp, NanoRacks, and Xtronaut.
“We support educational STEM programs at schools around the country, so we were thrilled when we were approached with this inventive program that uses our sugar products in a unique way to inspire young students to engage with and learn about science,” Brian O’Malley, CEO of Domino Foods, Inc., said in a statement.
Photos of both results can be posted to a website, enabling all to follow the progress, whether floating in space or firmly planted on the ground.

Engagement

Join the conversation!

Find news, events, jobs and people who share your interests on Technical.ly's open community Slack

Trending

Baltimore daily roundup: Find your next coworking space; sea turtle legislation; Dali raided and sued

Baltimore daily roundup: Johns Hopkins dedicates The Pava Center; Q1's VC outlook; Cal Ripken inaugurates youth STEM center

Baltimore daily roundup: Scenes from an epic Sneaker Ball; Backpack Healthcare in Google AI accelerator; local tech figures' podcast

Will the life sciences dethrone software as the king of technology?

Technically Media