
Sure, you can buy ice cream or make it using an ice cream maker, but it's more fun to make it in a plastic baggie or using liquid nitrogen.
The other important aspect of the Dragon launch is that its first mission will transport experiments to the space station. These experiments are part of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP). These are scientific experiments that have been designed by students from across the United States. This is real scientific research. Students submitted proposals for their projects, designed experiments and competed for the opportunity to fly their experiments in low Earth orbit. The focus of the program is on the students, but they don't go it alone. Each project is a community endeavor, requiring cooperation between students, parents, teachers and businesses.
I got the opportunity to meet some of the students and members of their teams, representing SSEP at the May 19, 2012 SpaceX launch attempt:
Co-Investigators Jack Barth, JP Peerbolte, Cameron Zandstra
Lake County, IN SSEP Community
"The Effect of Microgravity on the Quality and Nutritional Value of the Seed Sprout of a Germinated 92M72 Genetically-Modified Soy Bean"
Pioneer very graciously sponsors this team. Not only did Pioneer provide seeds for the project, but they also gave team members these cool shirts and paid their expenses so that the students could attend the launch of their experiments.

Photo: Representatives of the Lake County, Indiana SSEP team pose with the NASA logo before the May 19th launch attempt of SpaceX Dragon / Falcon 9. (Anne Helmenstine)
Principal Investigator Emily Soice
Houston, TX SSEP Community
"Hepatocyte Development in Bioscaffolds Infused with TGFB3 in Microgravity"
"I am very excited and honored that I get to be a part of the first commercial payload."
~Emily Soice (Grade 8, Houston, TX)

Photo: Principal Investigator Emily Soice (Grade 8, Johnston Middle School, Houston) is fitted with a microphone so she can explain her SSEP research project on NASA TV. (Anne Helmenstine)
Ryan Puri, Co-Investigator
San Marino, CA SSEP Community
"Effect of Microgravity on the Antibacterial Resistance of P. aeruginosa"
Ryan and the other student representatives explained their experiments to the press. The students gave interviews and were videotaped for NASA TV. Ryan displayed the poise of a veteran researcher, clearly explaining the significance of his project and describing the excitement of having an experiment go into space.

Photo: SSEP Co-Investigator Ryan Puri (Grade 10, San Marino High School, San Marino CA) explains his flight experiment to NASA TV and member of the press at the SpaceX Dragon launch attempt on May 19, 2012 at Kennedy Space Center, FL. (Anne Helmenstine)
There are 15 SSEP experiments flying on SpaceX Dragon's Mission 1 to the ISS. The SSEP program is ongoing, so if you are are a student interested in flying an experiment, visit the website and get started!
The SpaceX May 19 launch was aborted after the engines ignited, with a half second remaining until lift-off. Here's the video I took of the non-launch, which was pretty cool, even though it didn't actually go anywhere.SpaceX aborted the launch because a sensor detected slightly high pressure in engine 5. They traced the problem to a faulty check valve on the Merlin engine. The part should be replaced by the end of the day, giving them a new launch target of Tuesday, May 22 at 3:44 am EDT. So far, the weather is looking cooperative for the launch window.
About a third of the student experiments (the sole payload on this mission) are affected by launch delays. When a launch is postponed, sometimes experiments are removed and replaced for the next launch window. The students are an adaptable group of scientists, meeting the challenges of space-based research with all the skill and determination of more traditional researchers who have flown experiments to the ISS. I had the opportunity to interview some of the students last night before the launch attempt. I'll have more on that in a bit!
Historic Mission 1 To Carry Student Experiments | SpaceX Dragon Launch To Make Histor
Photo: SpaceX Dragon / Falcon 9 on the launchpad, May 18, 2012 (Anne Helmenstine)
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