NASA Launches Two Tulsa Union Student Experiments Into Space

Two experiments developed by five Tulsa Union 8th Grade students were launched into space by NASA early Thursday.

School officials said pre-engineering teacher Bill Murphy's class began working with NASA last year.

"These kids are rock stars! Both of their experiments were among only 100 selected nationwide for NASA's Cubes in Space program." Said Bill Murphy.

Cubes in Space is a STEM-based education program for students ages 11-14, which provides an opportunity to design and launch experiments into space.

Murphy said the students Josh Anderson, Drew Hoke, Madyson Holland, Sam Williams and Jillian Newfield along with help from teachers at Tulsa Community College and NASA worked on the preparing the experiments for space.

The five submitted their experiments to the Rubik Learning Initiative (RLI) Cubes in Space Challenge as part of the 40th anniversary of the invention of the Rubik's Cube.

One of the experiments focuses on establishing a stable ecosystem in space, and the other will test the potency of ibuprofen and acetaminophen used in over-the-counter medicines in space.

The launch happened at 6:20 a.m.(CDT) at Wallops Flight Center on Wallops Island, Virginia.