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A Science Experiment Gone Wrong (Transcript)

by Sarah Kramer

NARR: Over a year ago, sixth graders at the Museum School in Chelsea came up with an experiment to test the affects of zero gravity on earthly objects. The students were curious if a Metro Card's magnetic stripe would still work after a trip to space. The kids also wondered what would happen to tomato seeds and how popcorn tasted after a voyage on the shuttle. Student William Mackenzie remembers gathering the seeds.

ACT: We put certain kinds of seeds in a tank so it would like, see what happens and we put pumpkin seeds and all different kinds of seeds to see what happened.

NARR: More than 12 months ago, at a large ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History, the students packed their experiments in a canister. They gave it to the NASA scientist who would place the package in the shuttle bay. As time passed, many of the kids forgot about the metrocard, popcorn, and Central Park pond water they had sent. Only a couple of children saw the launch in January. Most did not know their experiments were on board. Unlike other schools, they had no contact with the Columbia while it was in space. Then Christopher Williams, like his classmates watched the shuttle disaster on TV.

ACT: I was heartbroken a little bit because those people the way it came down from the sky pieces were breaking and stuff, I felt real bad for them.

NARR: Once their experiment returned, the sixth graders had intended to plant their space seeds along with their earth seeds, the control group. The kids would see if the plants' growth and color were affected. At the very least, Tracey Perez says, they would have eaten the popcorn.

ACT Tracey: we sent popcorn into space and we was hoping we would get it back but the shuttle blew up.

NARR: For Merrel Quan Anderson, he would rather go to space than just eat popcorn from there. Even though he now knows the dangers of space exploration, Merrel says he is not scared.

ACT: I would like to see how it is out there and I would like to float on the moon. Like they say there's no gravity up there, and so I'd like to see how it is.

NARR: The Columbia was the last scheduled mission dedicated to science. It carried dozens more experiments than a routine flight to the space station. Now, with the tragic end to the Columbia, all missions are on hold. I'm Sarah Kramer for Columbia Radio News.