Announcing the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) 24th Flight Opportunity - SSEP Mission 22 to the International Space Station, Starting September 1, 2026

2026 Opportunity for 2- and 4-year Colleges and Universities to Engage 20+ Students (Reflecting at Least 10 Teams) in Real Microgravity Experiment Design and Proposal Writing, with One Experiment at Your Institution Selected for Operation By Astronauts on the International Space Station

STEM Project-Based Learning Through Immersion in an Authentic Research Experience on the High Frontier

HISTORIC NATURE OF OPPORTUNITY: after 23 years of a continuous human presence aboard the International Space Station, NASA will be terminating its operation by 2030. SSEP Mission 22 provides faculty and students at undergraduate institutions an opportunity to be part of history.

TIME CRITICAL: there will likely be a limited number of flight slots for SSEP Mission 22 experiments. Interested schools are directed to inquire about the program as soon as possible, but no later than March 15, 2026.

MILESTONE DATES:
Experiment Design and Proposal Writing Phase: September 1 to November 3, 2026 (9 weeks)

Selection of Your Community's Flight Experiment: December 18, 2026

SpaceX Launch of Your Experiment to the International Space Station: Late Spring 2027

Ferry Flight Return to Earth: Launch + 4 to 6 weeks

SSEP National Conference, likely at NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL, early July 2027