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High school student's mission patch flown on last shuttle
POTTER, Nebraska -- The grandson of a McCook couple designed one of 11 mission patches flying aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis on its final supply run to the International Space Station before retiring.
Atlantis lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Friday, marking the end of the 30-year space shuttle program. Aboard the shuttle are 8,000 pounds of food, clothing and spare parts for the six astronauts onboard the ISS, student - designed experim-ents from 11 school districts and 11 mission patches -- one of which was designed by Devan Baker, the grandson of Patricia and Charlie Powers of McCook.
Devan is a junior at Potter-Dix High School, one of 11 U.S. school districts which participated in a nation-wide Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics -- STEM -- program called the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program -- SSEP.
The competition to design mission patches was open to all students from the 11 schools; each school selected its own winner.
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education describes Devan's patch: "Nebraska and themes of wheat, duck pin bowling, stars and the Potter-Dix coyote mascot are depicted on the mission patch. The Potter-Dix coyote paw print marks the home of Potter-Dix schools. The wheat symbolizes Goodstreak wheat, a hard red winter wheat, developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-ARS. Duck pin bowling provides visitors and community members with a unique bowling opportunity. Nebraska's beautiful blue skies and brilliant night-time stars circle the coyote as he 'howls' the mission into space."
Upon the Shuttle's return to Earth, Baker's patch will be on display at Potter-Dix High School.
Devan is the son of ShayLynn (Heble) Schuetze of Denver, a graduate of McCook Senior High in 1990, and Roger Baker of Potter.
A total of 974 mission patches were proposed by students from the 11 school districts participating in SSEP on STS-135.
Potter-Dix students 5-12 designed a science experiment that is also flying on the Atlantis. The experiment observes the effects of microgravity on the germination rate, root development and shoot growth of Goodstreak (Triticum aestivum L) hard red winter wheat developed cooperatively by the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station and the USDA-Agricultural Research Service.
The Sherwood Foundation and the NASA Nebraska Space Grant funded Potter-Dix's participation in the program, covering the cost of acquiring experiment space aboard the shuttle. Dr. David Baltensperger of the Texas A&M University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and Joe Larson, soil conservationist at Nebraska Natural Resources Conservation Science, provided in-kind consulting services.
Potter-Dix Superintendent Kevin Thomas said, "The school system's participation in this program aligns with STEM-related curriculum adopted by Potter-Dix Schools, and encourages students of all grades to learn more about opportunities enriched with science and mathematics concepts."
For more information on the SSEP, go to http://ssep. ncesse.org
Search "mission patch" and "Mission Patches on STS-135" to find Devan's and 10 other students' winning mission patches.