Students Watch Experiment Liftoff

Their biology experiment is aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour

It's not Cape Canaveral, but five students at Shelton High School watched as  their experiment lifted off aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor Monday.

The students had traveled to Florida for the original launch date on April 29, but had to return after it was delayed for several weeks.

"We were ready to view a launch.  We found a great spot to watch, and then all of a sudden, it was scrubbed," said Shelton science teacher Mary Clark of the dissapointment of the April trip.

That all changed Monday morning as the students watched Endeavour climb into space.

"It was very exciting, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity," Shelton senior Omar Sobh said.  "This is the second to last shuttle that's going to be launching, and we look forward to getting our bacteria back.

The students' experiment will test the effects of zero-gravity on the growth of bacteria.

"Our hypothesis was that if the cell walls of bacteria that were grown in space were weaker, they might be less resistant to antibiotics and that we could apply that to medicine-resistant bacteria," senior Leann Misencik said.

The Shelton High School experiment was chosen through a program with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education.

The students will be tweeting during the shuttle's mission.  You can follow them @SPS_SVoMC.

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