FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CACC Microgravity Experiment Selected for Spaceflight
ALEXANDER CITY, AL — May 20, 2025—Radishes have officially taken center stage at Central Alabama Community College, thanks to a student research project that was selected for a flight to the International Space Station (ISS).
In partnership with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE), CACC was selected to participate in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 20. This initiative gave students the rare opportunity to design an experiment for real-world implementation in microgravity aboard the ISS.
This unique opportunity came through a college-wide competition in which 52 CACC students submitted 15 detailed proposals on topics ranging from astrodentistry and mold spore development to cognitive effects in space.
The winning proposal—submitted by students Allie Scott, Benton Stegall, Noah White, Adlyne Benton, and Gracie Deason—focuses on the early development of radish roots and shoots in space. With guidance from their professional advisor, Jessica Hodnett, an Agriculture Teacher at Horseshoe Bend High School, the team’s research was selected from a field of competitive entries and is now featured on the SSEP Mission 20 website.
The project was selected in part for its scientific merit and relevance to the future of sustainable space agriculture. Radishes, a nutrient-rich crop that grows quickly and efficiently, are of increasing interest to researchers exploring long-term space habitation.
“I am so proud of these students,” said CACC President Jeff Lynn. “They demonstrated remarkable scientific curiosity as they developed their proposals. The depth of research, creativity, and dedication reflected in their work shows that they can significantly contribute to real-world scientific advancement.”
Two additional proposals received honorable mentions from NCESSE. One project, featuring a potential collaboration with Missouri University of Science and Technology, focused on amino acid crystallization and investigated how biomolecules orient themselves in microgravity. Another, centering on HeLa cell proliferation, aimed to study cancer cell division through a proposed collaboration with Tuskegee University and Russell Medical.
Although not selected for flight, CACC student Kylie Davis, who worked on the HeLa cell project, valued the experience. “Our project encouraged me in something I was legitimately interested in studying,” she shared. “I’m sad we didn’t win, but I was grateful to have interacted with other professionals I might not have normally contacted.”
The selected experiment, along with projects from University of Tennessee, Morgan Community College (Fort Morgan, CO) and Florida Institute of Technology, is scheduled to launch in April 2026 as part of SSEP Mission 20. CACC continues to promote opportunities like this, which allow students to connect classroom learning with meaningful, real-world scientific exploration.
ABOUT SSEP
The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program [or just “SSEP”] is a program of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the U.S. and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education Internationally. It is enabled through a strategic partnership with Nanoracks, LLC, which is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement as part of the utilization of the International Space Station as a National Laboratory.
**Media Contact:
**Scott Hardy
Director of Institutional Advancement, Government Affairs, and Public Relations
Central Alabama Community College
shardy@cacc.edu
256-496-2450