Iroquois students in grades 5-8 have been given the chance to have an experiment that they design performed in the International Space Station.

One student, or group of students, will design an experiment and have it sent to be performed by astronauts in space.

The opportunity comes thanks to the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program Mission 17, and students will have to compete with others at their school for their experiment to be chosen, like a real science grant.

Iroquois School District is one of 39 communities that will be participating in the program, and previously took part in Mission 7, where students won with their experiment on sea star's ability to regrow legs in space compared to on earth. The group of students then presented their results in Washington D.C. for the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education.

"It's going to incorporate the math behind it, the science, and also technical writing," said Erica Luke, a 5th Grade Teacher at Iroquois Elementary, who focuses on math and science."

"And then a proposal will be chosen. Just like real grant proposals," continued Luke. "They only pick one to be funded, and they will actually get the real life experience of sending it to space and then getting the results back. Then get to analyze what has happened."

The rocket with the student experiments is set to take off in Spring of next year, and those who's experiment is selected will even have the chance to watch the rocket take off.