Students from Odesa selected for Elon Musk’s space project

Students of the Richelieu Lyceum will conduct research on the creation of blood salt crystals that are used in jet engines, both in terrestrial conditions and in weightlessness, through participation in the orbital project of Elon Musk.

This was announced by the project manager, lyceum physics teacher Anastasia Maslechko on Live Studio.

"The proposal of lyceum students Mykyta Skrypnyk and Andrii Hryb to conduct research on the growth of blood salt crystals (in space – ed.) was supported by the Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, later interested American scientists and was selected to participate in the 16th mission of Elon Musk's space projects," the teacher of physics of lyceum noted.

According to Maslechko, after that, they were given a chance to take part in the project, to seal the mini-laboratory for the delivery with the Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station where research will be carried out in two weeks.

The study, which will determine whether weightlessness affects the formation of blood salt crystals, their size, and shape in weightlessness, will take place in both terrestrial and space conditions; the station will carry it out in 2022 by American astronauts under the control of the students due to direct communication with Odesa.

At the end of the study, the results of the effect of weightlessness on the formation of blood salt crystals used in jet engines and glucometers for diabetics are compared.

The physics teacher of the Richelieu Lyceum added that this year's winners of the competition of the Minor Academy of Sciences and participants of the international project were also students of the Kharkiv Physical and Chemical Lyceum №47.