Orion's Quest (OQ) is an internet-based, education program for upper elementary, middle and high school students. OQ employs current NASA research to reach and inspire “the next generation of explorers.”

OQ's Mission: To Challenge Students

To challenge students to excel in math and science through their active participation in space-based research.

OQ's Vision: A world that values science.

OQ places students in the role of research assistant in their classrooms supporting authentic research being conducted on the International Space Station.

Designed By Teachers

Our program has been designed by teachers who understand student needs, curriculum requirements, and the many demands placed on teachers today.

The Missions

Orion’s Quest (OQ) “Missions” are based on authentic, world-class research that has been or is currently being conducted on the International Space Station (ISS). The OQ programs consist of hands-on missions designed to stimulate student interest in the STEM disciplines. The curriculum template covers each experiment, or “mission,” from pre-flight preparation to post-flight activities, including student and program evaluation.

In The Classroom

OQ’s programs are designed to be flexible, exploiting the Internet in support of existing classroom curricula. Classrooms are provided with images of the research downlinked from orbit, as well as images transferred from the laboratory.  Our program can be offered as supplemental modules incorporated into the regular science classroom curriculum, used as a club/after school activity, or assigned as an independent study assignment.

World-Class Scientists

Orion's Quest helps bring together today’s youth with scientists from world-leading aerospace organizations.  Throughout the “mission” students and teachers are encouraged to submit questions for NASA scientists, engineers, and technicians via the OQ staff.

Orion’s Quest was founded in 2004 following founder and current Executive Director Peter Lawrie’s service as an educational consultant to NASA when the Space Shuttle Columbia carried the Ladybugs in Space experiment into orbit on July 23, 1999.

The mission was a project within NASA’s Educational Program that allowed students to observe science experiments being conducted in space and to replicate the experiment in their classroom as controls. Lawrie saw a unique opportunity to put NASA directly into classrooms across the nation.

We launched our first program in the 2004-05 academic year, involving 16 middle and high schools and approximately 1000 students, located in five major geographic hubs across the USA.

Since inception, our program has empowered over 24,000 students to participate in research experiments being conducted by NASA or a NASA supported scientist. To date we have averaged 25 participating teachers and 70 students per teacher per year.  In 2016 our count of 41 teachers equated to almost 3000 students in the program.

Our goal for the 2017-18 school year is to serve 50 teachers each semester equating to approximately 7,300 students.

CµRE

In this experiment, Principal Investigator (PI) Dr. Shou-Ching Jaminet studies the effects of a novel cancer drug delivery system on healthy cells using microgravity to model an in-vivo experiment.  Through an antibody-drug conjugate, Dr. Jaminet can deliver a cancer drug to diminish tumor growth by targeting the blood vessels that feed tumors.  Dr. Jaminet hopes to show that the drug is safe to non-cancerous cells so that the drug may go to clinical trials.

In collaboration with Dr. Jaminet, Orion’s Quest (OQ) is offering teachers the opportunity to get their students directly involved in this exciting new research by joining the CµRE (Cancer Microgravity Research Experiment) mission. Participating teachers will be provided with curriculum materials to help a student understand Dr. Jaminet’s experiment.  In addition, students will gain access to actual images from both the space-based and ground-based experiments and will be guided through their analysis.  Student data will be forwarded to Dr. Jaminet for possible inclusion in her database.

*Recommended for high school students

Stem Cell Studies On Station

This new mission is based on the stem cell research of Dr. Abba Zubair.  The investigation studies whether stem cells will grow faster in microgravity and be of sufficient quality for use in the treatment of a variety of medical conditions here on Earth.

Students engage in authentic International Space Station National Laboratory sponsored stem cell research as they follow the work of Dr. Zubair from pre-launch through recovery and analysis.

You can view more of OQ's missions here. 

Students Enroll Here

Teachers Enroll Here

There is no fee for participation in the Orion’s Quest (OQ) Program. Curriculum development, classroom material and classroom visits are provided without cost. As former classroom teachers and building administrators, the OQ staff clearly understands the financial position and stresses of schools and school districts throughout the nation.

The experience and opportunities offered by Orion’s Quest are so unique we want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to be a part of the U.S. Space Program, without consideration of a financial requirement.