Sacramento's St. Francis High School Launches Student Science Experiment to the International Space Station

Twelve high school students at St. Francis Catholic School in Sacramento are about to become part of something extraordinary. Their school was selected as one of only ten high schools nationwide for the International Space Station Program (ISSP), and it’s the only all-girls school chosen for this honor. Since September, these freshmen and juniors have been designing and building a science experiment that will actually be conducted by astronauts aboard the ISS in 2027. The project tests yeast growth in microgravity conditions compared to controlled Earth environments, with potential applications in biomedical engineering and longevity science.

What makes this opportunity so significant isn’t just the prestige of being selected. It’s the real-world impact. When these students’experiment launches on a SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral in early April 2027, it’s not a simulation or a school demonstration. Actual space scientists will run it. The data will be analyzed and published. And if the experiment succeeds, the results could contribute to genuine research that impacts how we understand human biology and aging. For students like freshman Charlotte Hwang and junior Megan Atkinson, who have spent months engineering and coding every detail, it’s validation that their work matters at the highest level.

This kind of opportunity changes how young people see themselves and their futures. It turns abstract classroom learning into tangible, world-changing work. Sacramento should take pride in St. Francis and these twelve remarkable students who are about to make their mark on space exploration. Are you a parent of a student interested in STEM? Or did you have a transformative educational experience that shaped your career? Share your story in the comments.