Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #31592: Rust in Space: High School Scientists Explore Iron Corrosion on the ISS

When students at Los Gatos High School decided to study how iron corrodes in microgravity, they stepped into a world few students ever see—one 250 miles above Earth’s surface. Guided by Cathy Messenger and supported by the Lowell Center for Space Science and Technology, this NanoRacks experiment flew aboard Expeditions 33/34 and 35/36.

Corrosion affects everything from spacecraft hulls to surgical tools, and learning how it behaves in space helps design better materials. The students compared the corrosion of pure iron in microgravity versus on Earth, aiming to understand how gravity influences oxidation and material degradation.

The experiment had a profound impact—not just scientifically but educationally. It showed that even high school students can ask bold questions and find answers with global implications. These young researchers gained firsthand experience in designing, executing, and analyzing a professional-grade space experiment.

By launching their science beyond Earth, they demonstrated that curiosity has no age limit and that the classroom can truly reach the stars.

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