Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32232: Sweet Science: Investigating Vitamin D in Space Candy

For Expedition 70, middle school students are taking candy to a whole new level—space. Led by Jean Pelezo and supported by Nanoracks and Cumberland County Schools, the “Space Candy Rocks with Vitamin D” project fuses fun with science to explore nutrient stability in microgravity.

Vitamin D is crucial for bone health, especially in space where astronauts experience bone density loss. This experiment investigates how vitamin D behaves in a candy matrix during a space mission. Could sweet treats help deliver essential nutrients in space?

The student-led team prepared candy samples fortified with vitamin D and monitored their condition post-flight. They examined whether exposure to space radiation and microgravity affects the candy’s appearance, composition, or nutritional value.

This fun, educational project inspires curiosity while addressing a real challenge: how to maintain astronaut health on long-duration missions. It also encourages young learners to think critically about space nutrition and the science behind food preservation in space.

From classrooms to the cosmos, this candy experiment proves that even small ideas can have a big scientific impact.

Get certified with over 100 hours of immersive, self-paced learning in cosmology, space technology, and climate science through the Agnirva Space Internship Program. Join, complete virtual projects, and earn a digital certificate to showcase your space fluency in interviews, resumes, and beyond.