Agnirva Space Premier League - Expedition #32282: Crafting Crystals in Orbit: A Copper Chemistry Experiment from Valley Christian

Copper isn’t just a shiny metal—it’s a vital component in electronics, plumbing, and even art. But how does copper behave when it forms crystals in space? Students from Valley Christian High School in Dublin, California, tackled this question with a unique experiment aboard the ISS.

The experiment involved studying how copper crystals grow in a microgravity environment. On Earth, gravity affects how atoms stack up as the crystal forms. In space, the hope is that without gravity pulling on the particles, the crystals would grow more uniformly, with fewer defects.

This kind of research is not just academic. Perfect copper crystals can lead to better conductors, improved microchips, and more efficient manufacturing processes. Plus, learning how materials behave in space is key to future off-world construction and manufacturing.

This hands-on student experiment is a brilliant example of how classroom learning can leap into real-world science—and even orbit.

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