Students at Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) will present their research proposals for orbital testing on Wednesday, November 18, 2026.
The showcase highlights experiment designs prepared for Mission 22 of the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP), according to a release from SWOCC.
The event begins at 6:00 pm and serves as a public demonstration of STEM-focused research developed by the college’s STEAM students. These proposals represent a range of scientific concentrations, emphasizing how different disciplines within the sciences can collaborate on single mission objectives.
For residents in Coos County, the presentation will be held in person at the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, located at 1988 Newmark Ave. in Coos Bay. Curry County residents can attend a coordinated watch party in the Community Room on the Curry Campus at 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway in Brookings.
The college is also providing digital access for those unable to attend the physical locations. The lecture will be streamed live via the college’s official YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
The SSEP functions as a specialized educational initiative managed by the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE) in the United States and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally. It represents the first pre-college STEM education program to operate as both a national U.S. initiative and a commercial space endeavor conducted on-orbit.
This mission relies on a strategic partnership with Rhodium Scientific, which serves as the first American space biotech and ISS Commercial Service Provider. Through a CASIS Agreement, the program utilizes facilities aboard the International Space Station (ISS) to conduct these student-led experiments.
Moving student hypotheses from classrooms to the microgravity environment of the ISS changes how community colleges engage with high-level aerospace research. By utilizing commercial space services, the program bypasses many of the traditional barriers to entry for non-university institutions seeking to participate in space science.
Interested parties seeking specific details regarding the lecture series can contact Dr. Aaron Coyner, Associate Professor of Physics and Engineering, at [email protected] or 541-888-7244. For information regarding upcoming lectures, the college directs inquiries to Krystal Hopper Meyers, the STEAM Pathways Administrator, at 541-888-1518 or [email protected].
Prospective students interested in exploring the broader scope of STEM degrees offered at the institution can find more information at https://www.socc.edu/programs-classes/stem/.
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