Columbus students' experiment to study heat flow rate in space

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Future space travelers might have four Columbus high school students to thank for living quarters that aren&#39;t too hot or cold. <br> <br> NASA has selected an experiment developed by four Carver High School students for further study in space, designed to predict the rate of heat flow in microgravity to control the temperature of space modules. <br> <br> The experiment, to be included on a space shuttle mission within the next year, is one of four student entries the space agency selected. <br> <br> &#34;It&#39;s just incredible that kids in high school could do this kind of thing,&#34; said Jim Voss, a NASA astronaut and Auburn University graduate who made the surprise announcement. <br> <br> &#34;I had to check my jaw for bruises,&#34; said Andre Wolf, a senior who worked on the experiment. &#34;I thought it hit the floor.&#34; <br> <br> Voss, 52, attended Opelika High School and was scheduled to speak Tuesday to the 200 students in Carver&#39;s Integrated Math and Science Technology magnet program. He has been an astronaut for 18 years, with his most recent mission a five-month stint last year on the International Space Station. <br> <br> Senior Jake Kirkwood and sophomores Ashley Brantley and Candace Phillips also worked on the experiment, which finished in NASA&#39;s top 10 last year. <br> <br> The four Carver students are among 10 interns working under physics teacher Luther Richardson at Columbus State University&#39;s Coca-Cola Space Science Center. <br> <br> &#34;You can&#39;t build something like this if you don&#39;t apply what you learned,&#34; said Brantley, 16. <br> <br> Their experiment is based on the fact that, while heat rises on earth, it dissipates in a sphere in the microgravity of space. <br> <br> The lack of a specific direction makes it more difficult to predict the heat dissipation rate, which complicates efforts to control temperature. <br> <br> Because each pound costs about $10,000 to send into orbit, NASA always tries to limit load weights, which include heating and cooling units. The units that heat and cool the space shuttle and the space station, for example, have temperature ranges of 20 to 30 degrees. <br> <br> The Carver students&#39; experiment hopes to reduce that range to 5 to 10 degrees by more accurately predicting how much energy is needed to maintain a comfortable temperature. <br> <br>