Students for the Exploration and Development of Space
604-B South Loop Road
Huntsville, Alabama 35805-2576
(205) 722-9106

As you likely have heard, Students at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) are flying a payload on the Space Shuttle flight, STS-68 which launched September 30. Members of the UAH chapter of Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) designed and built the payload. The flight represents the culmination of seven years of effort by SEDS members.

One experiment is ConCIM, Concrete Curability In Microgravity. It is the first experiment to study the effects of microgravity on characteristics of concrete. Data will lead to further improvement of earth concrete and has applications for Moon and Mars missions. Lyle Jalbert and Steve Mustaikis performed most of the work on ConCIM. Master Builders Technologies of Cleveland, Ohio is sponsoring the experiment.

Before the launch, students and family were discussing the publicity received for ConCIM, and the idea that concrete mixing is one of the most reasonable experiments to be performed in space when compared to some other experiments for which the benefits are not as obvious. Nancy Mustaikis, mother of Steve Mutaikis, suggested an editorial cartoon of the Shuttle with a cement mixer back.

Here is the editorial cartoon drawn by Michael Napier, a SEDS member. It is freely reproducable, and if you would perfer, it may be redrawn.