Fayetteville, N.C. — From experiments headed to space to students sharing research on a national stage, Cumberland County Schools (CCS) is celebrating three big updates from STARward STEM.
2025 winning experiments scheduled for launch
Experiments from the 2025 STARward STEM Design Challenge winners are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on Oct. 13, 2026:
Mary McArthur Elementary School: Dynamic Duo and Cosmic Calm
Douglas Byrd High School: Oxidation: Above & Beyond
Following more than a year of preparation, safety reviews and collaboration with program partners, students will have the extraordinary opportunity to contribute to research aboard the space station.
2026 winners to present at Kennedy Space Center
The 2026 winning teams will travel to Florida Oct. 14–17 to present at the DreamUp to Space × STARward STEM Space Conference on Oct. 15 at the Astronaut Memorial Foundation’s Center for Space Education at Kennedy Space Center:
Warrenwood Elementary School: Microgravity Muscle Makers: Theraputty in Space
Vanstory Hills Elementary School: Sweet DreamZ Team
Douglas Byrd High School: The GOATS: Dust in Microgravity: A Static Solution to Space Dust
Students tested their experiments in simulated microgravity with North Carolina State University engineers and researchers. They will share findings alongside teams from California and visit the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Oct. 16.
Watch remotely: Celebrate our students during the Oct. 15 conference.
2027 design challenge underway
The 2027 STARward STEM Design Challenge launched this fall, inviting students to explore challenges in human space exploration and develop original experiments. Winners will be announced at the STARward STEM Expo on April 8, 2027.
The 2025 and 2026 winning teams will also have opportunities to present at NC State's North Carolina Space Symposium in April.
Through hands-on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and partnerships, STARward STEM helps students turn curiosity into discovery.