Student artists in the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) four-county service area will have the opportunity for their work to fly to the International Space Station (ISS). Through a partnership with the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, MCC is participating in the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 21 to send microgravity experiments to space through ISS commercial services provider Rhodium Scientific.
In addition to the winning experiment selected, the winning patch design could also fly aboard a Space X rocket to the ISS in summer 2026, making the project a national STEAM learning initiative. The Mission Patch Design Competition is open to current MCC students, dual enrollment students and any K-12 student living in Douglas, Dodge, Sarpy and Washington counties. Patch designs must be accompanied by a completed submission form and received on or before Feb. 1, 2026. Email LaunchToLearn@mccneb.edu for more information and to inquire about participating. To participate, students must be enrolled in MCC or a K–12 school located in Douglas, Dodge, Sarpy, or Washington counties. Artwork may be created physically or digitally; however, all entries must be printed on standard paper (not cardstock or cardboard) and must fit within a 3.5-by-3.5-inch space. Digital submissions must be formatted to 3.5 by 3.5 inches at 300 dpi to ensure proper print quality, as lower resolution files cannot be accepted. Designs are encouraged to showcase community pride and highlight MCC’s involvement in SSEP Mission 21.
Contact LaunchToLearn@mccneb.edu for more details