🛰️ Hillsboro Teacher and Students Launch Experiments in Microgravity with Global Collaboration and Aqua Dragons
Hillsboro, VA — Hillsboro Charter Academy (HCA) is thrilled to announce that Mrs. Megan Tucker, Dean of Curriculum and STEAM Specialist, recently conducted student-designed experiments aboard a Zero-G microgravity flight, as part of the prestigious Space for Teachers Embedded Teacher Program.
One of just eight educators selected across the U.S., Mrs. Tucker brought with her two student-led experiments focused on:
- Aqua Dragons (Artemia Salina)
- Paper helicopters engineered by Nigerian students
The project brought together young learners from the U.S., Spain, and Nigeria, pushing the boundaries of student-led science, space education, and international collaboration.
🌍 Aqua Dragons in Microgravity
With support from World Alive (makers of Aqua Dragons) and Goliath Games, Tucker's students at HCA designed an experiment to observe how microgravity affects Aqua Dragons’ behavior.
Classroom-grown Aqua Dragons from tanks across HCA were carefully prepared for flight, with special TSA-approved containers and in-flight oxygenation. Students observed that Aqua Dragons:
- Swim upside down
- Breathe through their feet
- Have 3 eyes and no mouth!
They were curious: would Aqua Dragons behave the same way in space?
"It was surreal to see them swimming vertically in microgravity,” said Tucker. “The water clung to the tank walls, and the Aqua Dragons followed it — sticking to the edges instead of crossing the center. Newton’s Laws were INSANELY real in that moment."
A separate scholar-designed tank was prototyped by Saint Thomas Academy's Fab Lab (Minnesota) and velcroed to the Zero-G plane's floor. Aqua Dragons that flew in microgravity have now returned to HCA, where students will compare their behavior and growth with control groups on Earth.
🎥 A mini-documentary of the mission is now in production, with support from World Alive.
🧪 What’s Next for Students
Post-flight, students will:
- Analyze Aqua Dragon behavior post-flight vs. control tanks
- Hatch flown Aqua Dragon eggs to observe development
- Present findings to peers and the wider science community
- Share videos, reflections, and results via social media and conferences
“This experience sparked something big in our students,” said Tucker.
“Seeing their predictions tested in real microgravity, their excitement to analyze results, and their global collaboration — this is what science education should be. Wonder. Inquiry. Purpose.”
About the Partners
🐉 Aqua Dragons & World Alive
Aqua Dragons are real living aquatic creatures (Artemia Salina) that can remain dormant for years and hatch when placed in water.
World Alive, based in Barcelona, creates educational kits that inspire curiosity in children through real-life biology and discovery.
🔗 https://aquadragons.net/pages/aqua-dragons-in-zero-g
📺 YouTube Channel – Aqua Dragons HQ
🚀 Space for Teachers Program
An initiative offering immersive microgravity experiences for educators, combining real science with classroom learning.
🔗 www.spaceforteachers.org
🏫 Hillsboro Charter Academy
An innovative public school in Virginia with a STEAM-focused curriculum and global approach to science education.
🔗 www.hillsborocharteracademy.org
📸 Stay Tuned
Photos, student interviews, and videos from this incredible adventure will be shared soon via:
- Aqua Dragons social media
- World Alive website
- HCA school channels
Watch the Zero - G Plane Tour
Watch our full Q&A with Amy - Founder of Aqua Dragons and the Students
📬 Media Contact
Megan Tucker
Dean of Curriculum / STEAM Specialist
📧 megan.tucker@hillsborocharter.org
📞 540-751-2560 (school)
📱 850-685-1703 (mobile)
