WESTBROOK – Westbrook High School biology students will soon have the chance to participate in a sophisticated weather and astrobiology experiment project, thanks to a grant from NASA.

The agency has granted a $400,000 award for the high-altitude balloon experiment project to the Maine Space Grant Consortium, which is a collection of small businesses, educational institutions and nonprofit research organizations in the state. The consortium helped develop the project along with a number of partner companies and organizations both in Maine and nationwide.

Westbrook High School, along with Mount Blue and Winthrop high schools, have been selected to participate in the project, which is geared toward promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers to high school students.

“It really engages the students in science and engineering, using the space program on a small budget,” said the consortium’s executive director, Terry Shehata.

Shehata said the consortium approached the schools to invite their participation. The consortium selected the schools for a number of reasons, but Shehata said one of the major factors was the notable lack of interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers in the selected schools’ most recent batch of SAT scores.

Amy Troiano, a biology teacher at the high school who will be participating in the project, said she hoped to encourage her students to talk more about science and technology careers.

“I don’t hear kids talking about wanting to grow up and go into science fields,” she said.

Shehata said participating students will conduct experiments with high-altitude balloons, which will carry payloads to heights between 60,000 and 90,000 feet. The payloads can consist of anything from sensors measuring atmospheric conditions or ultraviolet light to containers carrying bacteria samples, Shehata said.

Participants will track the balloons until they reach their maximum height, where they will burst, then allow the payload to parachute back down, Shehata said. The balloons shouldn’t land more than 30 miles from the launch site, and students and their teachers will be able to retrieve them with the help of project coordinators provided by the consortium, Shehata said.

Troiano said she is excited about beginning the project in September.

“It’s such a hands-on project,” she said. “How could you not get excited?”