Zero gravity, a simulated mission to the International Space Station and new friendships are in store for four Suffolk middle school students and two teachers attending Space Camp this summer.

Attending the camp in Huntsville, Ala., from John Yeates Middle School will be seventh-graders Ja-Nya Dyson, Brian Petrelli and Anica Stark, while eighth-grade science teacher Kristina Poole and gifted resource teacher Pamela Stark — who happens to be Anica’s mom — will also attend.

Joining in the voyage of discovery from Forest Glen Middle School will be Natalie Williford.

“There was an email sent out to all teachers that were eligible,” Poole said of how the opportunity came about. The students had to write a paragraph explaining why they wanted to go.

The teachers will not only attend as chaperones — they hope to return from the experience with new lessons, new teaching ideas for the classroom and renewed enthusiasm for science, technology, engineering and math instruction.

“Our inspiration is to go and bring back what we learn,” Stark said.

It’s a rare opportunity, the teacher added, giving thanks to Northrop Grumman, which is sponsoring the students and teachers.

“They are really giving us this gift for Suffolk Public Schools,” Stark added.

Poole said she’s looking forward to experiencing zero gravity, something fellow John Yeates teacher Tim Kubinak and former Mack Benn Jr. Elementary School teacher Elizabeth Petry previously had the opportunity to experience.

In fact, pretty much every member of the mission to Alabama to explore new frontiers is excited by the fact they will be able shrug off Earth’s gravitational pull for a few seconds and experience weightlessness.

“Zero gravity — that will be fun,” Brian said.

Anica said she’s looking forward to learning more about her favorite subject. “It’s just always interested me that there’s so much more than what we know,” she added.

Ja-Naya said she wants to be a spaceship engineer when she grows up. “I want to learn how they work and what makes them fly,” she said.

Though the students and teachers will space walk into some far-flung areas of human knowledge, they have connections to others who have journeyed there and returned — enlightened.

Poole said her best friend went to Space Camp when she was in junior high. “I didn’t get a chance to go,” she said. “But now I do.”

Brian said his uncle went when he was a kid.

Renowned rocket scientist Wernher von Braun had the original idea for Space Camp, which says it has hosted more than 600,000 students and adults since beginning in June 1982.

“We strive to inspire and excite student interest in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines — this is particularly important for middle school students,” stated Sandra Evers-Manly, president of the Northrop Grumman Foundation.

“We are thrilled to be able to provide these students and their teachers the opportunity to attend the Space Camp program to experience firsthand the importance of science and math principles when it comes to space exploration.”