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Kiera Wilmot is going to Space Camp: Does this make up for her arrest over an exploding science project?

Kiera Wilmot is going to Space Camp: Does this make up for her arrest over an exploding science project?

Remember Kiera Wimot, the 16-year-old Florida honour student who was recently arrested and expelled because of a zero tolerance policy for an exploding science project at her school?

Well, turns out she may see a happy ending after all.

In addition to her criminal charges being dropped when the scientific community petitioned on her behalf, she has now received a full scholarship to attend Space Camp courtesy of 18-year NASA veteran Homer Hickam, reports ABC.

Also see: Florida teen arrested and expelled after science project explodes

"I'm really excited about going," says Kiera, who will be starting the program in July. "Especially the zero gravity tank, I've always wanted to do that."

"You're not just sitting in a classroom hearing about it, you're on the floor, in spacecraft simulators, experiencing zero gravity," Hickam says. "They run through real space missions, like voyages to the moon or Mars, where they are given problems they must solve."

Hickman, a former lead astronaut for Spacelab and the International Space Station, was so moved by Wimot's story that he raised enough money for Kiera and her twin sister Kayla to attend camp together.

Also see: Police drop charges against Kiera Wilmot

In the late '50s, Hickam had an experience very similar to Wimot's, after allegedly starting a forest fire, where state police came to his high school and led him and his friends away in handcuffs. He was later cleared of wrongdoing by his teachers and principal.

As for Wimot, she is finishing the remainder of the school year at an alternate school, but was first suspended for 10 days. School officials are still debating whether her expulsion for next year will be overturned.

What are your thoughts on Wimot's arrest and expulsion? Did authorities go too far? Does Space Camp make up for it?