Stars & STEM Evening
Students in kindergarten through 12th grade can spend an evening at our science and space exploration learning center while participating in engaging STEM activities.
The Stars & STEM evening experience is developed to match each grade level’s standards so students are challenged, inspired and eager to explore STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) concepts when they return to school.
Overview
- Exciting, hands-on activities
- Grade-level appropriate learning
- Catered meal served at Space Center Houston
- Private guided tram tour to NASA Johnson Space Center
- Second-day visit to Space Center Houston
Price
- $59.95 per student
- $59.95 per adult for additional adults
- $15 per T-shirt (optional and only available during the event)
Note: Ages 18 & younger must have chaperone.
Registration questions can be answered by our reservations team at reservations@spacecenter.org or by fax at +1 281-283-4766.
Elementary
Grades K-5 (ages 5-10)
- Lunar Lander – Why is it important to land a spacecraft gently on the surface of another celestial body? Design and build a shock-absorbing landing system to help protect your astronauts.
- Programming Paths – When robots help us to explore a new area, they need the correct commands to do it safely. Learn to solve programming challenges as you code your own robot to explore.
- Pinhole Planetarium – Satellites and spacecraft help us to explore our solar system and learn more about the stars. Design and build your own circuits as you learn about light emitting diodes (LED), conductors and electricity.
Stars & STEM Agenda
Day 1 (Dinner included)- 4:45 p.m. – Check-in Special Events Building
- 5:15 p.m. – Dismiss to The Food Lab for dinner
- 5:55 p.m. – Dismiss to activity zones
- 6 p.m. – Welcome Show in activity area
- 6:15 p.m. – Activity 1
- 7:15 p.m. – Break
- 7:20 p.m. - Activity 2
- 8:20 p.m. – Break
- 8:25 p.m. – Activity 3
- 9:25 p.m. – Activities end rocket launch briefing
- 9:30 p.m. – Rocket launch in parking lot
- 9:45 p.m. - Dismiss
- 8:30 a.m. – Arrival
- 8:45 a.m. – Tram briefing in The Food Lab or TBA
- 9 a.m. – Board NASA Tram Tour and depart
- 10 a.m. – Return to the center, free time
Middle School
Grades 6-8 (ages 11-13)
- Lunar Launch – Explore Newton’s laws while learning about the parts of a rocket and the science needed for safe and successful flight. Work on your rocket stability and trajectory as you re-design and re-test for the best possible model.
- Lunar Robotic Challenge – Traverse the lunar landscape with your robot to transport valuable materials. Solve problems as you figure out a way to build a transporter to move raw materials to sites that can manufacture goods, which the astronauts can use to survive on the Moon.
- Engineering for Exploration – Using the resources and raw materials provided, participants will be guided through the engineering design process as they construct a rover to traverse the lunar surface. Learn about potential and kinetic energy transfer to give your rover a boost in this challenging environment.
Stars & STEM Agenda
Day 1 (Dinner included)- 4:45 p.m. – Check-in Special Events Building
- 5:15 p.m. – Dismiss to The Food Lab for dinner
- 5:55 p.m. – Dismiss to activity zones
- 6 p.m. – Welcome Show in activity area
- 6:15 p.m. – Activity 1
- 7:15 p.m. – Break
- 7:20 p.m. - Activity 2
- 8:20 p.m. – Break
- 8:25 p.m. – Activity 3
- 9:25 p.m. – Activities end rocket launch briefing
- 9:30 p.m. – Rocket launch in parking lot
- 9:45 p.m. - Dismiss
- 8:30 a.m. – Arrival
- 8:45 a.m. – Tram briefing in The Food Lab or TBA
- 9 a.m. – Board NASA Tram Tour and depart
- 10 a.m. – Return to the center, free time
High School
Grades 9-12 (ages 14-18)
- 3, 2, 1 - Ignition! – Learn about Newton’s laws of motion while learning to construct your own Space Center Houston model rocket. Build an altitude tracker along with your rocket while you learn about the current rockets that NASA is working on to take us back to the Moon and beyond!
- Robotic Ingress Coding Challenge – Put your coding skills to the test as you program a rover to traverse across the Martian surface. Exploration has numerous challenges so participants will have to think of strategic solutions to carefully code their rover to complete the mission.
- On Target Landing Activity – NASA is preparing to land supply payloads and humans back on the moon! Learn about engineering design, accuracy and precision as students must design their spacecraft to land the payload on target for the mission to be a success.
Stars & STEM Agenda
Day 1 (Dinner included)- 4:45 p.m. – Check-in Special Events Building
- 5:15 p.m. – Dismiss to The Food Lab for dinner
- 5:55 p.m. – Dismiss to activity zones
- 6 p.m. – Welcome Show in activity area
- 6:15 p.m. – Activity 1
- 7:15 p.m. – Break
- 7:20 p.m. - Activity 2
- 8:20 p.m. – Break
- 8:25 p.m. – Activity 3
- 9:25 p.m. – Activities end rocket launch briefing
- 9:30 p.m. – Rocket launch in parking lot
- 9:45 p.m. - Dismiss
- 8:30 a.m. – Arrival
- 8:45 a.m. – Tram briefing in The Food Lab or TBA
- 9 a.m. – Board NASA Tram Tour and depart
- 10 a.m. – Return to the center, free time
Note: The agenda is subject to change without notice. NASA Tram Tour length and the locations visited vary depending on the season.
Stars & STEM Guide
All chaperones are required to review the Stars & STEM guide, which includes program policies and procedures.
Stars & STEM activities
Select from engaging activities that interest your group and meet your standards or curriculum. Please choose three of five activities from the options below when completing the registration form.
Family Night
All ages
Stars & STEM Family Night is a new program where families can spend an evening at Space Center Houston working together to complete hands-on STEM activities.
- Robotics - Learn to code and program a robot through the lunar terrain. Design a rover and construct a payload transport system to carry supplies. Drive a rover with a robotic arm to gather raw materials.
- Rockets - Build a rocket and test the capability of flight. Measure the distance and angle of launch. Try to land your rocket.
- History - Test your knowledge of spaceflight history in our Starship Gallery. Search for the answers to unlock the clues inside the Lunar Vault. Experience an escape-room style activity inside the historic NASA 905 shuttle carrier aircraft. Solve the puzzle to escape the plane.
- Astronaut training - Conduct actual tests astronauts complete after returning to Earth from a mission.
- Solve a mystery - Solve puzzles to find out what happened to the first lunar colony. Use the clues to help save the first crew to colonize the Moon.
Grades 3-5 (ages 8-10)
- The Eagle Has Landed! – Design and build a capsule to protect your eggstronaut for landing. Understanding forces and motion are mission critical to ensure a safe return back to Earth.
- Rocking and Roving - Robots can be the first to explore a new area to ensure it is safe for human exploration. Plan your robot’s path to explore new terrain and correctly program it for a safe journey. Teamwork is key to work out solutions for your robotics rover.
- Countdown to Launch! – Test various rocket designs to observe the changes in flight and determine which model works best. Learn about the various parts of a rocket and Newton’s laws to learn the science behind the flight tests.
- Astronaut Training – Participate in activities related to astronaut skills required to stay healthy on Earth and in space. Focus on your reaction times and dexterity with item assembly, collaboration, communication and teamwork.
- Satellite Circuits – Making sure astronauts have power in space is extremely important. Engineers-in-training will learn about series and parallel circuits as their mission is to ensure their lander has power to land on the Moon.
Available dates
2020
- Jan. 8
- Feb. 19, 27
- March 5, 20, 26
- April 2, 8, 24, 30
- May 1, 7, 13, 28, 29
- June 10, 18
- July 1, 16, 22
- Aug. 6
- Sept. 3, 9, 23, 24, 25
- Oct. 1, 7, 21, 29
- Nov. 5, 11
Itinerary
First Day Evening
- 4:30 p.m. - Check-in at Space Center Houston
- 5 p.m. - Large-screen film in Space Center Theater
- 5:30 p.m. - Dinner served in Zero-G Diner
- 6:15 p.m. - Activity one
- 7:05 p.m. - Activity two
- 7:55 p.m. - Activity three
- 8:40 p.m.- Dismissal
Second Day Morning
- 8:45 a.m. - Return to Space Center Houston
- 9 a.m. - Private guided tram tour of NASA Johnson Space Center
- 10:30 a.m. - Return to explore Space Center Houston
Please note: The above schedule is subject to change without notice. Length of tram tour and the locations visited vary depending on the season.