IN-PERSON PROGRAMS

CHALLENGER LEARNING CENTER

Challenger Learning Center missions are hands-on STEM experiences! These simulated space-themed missions take place in a fully-immersive Briefing Room, Space Station, and Mission Control led by trained Flight Directors.

Surrounded by technology, each student plays a unique role in the mission as the team completes assignments, manipulates hands-on labs, and copes with simulated emergencies. Teamwork is crucial! If one member fails to complete a job, the entire mission can be put at risk. This differentiated approach allows for a truly personalized learning experience where students apply critical, scientific knowledge to real-world scenarios.

Challenger Learning Centers fly students on a variety of space-related missions. Aligned with National Education Standards and informed by real science data, Center missions excite students about STEM, introduce students to careers in these fields, and help students build important 21st Century Skills like critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.

MISSIONS
NOTE: Older students and adults are welcome to fly CLC missions in our new simulator!

Expedition Mars
Grades 5-9+
Average runtime: 2 hours
Number served per mission: 14-36 students
The year is 2076. A handful of facilities have been established on Mars: a greenhouse, a mobile geological survey base, and a centralized research habitat. The primary human habitat is not on Mars, but on one of its moons, Phobos. A Spacecraft regularly ferries astronauts and scientists between the base on Phobos and the surface of Mars. The Spacecraft also carries parts to build a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to continue the search for evidence of life and water. However, when crew members discover an imminent threat to their Spacecraft and the Martian surface facilities, they must act quickly to save their stations, their research, and their lives.

Brochure | Educational Standards | Stations

Lunar Quest
Grades 7-9+
Average runtime: 1.5 hours

Number served per mission: 18-34 students
NASA recently launched a rover (ROV) to the Moon to explore new areas and collect critical scientific data. However, the ROV lost power before any of the findings were sent back to Earth. A faster and more reliable process to gather this type of information is needed. The result is a new directive from NASA — human astronauts will return to the Moon! A team of astronauts must board a Spacecraft and launch to the Moon in search of a long-term habitat on the Moon. A team of scientists and engineers are stationed in Mission Control on Earth to command and assist the astronauts. Once the Spacecraft crew successfully lands on the Moon, they must deploy a Lunar Exploration ROV to identify a suitable location for a sustainable long-term human habitat. However, when the crew receives troubling readings from below the Moon’s surface, the two teams must work together and make critical decisions to turn a potential catastrophe into NASA’s finest hour!

Brochure | Educational Standards | Stations

Earth Odyssey Logo

COMING SOON!
Earth Odyssey

A recent coronal mass ejection has destroyed a vital space satellite responsible for gathering key Earth science information. Working together, the team at Mission Control and another aboard the Space Station, must build a new micro satellite to replace the one lost. However, traveling into orbit during this time of increased solar activity poses risks of its own.

screenshot from a planetarium show of a nebula
screenshot from a planetarium show of a whirl galaxy

PLANETARIUM
Pre-K and up
Average runtime: 1.5-2 hours
Number served per program: 10-60 students

The new FSU Planetarium features a pair of ultra-high contrast laser phosphor projectors, resulting in dramatically increased picture quality for both night sky scenes and fulldome films! Each show's sound effects and music are driven by a brand new 5.1 digital surround sound system that has been custom designed and professionally engineered for our dome. New content offerings include the classic night sky tour paired with a film, as well as opportunities for students to directly interact with content on the dome and become participants in the show itself.

FULLDOME FEATURE FILMS

Big Astronomy. People, places, discoveries. three angles of telescope observatories.

Big Astronomy
*Film available in Spanish

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Fly Me to the Moon
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We Are Guardians
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