About Space Camp

 

About Space Camp

https://www.spacecamp.comSpace Camp is a one-of-a-kind experience at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Official Visitor Center for NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. Each year, trainees of all ages travel from across the United States and 150 countries to participate in their programs. Trainees learn space and flight history, work together as teams, experience simulators, complete simulated space missions, and learn what it really means to be an astronaut.

The camp's location allows them to share Huntsville’s rich history and starring role in the Space Race and space exploration with trainees. Home to Dr. Wernher von Braun and the German rocket team that built the Saturn V moon rocket, Huntsville played a prominent role in putting man on the moon. The area has become a technologically advanced city known for space science, missile defense and biotechnology research. There’s no better place to learn about space than “The Rocket City.”

 

 

At Space Camp, trainees explore the amazing artifacts housed at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. Experience firsthand the National Historic Landmark Saturn V rocket, the Smithsonian Institution’s largest artifact; the Apollo 12 moon rock; mobile quarantine facility and Pathfinder Space Shuttle!

The curriculum teaches STEM principles, leadership and teamwork, while encouraging fun and creativity. Program instruction is aligned to national science and math standards and framed with an exciting, immersive experience amidst a backdrop of mankind’s greatest technological achievements in space hardware.

Space Camp has inspired and nurtured the dreams of trainees, leading many to pursue careers in STEM fields. 96% of Space Camp graduates say their Camp experience increased their interest in STEM topics, while 61% of graduates are currently in or studying careers in aerospace, defense, energy, education, biotech or technology. Ten Space Camp graduates have been selected as astronauts.

 

 

International Space Camp

International Space Camp® (ISC) brings together educators and students from all over the world to build relationships and challenge themselves as learners and teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This educational program is hosted at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC), which is the Visitor Center for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.

International educators participate in a comprehensive professional development program that uses the format of astronaut training to convey new ways of teaching space-related subjects such as rocketry, propulsion, astronomy, astrophysics and microgravity to the world’s future workforce. International students, ages 15-18, are challenged both academically and physically through virtual space missions and, if they wish, by experiencing microgravity in a SCUBA mission in the Underwater Astronaut Trainer.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center has hosted this week of global bridge building for more than 25 years.  Countries attending in recent years include Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. Annually, 25% of all students attending Space Camp programs are from international locations.

 

 

Space Academy for Educators

Space Academy for Educators (SAE) is the most exciting professional development on the planet. SAE brings together the excitement of simulated space missions with the real-world applications and lesson plans teachers need to inspire their students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

Educators spend five days at Space Camp networking with fellow teachers and participating in NASA-infused, hands-on activities. While at SAE, educators also discover resources for building their own activities, tap into a network of  committed colleagues eager to share ideas and best practices and learn in a fun, immersive environment where “failure is not an option.”

Activities

  • Work with NASA-inspired lesson plans
  • Scale lesson plans to fit a variety of grade levels
  • Adapt hands-on activities correlated to national standards
  • Train like an astronaut
  • Meet an astronaut
  • Build and launch rockets
  • Develop camaraderie and communication skills on the Area 51 Challenge Course