Program recommended for students ages 11-18
This Stars & STEM Adventure explores how the extreme challenges of space flight lead to breakthroughs that improve life on our home planet. Participants will investigate how orbital gardening addresses food scarcity, how astronaut health studies advance our understanding of the human heart, and how the shields designed to withstand the fires of re-entry keep our own first responders safe. Through three hands-on engineering and biology challenges, students will discover that while we reach for the stars, the benefits of our journey stay firmly planted on the ground.
Itinerary
- 12:30 p.m. – Check-in begins.
- 1:00 p.m. – Welcome show in the Mission Briefing Center.
- 1:20 p.m. – STEM Activity: Space Sprouts
- Students will learn about the steps taken and plans to expand the production of fruits and vegetables in space. They will discover how this research directly impacted storage and food supply systems throughout the United States. They will then foster the growth of a bell pepper seed that was taken to space by astronauts and contribute data to an official NASA experiment while creating a analog model of the PONDs system used on ISS.
- 2:20 p.m. – STEM Activity: Human Aspects Challenge
- Students will delve into the physiological effects of spaceflight on the human body, drawing upon knowledge of cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, and vestibular systems. This Stars & STEM activity is a highly interactive, hands-on experience where participants explore the effects of space on the human body. During the session, they will learn about how space travel impacts each bodily system. Acting as astronauts, they will then conduct a series of tests that simulate the journey before and after space flight. This includes performing sections of the Functional Task Test, using sensors to measure grip and pinch strength, and utilizing heart rate monitors. Participants will assess their cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular strength, and equilibrium with a variety of tests like those performed on real astronauts.
- 3:20 p.m. – STEM Activity: Heat Shield Engineering Challenge
- Design a Thermal tile to withstand 2500 degrees Fahrenheit in order to protect an “Eggstronaut” (an egg) for 2 minutes by using various conductors and insulators. Content will focus on re-entering Earth’s atmosphere, NASA’s heat shield methods, and the DreamChaser shuttle in development.
- 4:30 PM – Tram Tour to Johnson Space Center
- 5:45 PM – Catered dinner with an astronaut
- 6:30 PM – Group photos with an astronaut
- 6:45 PM – Check-out begins at the Guest Services desk
- 7:30 PM – Program ends
Learn more about Space Center Houston’s Stars & STEM Program.
