Upcoming Programs & Events at Challenger Space Center:

 
NEW! NanoDays 2013: Celebrate NanoDays 2013 at Challenger Space Center Arizona! NanoDays is part of a nationwide festival of educational programs about nanoscale science and engineering. Nanoscience is the study of things on an ultra-small scale. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. A variety of hands-on nano activities will be included with general admission on the weekends of March 30-31and April 6-7.

 

NEW! LEGO® Camps with Play-Well TEKnologies: Power-up your engineering skills with Play-Well TEKnologies and over 100,000 pieces of LEGO®! Explore the endless creative possibilities of the LEGO® building system with the guidance of an experienced Play-Well instructor. Weekly sessions on May 28-31 and July 29-August 2, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. daily. Details and registration at www.play-well.org.

 

NEW! Adventures in Space Summer Camp 2013: Registration is now open for Challenger Space Center's popular summer camps for students entering grades K-8. Take advantage of the 10% early-bird registration discount through the end of March. This year's summer camp theme is "Dawn of a New Era.” Campers will learn about destinations throughout our solar system and discover what it takes to meet the challenges of space travel in the 21st century. MORE

 

NEW! Spring Break "Matinee" Space Missions: Join us for a two-hour simulated space mission at the special Spring Break price of just $19.50 per person! Dates and times: March 15, 21, or 26 at 1:30 p.m. for "Voyage to Mars"; March 14, 19, or 29 at 1:30 p.m. for "Rendezvous with a Comet." Prepaid reservations are required for all missions by calling 623-322-2001. Simulated space missions are not suitable for 2nd grade and under; students in 3rd and 4th grade must be partnered with a ticketed adult. MORE

 

They Came From Outer Space - The Exhibition
This amazing exhibit is available to visitors with paid general admission. It features the adventures of meteorite explorer Geoff Notkin, star of television's Meteorite Men. On display are never-before seen items and equipment used on the show, artifacts, and actual meteorites found while on location.  They Came From Outer Space Official Web Site

Visitors who take the guided tour at the Center will get to hold a real meteorite.


Grandparents' Day: The second Saturday of each month is Grandparents’ Day at Challenger Space Center. The general admission fee is half-price for grandparents escorting a grandchild and there will be complimentary coffee in the Cosmic Café on Grandparents’ Day.

 

 

Every Weekend:

Simulated Space Mission: Rendezvous with a Comet: Team members take part in a daring trek of exploration inside a simulator of Mission Control and the International Space Station.Prepaid Reservations are required for all missions by calling the Center at 623-322-2001. Simulated space missions are not suitable for 2nd grade and under. Students in 3rd and 4th grade must be partnered with ticketed adult. Saturday at 1:00 p.m. More info click here:  Fly to Outer Space

 

Megawatt Show: Light and electricity are both familiar and mysterious, and are one of the most important ways that we sense and measure the world around us. Learn about the nature of these all-important forces (including a very unusual way to roast a marshmallow) in an engaging and exciting demonstration. Featuring a Plasma Ball, Vandigraph and a Tesla Coil, our Megawatt Show is one of Challenger Space Center's most popular features!

 

Certain Saturdays:

Family STAR Night: Challenger Space Center is hosting an entertaining and interactive astronomy night that is fun for the whole family.  The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for fun hands-on activities, a simulated space launch, and our new “Scout Corner.”  At 7:30 p.m. Professional Stargazer Tony LaConte gives an amazing interactive slide presentation on constellations, planets, and upcoming sky events with telescopes and outdoor stargazing, weather-permitting.  Please call ahead to reserve Scout Activity Packets, 623-322-2001.  The fee is $7.00 per person with children 2 and under free; 25% discount for Challenger Members. MORE

 

 

Expanded Hours: Challenger Space Center is now open to the public seven days a week 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; the Center was previously closed on Sundays. The 10 a.m. opening time for the public will not affect school field trips and certain special programs which sometimes begin prior to 10 a.m. during the week.


Simulated Space Missions: Matinee Mission Team members take part in a daring trek of exploration inside a simulator of Mission Control and the International Space Station.Prepaid Reservations are required for all missions by calling the Center at 623-322-2001. Simulated space missions are not suitable for 2nd grade and under. Students in 3rd and 4th grade must be partnered with ticketed adult. Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. More info click here:  Fly to Outer Space


My Solar System (Hug - A - Planet):  My Solar System is an exiting exhibit where kids of all ages jump up and catch or “hug” a planet. Using motion detection technology, kids capture a planet and a fun fact about that planet is laser-beamed onto the wall. Made possible by a grant from the Tohono O’odham Nation. Free with paid admission to the Center.


 

StarLab Planetarium The Giant StarLab Planetarium presents two 40-minute shows at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. inside Challenger Space Center one Saturday a month.  Inside the dome, visitors are transported into a night sky environment perfect for learning about upcoming sky events, the stars, the moon, constellations, planets, deep space objects, celestial coordinates, the seasons, multicultural folklore, and mythology. The fee for the StarLab Planetarium is $4 per person plus the cost of general admission, with a 25% discount for Challenger members. Please call ahead to reserve Scout Activity Packets for your group, 623-322-2001. MORE

 

Family STAR Night Challenger Space Center is hosting an entertaining and interactive astronomy night that is fun for the whole family.  The doors open at 6:30 p.m. for fun hands-on activities, a simulated space launch, and our new “Scout Corner.”  At 7:30 p.m. Professional Stargazer Tony LaConte gives an amazing interactive slide presentation on constellations, planets, and upcoming sky events with telescopes and outdoor stargazing, weather-permitting.  Please call ahead to reserve Scout Activity Packets, 623-322-2001.  The fee is $7 per person with children 3 and under free; 25% discount for Challenger Members.  MORE