NASA Stennis Space Center in South Mississippi will hold four sessions of its popular daylong Astro Camp Saturday this spring.
Astro Camp Saturdays are one-day science camps held on Saturdays throughout the school year for children ages 7-12. Participants take part in themed missions filled with exciting experiments and activities. Camp hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. “Rocketry 101” will be held Feb. 24 and March 3. “Mission to Mars” will be held March 31 and April 14.
“Astro Camp Saturday crewmembers will design, build and test a rocket based on the same principles that would be used to build a rocket suitable for returning astronauts to the moon,” said Maria Lott, Astro Camp director. “Campers will look ahead to the future of space exploration: the moon, Mars and beyond. They’ll explore the principles of space travel – distances to the moon and Mars, the time it would take to get there, the supplies they would need and surviving in the environment of space.”
Cost for Astro Camp Saturday is $30 and includes lunch.
“My Place in Space” will be the theme of Astro Camp’s seven summer sessions. Each weeklong session will take children ages 7 to 12 on an exciting adventure, learning about the variety of skills and talents it takes to voyage into space.
As NASA embarks on its next mission to send humans back to the moon and on to Mars, campers will learn about the different goals and assignments it takes to make the space program a success. Counselors work with campers on team projects and games that teach science and math principles as they inspire future scientists, engineers and astronauts to follow their dreams.
With the launch of NASA’s STS-118 mission, planned to take place during the camp sessions, campers will be briefed on the mission and its slated crew of astronauts including Educator Astronaut Barbara Morgan. Campers will learn that all types of backgrounds contribute to successful space travel and research, including engineers, doctors and teachers.
Astro Camp sessions will begin on the following days: June 4, 11, 18 and 25 for children ages 7 to 9; and July 9, 16 and 23 for children ages 10 to 12.
Fee for each summer session is $150 per camper, which includes a camp T-shirt, supplies, snacks and lunch.
Two sessions of Astro Camp Plus’ “My Place in Space” will be conducted for teens ages 13 to 15. The curriculum adjusted to interest teenagers will still teach math and science principles. The weeklong sessions begin June 25 and July 9. Fee for each Astro Camp Plus session is $180 per camper, which includes a camp T-shirt, supplies, snacks and lunch.
To register for any of the 2007 Astro Camp sessions, visit http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/astrocampschedule.asp
Follow the links to the respective registration form, complete it and mail it with a deposit to the address on the form.
All Astro Camp missions are held at StenniSphere, Stennis Space Center’s visitor center. Every mission begins at 8:15 a.m. at the Launch Pad, located at the Mississippi Welcome Center in Hancock County, Interstate 10, Exit 2.
For more information, call 228-688-7623 or 800-237-1821 (Option 4) or visit http://education.ssc.nasa.gov/astrocamp.asp
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text-only version of this release
NASA Public Affairs Office
Stennis Space Center, MS 39529-6000
228-688-3333