Goddard Events & Programs
Upcoming Special Events:
Homeschool Sessions
Join us for our fall in-person homeschool sessions! Each session will have an interactive presentation and will last approximately 45 minutes.
Living and Working in Space (Age 5-10), Oct. 22, 11 a.m. or Oct. 23, 1 p.m.
Engineering Satellites (Age 11-14), Oct. 28, 11 a.m. or Oct. 30, 1 p.m.
Registration is required for these free programs. Registration will open Sept. 22 at 9 a.m. Visit our Eventbrite page to register. Please note that a parent/guardian must be on site during the programs. Staff will also share content to watch beforehand as well as activities to continue your exploration afterward. For more information, please email gsfc-visitorcenter@mail.nasa.gov or call 301-286-8981.
Recurring Events:
Mission: Experiment
Scheduled Saturdays, 1 – 3 p.m. (Check schedule below for days)
Activities best suited for children ages 5 to 10
Grow with Goddard
Third Thursday of the Month, 9 – 10 a.m.
Activities and demonstrations for ages 3-5
Registration Required
Space for Me
Sensory friendly hour
Model Rocket Launches
First Saturday of the month, 1 p.m.
All ages welcome!
Mission: Experiment
Join us for these Saturday programs at the dates listed below from 1 – 3 p.m. for family-friendly, hands-on activities and more! More details to come on each date at the start of each month.
Mission: Experiment – Exploring Space Weather!
Saturday, Oct. 17, 1 – 3 p.m.
Join us for Mission: Experiment at the NASA Goddard Visitor Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, as we dive into STEM!
Discover how scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA study space weather and how, alongside engineers, they prepare for space weather observation missions.
What to expect:
-Meet and interact with scientists and engineers from NOAA and NASA
-Explore the sky with telescopes from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum
-Hands-on STEM activities for all ages
-Live talks and presentations by subject-matter experts
-Learn about recent milestones and upcoming missions
-NOAA, NASA, and mission-themed memorabilia
-Indoor and outdoor activities
This event is free and family-friendly. Everyone is welcome! Registration is not required, but helps with event planning. Please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/nasa-goddard-visitor-center-3091729.
Please note: Outdoor activities may be canceled in the event of rain.
This event may be photographed or filmed for official use by NOAA or NASA.
Come discover, explore, and get inspired by space weather! 🚀🔭✨
For more information, please call 301-286-8981.
Up next: Nov. 21- Landsat, a collaboration between NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey
You can also check out the past virtual Sunday Experiment series here.
Grow with Goddard
Grow with Goddard! Join us for activities and demonstrations for ages 3-5 here at our visitor center during a special morning hour before we open to the public (9 – 10 a.m.). Please see the list of dates and topics below. Registration is required for each child participant. Parents and guardians do not need to register, but at least one parent or guardian must be on-site for the program. See link below.
Fall dates:
Oct. 15- The Ground at Our Feet!
Nov. 19- ABC’s of Space!
Dec. 17- I’m a Scientist!
Space for Me
More dates to be announced.
Explore the Goddard Visitor Center during a sensory-friendly hour before we open for the day. Sounds and lighting in our exhibit spaces will be limited during this time. We will also have touch items for visitors to experience.
Model Rocket Launches
First Saturday of each month at 1 p.m.
(Some holidays excluded; weather, security conditions permitting; call ahead to confirm: 301-286-8981)
Like to build model rockets, but don’t have a launch pad? Now you do! Anyone can bring a model to fly at the Goddard Visitor Center rocket launches; there are no costs or fees to participate. Rockets, motors and supplies are available for purchase at the nearby Goddard Gift Shop (and many hobby shops or toy stores) and you can even get rocket construction and launch tips from our on-site experts on launch day!
Don’t want to launch your own rocket? That’s fine, too — come out to watch, and cheer on our rocketeers!
Model rocket launches are held at the Goddard Visitor Center the first Saturday of the month (some holidays excluded, and weather and security conditions permitting). Launches start at 1 p.m. and are brought to you by the NARHAMS Model Rocket club. These launches have been part of Visitor Center programs since 1976.
Visitors bring and prepare their own models; a group safety briefing is given at 1 p.m., and models are given a preflight safety assessment. We allow single-engine models that must not exceed C-class models. 1/2A or A models work best for our field. We do not permit rocket gliders, models whose altitude may exceed 2,000 feet, clustered motors, or two stage rockets.
Weather decisions will be made the day of the launch — to check the status of a launch, please contact the Visitor Center front desk at 301-286-8981.
Other Goddard Events and Programs
Please note: The events and activities listed below are not affiliated with Goddard’s Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is listing them here as a courtesy. For more information, please contact the respective sponsoring organizations.
Visit the following websites for information on seminars and colloquia at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
