New schedule! March’s Homeschool Day will be offered 10am – 2pm on two days: March 5 and March 24. Both days will include the same activities.
All young learners are welcome to join Homeschool Day, including learning pods and those with asynchronous school schedules.
“We are stardust brought to life, then empowered by the universe to figure itself out—and we have only just begun.” –Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist
Career Table
Special location: Videos run in the Theater from 10am-2pm, alternating with the movie Journey to Space.
Pre-recorded video presentations:
Dr. Keith Hawkins, Assistant Professor, Department of Astronomy, UT-Austin
Dr. Keith Hawkins is primarily interested in a field called “Galactic Archaeology,” which aims to explore the Milky Way galaxy from its earliest formation and uses stellar fossils to understand how its structure evolved over time. He is also a member of the newly created Wootton Center for Astrophysical Plasma Properties (CAPP) at UT Austin.
Col. Tom Henricks, former NASA astronaut & President, Emerald
Colonel Tom Henricks is currently president of Emerald, a membership-based business jet airline. As a NASA astronaut, Henricks flew four successful space shuttle missions, spending forty days in low Earth orbit, deploying two major satellites and conducting numerous science experiments with international astronauts. He is a retired U.S. Air Force (USAF) colonel, having served as a commander, F-16 test pilot and F-4 fighter pilot. He is a graduate of the USAF Fighter Weapons School “Top Gun,” USAF Test Pilot School and USAF Academy.
Hands-on Activities
Stations run continuously from 10am-2pm, unless otherwise noted
Payload Challenge: Create a balloon launch system with enough power to carry your precious cargo (aka payload) from launchpad to space.
Drive the Mars rover: Step behind the controls of our mBot rover and guide it through the Martian landscape. See how fast you can make it to Jezero Crater—but look out for hazards!
Solar System in your hand: Explore a hands-on, 3D digital solar system using augmented reality apps and Merge Cube technology!
Learning Labs
Kinder-2nd Grade 10:30-11:15am – Planet-palooza
Do the Planetary Boogie as we revolve and rotate around the “sun!” Once you’ve got a feel for how planets orbit, create a model to take home of the planets in our solar system.
3rd-5th Grade 11:30am-12:30pm – Cleared for landing?
What waits for you on the surface of a new planet: volcanoes, craters or icy plains? Investigate the variety of surfaces found on other planets and the challenges they pose for landing. Then design your own lander and attempt to safely touch down on two different planets.
6th-12th Grade 1:00-2:00pm – Universe of light
Light waves travel throughout the universe, even in the darkness of space. Explore the spectrum of visible and invisible light in the universe and experiment with light using special filters, LEDs and spectroscopes that you’ll build yourself.