Sometimes exploring gets messy! These summer camp cadets are trying to determine just exactly what sort of extraterrestrial lifeform they’ve happened upon. Hands-on science is what makes the Museum of Space History’s camp a summer to remember. Courtesy/NMMSH
What goes up, must come down…but will it survive? The only way to find out is to try, and that’s exactly what these summer camp cadets are ready to do – launch their basketful of peeps and prepare for the results. Courtesy/NMMSH
NMMSH News:
ALAMOGORDO — Who says you can’t be at two places at the same time?
This summer, the New Mexico Museum of Space History’s Rocketeer Academy Summer Camp will host students in Alamogordo and Las Cruces. The Alamogordo camp will be held at the Museum of Space History and the Las Cruces camp will be held at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. Registration for both camps is now available on the Museum’s website.
Alamogordo Camp Programs:
Whether it’s exploring the universe looking for alien lifeforms, or discovering what rockets and dinosaurs have in common, Comet and Mercury-level cadets (K-3) are in for an exciting summer adventure. In Alien Hunter, cadets make their own alien (from pasta) and dissect a totally different alien (pickle), along with building their own scale model of the Solar System and learning about astrobiology from NASA. OR your cadet can build their own comet in the popular Dinosaurs & Asteroids program – where building dinosaurs and exploring craters is top of the menu.
For older cadets, the Gemini and Apollo programs take the wonders of space exploration up a notch. Space 101/201: A Giant Leap introduces to cadets to space and the intricacies of traveling there. Cadets engage in twisted weather, building a rocket fuel farm, astronomy, telescopes and a star party. Want more? Build your own Mars habitat in Space 201/202: Homesteading Space, figure out how to get clean water, explore the surface and see what it takes to be a real astronaut! For cadets who want to pilot their own spaceship, or aircraft, Wheels UP! is Rocketeer Academy’s premiere flight program featuring basic aviation to teach aircraft design, atmospheric entry vehicles and even flight simulators. Gemini and Apollo programs also plan field trips to real life working environments like White Sands Missile Range and White Sands Test Facility.
Cadets in all levels build and launch their own model rockets. The program is open to cadets who have completed kindergarten through 9th grade.
Las Cruces Camp Programs:
“With so much interest in space today, we felt it was time that we had a permanent presence in Las Cruces for our summer camp program. The Farm and Ranch Museum in Las Cruces is a perfect partner for us especially since both of our facilities are operated by the NM Department of Cultural Affairs,” said Museum Executive Director Chris Orwoll. The Department fosters an environment of partnerships and teamwork between its museums, historic sites, and other divisions. “It’s a win-win situation for everybody. The daily commute for Las Cruces parents during summer camp was a challenge and this will make it much easier for them,” said Orwoll.
Rocketeer Academy summer camp in Las Cruces is for cadets who have completed grades 4th through 6th and will include a wide range of STEM-related activities and projects, from surviving Mars to exploring the cosmos, this camp is geared for adventure. FLARE (the Fellowship of Las Cruces Area Rocketry Enthusiasts) will work with the cadets as they build and launch their own rockets. The camp will be held at the NM Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.
The New Mexico Museum of Space History, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a division of the NM Department of Cultural Affairs. For more information, call 575.437.2840 or toll free 1.877.333.6589 or visit the website at www.nmspacemuseum.org. Like us at: www.facebook.com/NMSpaceMuseum/
