Programs & Events at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center
AerospaceFest
Saturday, May 5 - 10:30 AM - 4 PM
Dr. Jay Buckey getting prepped for his flight aboard the space shuttle columbia
Join us for a full day of science and engineering fun, at our annual aerospace festival! The Discovery Center will be filled with STEM stations with engaging activities offered by our friends at Raytheon, Transsuport, Physical Sciences, Inc., the Aviation Museum of NH, Squam Lakes Science Center, the NH Astronomical Society, Plymouth State University's Meteorology Team, the Project Management Institute - NH Chapter, Southern NH University's new College of Engineering, Technology, and Aeronautics and more. We'll premiere our new planetarium show, From Dream to Discovery: Inside NASA, and we have a great line-up of main stage presentations, including MAD Science, the Mount Washington Observatory, presentation of the Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp awards - and a keynote presentation by New Hampshire's own astronaut, Dr. Jay Buckey!
A neurologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Dartmouth College professor and space physiology and psychology researcher, former US Air Force Flight Surgeon Jay C. Buckey, Jr., M.D., was selected by NASA to join its Astronaut Corps, serving as a payload specialist aboard NASA Space Shuttle Columbia's flight STS-90, the Neurolab Mission. Inspired by the results of the Neurolab Mission, Dr. Buckey has continued researching the effects of long-duration space missions on human physiology and psychology. You will have a chance to meet Astronaut Buckey and learn about his time living and working in space, as well as his time on the ground learning how to address the challenges that will allow humanity to travel to - and eventually live on - the Moon and Mars.
having fun with mad science at aerospacefest
All-inclusive festival admission price is $15 for adults, $13 for students & seniors, $10 for children ages 3-12; children ages 0-2 are free. Best of all, members get FREE admission, so click here to join the family of Discovery Center members. Click here for tickets: AerospaceFest!
Sorry, no passes (library, ASTC, PEP, etc.) will be honored
for admission to AerospaceFest.
Super Stellar Fridays
On the 1st Friday of the month, from October through May, enjoy an evening of astronomy with Discovery Center educators and special guest speakers. Topics vary, covering new discoveries, historical events, scientific concepts and more. Doors open at 6:30 PM. Our evening's feature presentation begins at 7 PM, followed by an optional Tonight's Sky planetarium show. Recommended for ages 8+. Our all-inclusive price for Super-Stellar Fridays: Free for members, $11.50/Adults, $10.50/Seniors & Students, $8.50/Children; children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
If the skies are clear, not only will our observatory be open, but members of the NH Astronomical Society will be out on the Discovery Center's southside front lawn, ready to provide a FREE skywatch. Gaze through their telescopes - or your own - at the wonders of the night sky. The skywatch begins at dusk during daylight savings time or 7 PM during standard time.
April 6, 2018: The New Moon
Dr. Andrew Jordan (Research Scientist at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space at UNH) is part of the team operating NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO. He will explain how LRO has transformed our view of the Moon and how UNH's instrument on LRO--the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER)--has revealed how the Moon interacts with its environment.
2018 Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship
Alex Higgins at Space Camp
The deadline to apply has been extended to March 12th!
Train to be an astronaut, an airplane pilot or a robotics engineer in a five-day immersive, intensive educational, and FUN camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! Since 2001, 53 New Hampshire children and teens have traveled to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for a week of simulated astronaut or pilot training, thanks to the Alex Higgins Memorial Space Camp Scholarship. Three more will get to go in 2018! This scholarship is open to New Hampshire residents age 9-18. Judging for the 2018 round of applicants is underway; awards will be presented at AerospaceFest, on Saturday, May 5. Applications for the 2019 round will be available in January 2019 and due in early March 2019.
Homeschool Program
Homeschool workshops are offered October through May on the second Thursday of the month from 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM. You are welcome to enroll in individual sessions, by the term (Term 1: October, November, December; Term 2: January, February; Term 3: March, April, May), or for the entire series. Payment is required in order to reserve a spot. Homeschool workshops are offered at three levels: Level 1 (Grades 1-3); Level 2 (Grades 4-6); and Level 3 (Grades 7-8). An optional planetarium show will be offered at the conclusion of each program, for an additional $5 per person. Contact Elizabeth Pappas to register at epappas@starhop.com or (603) 271-7827 x104. The deadline to register is 24 hours before the program.
Our focus for the 2017-18 Academic Year will be on Solar System Exploration, with a focus on our system's planets and moons and the space missions that have enabled us to learn about our 'neighbors in space'.
Term 3:
RESCHEDULED DUE TO WEATHER March 15, 2018: Exploring the Outer Solar System
Our understanding of objects in the outer Solar System has expanded with missions to Jupiter, Pluto—and even a comet. Learn what missions like New Horizons, Juno, and Philae missions taught us and what tools are on-board space probes. How do we get all that information back? Join us to find out!
Optional planetarium show: Family of the Sun, part 2
April 12, 2018: Peering out into the Universe
We’ve learned all about our solar system, but what’s outside of it? How do we study stars? How does our star compare to others? What tools do we use to study these stars? What is in our galaxy? The universe? How do we study it? Learn what scientists are currently doing to better understand the universe and our place in it.
Optional planetarium show: From Earth to the Universe
May 10, 2018: Careers in Space
Becoming an astronaut is not the only path to a truly stellar career! This final session will explore the many different ways you can contribute to our understanding of space. Guest speakers from local industries and universities will share how they reached for the stars and landed in their jobs.
Optional planetarium show: Space School
Cost
$15 per student; $10 for each additional student from the same immediate family.
Parent educators accompanying students in the workshops are free.
Planetarium show following each workshop: $5 per person, free for children ages 0-2
Please note: While they are welcome in the planetarium shows following the workshops, we are unable to accommodate younger siblings in the workshops. We delight in having babies and toddlers visit the Discovery Center, but find that they are distracting to the students and instructors in our intensive 90-minute homeschool workshops. The Discovery Center is not open for visits on Thursdays so exhibits will not be on; but parents who are not joining their children in the workshops are welcome to find a comfy spot in our galleries to play with their younger children, read or use our free WiFi.
Summer STEM Day Camps
Does your child or teen love space? Our seven Summer STEM Day Camps offer a full week of exciting hands-on science and engineering adventures for kids ages 5 - 14, from June 25 through August 10.
June 25 – June 29 Destination: Earth (ages 10-14)
July 9 – July 13 Coding, and Programming, and Robots… Oh Yes! (ages 10-14)
July 16 – July 20 Junior Flyers on Earth and Beyond! (ages 5-7)
July 23 – July 27 Engineering Expedition (ages 10-14)
July 30 – August 3 Astronomy 101 (ages 8-12)
August 6 – August 10 Blast off! (ages 8-12)
For more information, check out our STEM Summer Day Camps Page.
Classroom Outreach
Can't come to us? We can come to you!
We will adjust the content of any of our programs to suit your students' grade level. The programs actively involve your students in exciting, enjoyable learning experiences. Some involve hands-on activities for every student. Others utilize volunteers from the audience. We will be happy to answer questions after each show. Name a topic in space science and we'll deliver a program to your students in a fun and educational way! Learn more about all the outreach possibilities.
Scouting
Girl Scouts
We offer 2 hour workshops for girl scouts that include a 1 hour workshop activity and a planetarium show. Our offerings currently include:
- Juniors - "Get Moving!" Journey Workshop - learn about energy use and light pollution.
- Telescopes 101- learn the basics of optics and telescopes; then, try them out for yourself! (Recommended for grades 4 and up)
- Final Frontier- learn about how astronauts live and work in space and other worlds (Recommended for grades 3 and up)
- Solar System Explorers- learn about our little neighborhood of the galaxy in terms of size, scale, and composition (Recommended for our youngest audiences, grades K-3)
We are currently in the process of developing more workshops, particularly those that will line up with the new Astronomy badges currently in development. If you have a particular request, we may be able to tailor a customized workshop.
Boy Scouts
- Astronomy Merit Badge
- Aviation Merit Badge
- Space Exploration Merit Badge
We can also help with Cub Scouting! Please call and we will help set up the perfect workshop for your troop.
Overnights
Looking for a fun bonding experience with your troop? We offer overnight experiences! Overnights include 2 planetarium shows, snacks, breakfast, and exploration of the entire museum. The cost is $50 per attendee and we require a 45 participant minimum (or $2,250 minimum charge) to book an overnight experience.
To find out more about our scout opportunities or make a reservation, please contact Elizabeth Pappas at epappas@starhop.com or (603) 271-7827 x104.