In the wake of the Challenger disaster, a nonprofit dedicated to continuing the mission of the seven astronauts who died onboard set out to create learning centers across the United States.
There are now more than 40 worldwide, including the Challenger Learning Center of Maine in Bangor, which has been introducing curious young visitors to STEM careers for more than 20 years.
The center recently completed a major renovation to bring its NASA mission simulations into the modern era. The 8th graders from Hermon Middle School got to see them in action.
"Just in case you were unaware we will be going to space today, atop a Falcon 9 rocket," announces flight director Jim Tyson, as students huddle in an aura of blue light inside the center's small transporter room as the sounds of a rocket launch echo around them.
Complete with a group countdown, they watch the rocket launch — as Tyson walks through the steps of the interstellar trip.
"First stage, used up all of its fuel, it's dropping off," he said. "Second stage takes us the rest of the way into orbit, then when its fuel is gone it too drops away and the capsule maneuvers to the space station."
Tyson has worked at the center for just over six years — plenty of time to get familiar with the previous setup.
"The upgrades are wonderful," he said. "We're still working through a couple of bugs with the new stuff. We'll just keep working on those few last little glitches, and we'll be a great shape."
"And we are docked, we are now going to go into the airlock, remember only one door gets open at a time in the airlock," Tyson said as he directed the group over to the spacecraft room, where students take up specific stations, with duties such as geology, biology and medicine.
"All right, are you getting enough sleep?" one student asks as she conducts medical checks.
"Probably not," her classmate replies.
They gather that data, which they enter into their computer stations, from sources ranging from weather information to satellite paths and life-support readings.
A second group is across the building, in the mission control simulator, watching a live video of their classmates in the spacecraft and processing the data they collect.
"Mission control, this is the spacecraft. I have a message for the ROV team, over," reads Johane Slate, a student at Hermon Middle School, who today is serving as the spacecraft communications officer.
"So I am sending and receiving messages to mission control, and then I'm also selecting images from certain teams as they do their jobs around here to put up to give to Mission Control," she said.
In this case that message is, "we have completed coding the programming for the ROV module. Please review and inform us if it needs any alterations. Over."
"I've been here before, but never, like, in a mission only for their like events that they do," Slate said. "So it's super cool to get to see what's actually going on, like, through the missions."
The upgrades were installed as part of a $2.5 million renovation over the winter, which executive director Kirsten Hibbard said has brought the center more in line with the technology of public and private space programs of today.
"I would say, before our remodel, we were kind of Apollo-esque style consoles and desk," Hibbard said. "And with our new hardware and software, we're able to run our newer missions. So our headquarters, our Challenger headquarters, really helps keep our missions aligned with NASA's current mission objectives."
The center is fully booked for the rest of the school year and now scheduling groups for next fall.
While the role playing is fun, Hibbard said the experience is meant to resonate in a real way with the students.
"And really the goal is for them to try a STEM career for the day," she said. "And they do it within the confines of we are going to space, either a lunar mission, a Mars mission, or even an Earth mission, and really be mission controllers and astronauts for a day."
And once the mission is complete, students cheer when they hear the final update:
"Mission control, this is the space craft, attention all crew, we have successfully launched our new satellite into low Earth orbit," Tyson said over the intercom. "Mission success."
