The kids have a really good time, and that's what we want them to do. This team does everything together. They perform these missions as a team, and do all the course simulators and activities as a team. The students and counselors bunk in the Space Habitat, a four-story dormitory inspired by space station concepts. The challenge at Space Camp is a mixture of class work and active participation.
Students study the history of rocketry, then build and launch their own rockets.
The core of Space Camp is hands-on. Students put science and math to practical application by climbing into simulators designed to create the same sensations felt by astronauts as they train to work in space and walk on the moon. They assume roles in a re-created mission control and board space shuttle simulators to conduct their own shuttle missions. They discover that while astronauts play the glamour role in space exploration, every job is important and knowledge, teamwork and leadership are keys to success. Former astronaut Mike Mullane, a veteran of three space shuttle flights, and who served as a resident astronaut for the summer, said the Space Camp program is designed to make learning fun.