March 2025
Spark!Lab History Month Theme: Women in Aviation.
Bulletin Board 1: Women Inventors
Bulletin Board 2: Women in Aviation (Pilots)
Spark!Lab Hands on Learning Activities
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Each event is within Spark!Lab hours of operation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
(Daily) Shamrockets – Build and launch a lucky spring shamrock rocket over the Moon! One small step for man, One giant Leprechaun leap for mankind!
(Mondays) Action Reaction Rockets - Design, build, and test-launch your own air-powered rocket!
Monday, March 17: USSRC's 55 Birthday - Celebrate the history of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center by building and launching your very own air-powered rocket inside our historic Rocket Park!*
*Outdoor air launches are weather dependent. If rain or inclement weather occurs, launches will take place inside the Museum’s Dare to Explore: Frontiers of Space exhibit.
March 14: Pi Day and Einstein’s Birthday – Celebrate the genius of Einstein and the fun mathematical concept of pi!
March 23: Dr. Wernher von Braun’s Birthday – Build and launch a straw rocket and learn about the spaceflight achievements of Dr. Wernher von Braun, the father of the American space program.
STEM on Stage: Join us for STEM on Stage at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! These live daily STEM performances incorporate our artifacts and exhibits as we illustrate science concepts. These short, interactive STEM on Stage performances occur daily in our “Dare to Explore: Frontiers of Space” exhibit.
The Science of Soaring! In this demonstration, museum guests learn about the scientific principles that allow us to soar through the sky! Join us as we kick off the Year of Aviation by learning about the four forces of flight!
March: STEAM Literature Series
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Every Thursday at 10 a.m. inside Spark!Lab)
March 6: Clothing - Learn about the women who made the first spacesuit used on the Moon.
March 10 - 14 (Daily for Spring Break week): Plants - Learn how astronauts grow food on the International Space Station.
March 20: Animals in Space - Learn what animals have been to space and how they still help us today.
March 27: Habitats - Learn what you would need in order to live on the Moon or Mars.
March 10-14: Spring Break Theme: Rocket into Spring Break!
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Each event is within Spark!Lab hours of operation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Hands on History Cart (Spark!Lab) Seeing artifacts is cool but holding them is even cooler! Learn and explore with our hands-on history cart that features unique space artifacts that tell the story of space exploration.
Action Reaction Rockets - Design, build, and test-launch your own air powered rocket!*
*Outdoor air launches are weather dependent. If rain or inclement weather occurs launches will take place inside the Museum’s Dare to Explore: Frontiers of Space exhibit.
SLS: Plants - Learn how astronauts grow food on the International Space Station.
Spring Break - Things to come, but working on logistics:
- March 8, 10-14: Janet’s Planet – Rocket into Spring Break with Janet Ivey-Duensing from Janet's Planet! Explore the cosmos and be an astronaut for a day as she takes the stage and performs out-of-this-world live STEM programming.
- Show Times TBD
- Tabletop interactives with Janet (Descriptions and times TBD)
Janet’s Bio: https://www.janetsplanet.com/about
Janet Ivey-Duensing
CEO and Creator of Janet’s Planet
Janet Ivey, creator of Janet’s Planet, is committed to enriching the lives of children through education and live performances, TV, and online programming.
With over 25 years in children’s entertainment and education, Janet has captivated Nashville and beyond with her work.
She has received 12 Regional Emmys and five Gracie Awards for her children’s series “Janet’s Planet” that airs on more than 140 public television stations nationwide.
Janet has won a STEM-FLORIDA Award for the “Exploring Microgravity,” an educational video about gravity and microgravity that she wrote and produced for Space Florida.
This dynamic and fast-paced series is geared toward 7–12-year-olds and focuses on science, space, history, and health. The short form series can be seen on public television stations nationwide, as well as KTV (Kids and Teen Television), YouTube, BatteryPop, Club Jelly Telly, AmebaTV, and HighBrow in the United Kingdom, and the Children’s Television Network.
April 2025
Spark!Lab History Month Theme: Alabama Aviation
Bulletin Board 1: Shuttle pilots
Bulletin Board 2: Shuttle
Spark!Lab Hands on Learning Activities
Location/Times: Spark Lab (Each event is within Spark!Lab hours of operation 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
- (Daily) Space Shuttle: Celebrate 30 Years & 135 Missions of the Space Shuttle. A Legacy of Spaceflight Achievements! Build and launch your own straw Shuttle, honoring Huntsville's role in this historic program.
- (Mondays) Quick Plane Honor Alabama aviation history! Build and test your own paper Quick Plane, commemorating the Quick Plane's maiden flight, April 7, 1908.
- April 12: STS-1: Hail Columbia! On April 12, 1981, STS-1 launched, beginning 30 years of space shuttle missions. Discover the history of the Space Transportation System and build your own paper space shuttle.
- April 19: Mars Ingenuity: Celebrate Ingenuity's groundbreaking flights on Mars. Ingenuity is the first vehicle to achieve flight on another planet! Build and test your own Mars flying machine.
- April 22: Earth Day: Celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Earth Day with hands-on Earth science activities!
- April 24: Hubble Space Telescope: Celebrate Hubble’s 35th anniversary by designing and building your own future telescope model!
- April 26: Celebrate World Pilots' Day! Learn the fundamentals of flight and test your skills by flying a paper airplane.
April’s Maker Lab Theme: The Process of Design
Maker Lab Activities
Disclaimer: Because of the technological equipment and the dexterity and skills necessary to safely operate classroom tools, this space and its activities are designed for students ages 12 and older (middle and high school).
Sunday (April 6, 13, 20, 27)
(12:00 - 2:00 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Let your inner inventor come play in our new Maker Lab! Learn about famous inventors, the patent process and how to sketch your idea to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Use upcycled materials to bring your physical invention to life. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, screw drivers, rotary cutters, and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention that you can take home. Ages: 12+
Monday (April 7, 14, 21, 28)
(11:00 - 3:00 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Let your inner inventor come play in our new Maker Lab! Learn about famous inventors, the patent process and how to sketch your idea to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Use upcycled materials to bring your physical invention to life. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, screw drivers, rotary cutters and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention that you can take home. Ages: 12+
Wednesday (April 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)
3D Printing in Space: (Intro to 3D Printing) ($5)
Explore 3D printing technology through the lens of industrial fabrication and 3D printed solutions for current and future space exploration. Take a tour of the Rocket Center's collection of 3D Printers and select a 3D-printed keepsake to take home after the tour. Q&A with 3D printing experts to answer your technical questions on modeling and design. Ages: All
(10:00 am - 10:45 am) Session 1
(11:00 - 11:45 am) Session 2
(1:00 - 1:45 pm) Session 3
Friday (April 4, 11, 18, 25)
(10:30 - 11:30 am) From Pixels to Prototype: Teen Maker Hour Explores 3D Printing ($10)
This hands-on class takes us from 3D design to 3D printed prototypes. Join us as we review the basics of 3D printing hardware and software, select a space object to 3D print during the class, and explore the Engineering Design Process using TinkerCAD software to model objects suitable for 3D printing. Ages: 12+.
Greetings from Space! ($5)
Come learn the basics of digital design using Cricut Design Space and exploring techniques for creating custom 2-D artwork. Our Maker staff will help you design a space-themed greeting card incorporating elements like stars, planets, and rocket ships. Bring your design to life using our Cricut Cutting Machines that combine creativity and technology in a unique way. Ages: 12+
(1:00 pm – 2:00 pm) Session 1
(2:30 pm – 3:30 pm) Session 2
Saturday (April 5, 12, 19, 26)
(10:30 - 11:30 am) From Pixels to Prototype: Teen Maker Hour Explores 3D Printing ($10)
This hands-on class takes us from 3D design to 3D printed prototypes. Join us as we review the basics of 3D printing hardware and software, select a space object to 3D print during the class, and explore the Engineering Design Process using TinkerCAD software to model objects suitable for 3D printing. Ages: 12+.
(12:30 – 3:30 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Let your inner inventor come play in our new Maker Lab! Learn about famous inventors, the patent process and how to sketch your idea to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Use upcycled materials to bring your physical invention to life. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, screw drivers, rotary cutters and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention that you can take home. Ages: 12+
STEM on Stage [NEW SHOW!]
Join us for STEM on Stage at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center! These live daily STEM performances incorporate our artifacts and exhibits as we illustrate science concepts. These short, interactive STEM on Stage performances occur daily in our “Dare to Explore: Frontiers of Space” exhibit.
- Force Meets Spaceflight! is an exciting and interactive STEM stage show that takes the audience on a thrilling journey through the science of rocketry. With hands-on interactives, the show simplifies complex concepts, proving that anyone can master the basics of launching a rocket to the stars!
April: STEAM Literature Series (Every Thursday at 10 a.m. inside Spark!Lab)
- Our Solar System: Learn about the objects that make up our solar system.
- April 10: The Sun & Moon: Both the Sun and the Moon light up our sky, but what makes them different?
- April 17: Constellations: Learn about the stars and which ones create pictures in the night sky.
- April 24: Telescopes: Celebrate Hubble's launch date by learning about telescopes!