NASA KSC EXPLORATION STATION

We encourage the following people to register: teachers, coaches, scout leaders, district administrators/supervisors, etc.

We host sessions for formal school groups, as well as extracurricular/after-school groups.

All participants must be in grade-levels K-12.

Homeschoolers are encouraged to sign up for Homeschool Days.

Minimum Number of Participants Per Session: 20

Maximum Number of Participants Per Session: 40

You may select one of the following topics in your Booking Request Form.

Earth Science: Learn more about the planet we call home! Earth Science activities will focus on various earth science disciplines such as geology, meteorology, oceanography and astronomy. Students will learn how the NASA Earth Sciences Division studies space, air, sea and land to benefit humankind here on earth!

Engineering Design: Become an engineer for a day! Enjoy an engineering and design challenge focused on NASA’s current missions and programs. Students will model the NASA engineering design process by working collaboratively in teams to design, build, and test their ideas.

Solar System Exploration: Calling all explorers! Get the inside scoop on NASA’s missions and programs that explore our solar system! Take a look into the current technology that allows us to investigate our system’s Sun, planets, asteroids, meteors, and moons. Students will learn how these devices work and the purpose of their missions.

Working and Living in Space: Step into the extraordinary realm of space exploration. Students will learn about working and living in space, and gain insights into the incredible challenges and opportunities that come with human space exploration. Students will explore the intricacies of astronaut training, space missions, and the International Space Station (ISS). Students delve into the topics of microgravity, life support systems, space habitats, and the psychological and physical effects of living in a confined and weightless environment.

Activity sessions are about 60-minutes long.

• Participation in NASA KSC’s Exploration Station programs is free of cost for all children and a limited number of adults (chaperones, teachers, etc.).

  • Formal school groups – public, private, charter: 1 adult per 10 children

  • Informal groups – afterschool program, scouts: 4 adults per 10 children

• Any teachers (nationwide) can obtain a free educator pass from the KSC Visitor Complex Guest Services department. This is good for one year. If teachers opt in to use this, their attendance won’t count against our chaperone limit when providing tickets.

Children below the age of 5 are not permitted inside the classroom.

If your group has been selected to choose a session date/time, our team will reach out to you to collect information and to confirm your session!

Information and directions will be sent to you/your on-site lead. One of our staff or interns will meet your group at the KSC Visitor Complex entrance with your tickets and escort you to the classroom!

We always encourage that your group watches the launch. If this interferes with the start time of your session, or if watching the launch means that the hands-on activity can’t take place due to time constraints, our Education Specialists will work with you to supplement the activity with Q&A or a shorter, less-involved activity.

The Exploration Station is located inside the Center for Space Education, adjacent to the Gateway building and the Rocket Garden.

The classroom is located on the southeast corner of the building. The classroom has floor-to-ceiling windows from the hallway; you can’t miss it!

For all sessions, it is highly recommended that you arrive at the Visitor Complex at least 60 minutes before your session begins. You should arrive at the Exploration Station (within the Center for Space Education) 10 minutes before the start of your session.

The parking lot opens at 8:30am. You are welcome to enjoy the Visitor Complex at any time within their open hours when you are not in your classroom session with us.

Food is not permitted inside the classroom.

Dining options are available for purchase at the KSC Visitor Complex. Please call the

KSC Visitor Complex at 1-855-433-4210 for pricing and purchasing information.

Groups may bring their own food with the following requirements:

• Student meals must be in individual bags or in soft-shelled coolers

• Hard-shelled coolers are not permitted inside the park

• If you can only bring a hard-shelled cooler, you must leave it on the bus / vehicle in the parking lot and eat at the picnic tables just outside the main park entrance.

Buses may enter through the bus lane and will be directed to park in Lot 4. Any individual vehicles (including vans) will need a parking pass to enter free of charge.

Each vehicle needs its own printed or digital copy of the parking pass.

Individual vehicles may park in the Lot behind the bus spaces. Please ensure that you indicated on your reservation form whether you have any individual vehicles coming for the visit, as they will need parking placards.

The tickets that you are provided give you full visitor access to the primary grounds of the Visitor Complex. The tickets do not include access to the busses to the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

How to access the Apollo/Saturn V Center: As of Summer 2022, these bus tour tickets are $20 per person. Please call the KSC Visitor Complex at 1-855-433-4210 for updated pricing and purchasing. You can tell the sales representative that your group already has limited access (LTD) admission tickets through the NASA Exploration Station. They may not have your group in their system already, but that is not a problem! You should be able to purchase the additional tickets at any time greater than 72 hours prior to your visit.