Grades 6–12 Field Trips
Full Simulated Space Missions—Grades 6-12
Two-hour immersive missions that challenge students to collaborate, problem-solve, and lead under pressure. Recommended for 6th grade and up.
Hamilton County Schools visit free of charge.
Expedition Mars
The year is 2076. When crew members discover an imminent threat to Martian surface facilities, they must act quickly to save their stations, their research, and their lives. 6th grade+ · ~2 hours · Up to 34 students
Lunar Quest
Permanent habitats on the Moon are home to astronauts conducting research. A new crew must select lunar mining sites, keep the crew safe, and call the mission a success. 6th grade+ · ~2 hours · Up to 34 students
Earth Odyssey — Coming Fall 2026
Our newest full simulated space mission is coming soon. Download the brochure to start planning and contact us to be notified when booking opens.
Pricing & Program Formats
UTC Table
| Format | Duration | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Mission | ~ 2 hours | $600 | 1 mission · up to 36 students |
| Mission + Classroom Program | ~ 4 hours | $750 | 1 mission + 1 STEAM lab · up to 36 students |
| Full Day | ~ 4 hours | $1500 | 2 missions + 2 STEAM labs · up to 72 students |
Add a STEAM Learning Lab
Extend your mission with one or two accompanying classroom programs. Available when booking a Mission + Classroom Program or Full Day format.
- Galileo's Ramp — How on earth did Galileo come up with his "falling bodies" theory, one of the most baffling and revolutionary concepts from the world of physics? Students will be tasked with reproducing a significant experiment that demonstrated how objects of completely different masses still fall at the same velocity. Working collaboratively throughout this challenge, students will utilize the scientific method to gain a hands-on understanding of the relationship between mass and gravity, much like Galileo did centuries ago!
- Pop Rockets — In this hands-on activity, students will work in pairs to construct a customized pop rocket. Students will analyze the effect of design choices as well as solid/liquid fuel ratios on the height and distance of rocket launches, utilizing a graduated cylinder and data table to make precise measurements. They will then analyze the recorded data to gain a deeper understanding of the principles of physics seeing how Newton's Laws come to life in answering the question, "What Makes Things Move?" This is super-fun and must-do activity for any first-time Challenger Center visitor!
- Robotics Classroom — In this lesson, students will think like robotics engineers and rely upon the science and engineering practices to drive a VEX IQ robot. Students will also have an opportunity to learn the VEX coding language by programming a VEX VR robot. Students will then use their coding language knowledge to code the VEX IQ robot to complete autonomous challenges.
- Clay Rockets — In this activity, teams of two work through the design process to construct miniature rockets suitable for indoor launch. They record data and adjust independent variables to see if they can make their rockets reach peak distance traveled!
- Mars Rover — This activity was designed to be a perfect counterpart for our Expedition Mars mission. In order to secure victory, students collaborate in pairs to construct a rover prototype that fulfills precise specifications established by NASA. Achieving success necessitates their adherence to a stringent budgetary framework throughout the process of designing and fabricating their model.
- Moon Maneuvers — In this lesson, students will explore the rich history of moon exploration from the Apollo program to future planned manned missions. Through a timeline review, they will gain a deeper understanding of the technological advancements and achievements that have taken place in lunar exploration. To further engage with the material, students will locate specific features on a moon map using latitude and longitude coordinates, and plot these features on grid paper. Using this information, they will plan a lunar excursion with the shortest possible time, using measurement, conversion, and calculation skills to determine their total trip time. Finally, students will evaluate the results of their classmates' different route plans, providing an opportunity for collaborative learning and discussion. By engaging in these activities, students will gain a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of lunar exploration and the various scientific principles involved.
- Moon Rocks! — Created in collaboration with the UTC Geology department, this activity gives student a chance to interact with rocks that are nearly identical to lunar samples. Learners utilize cool geological tools such as hand lenses and photomicrographs, examining rock samples as well as regolith - moon dust.