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)
(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, 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)
(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, 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!
May 2025
Spark!Lab History Month Theme: Mercury Program
Bulletin Board 1: Mercury Program
Bulletin Board 2: Mercury 7 Astronauts
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) Parachute design: Design and build your very own parachute. Explore gravity and air resistance by discovering how different shapes and sizes help objects make a gentle landing.
- National Space Days – Celebrating the first American Mercury astronauts and their mission achievements with paper rocket builds and launches!
- May 5: Celebrating Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom.
- May 12: Celebrating John Glenn and Scott Carpenter.
- May 19: Celebrating Wally Schirra and Gordo Cooper.
- May 26: Celebrating Deke Slayton.
- May 11: Astro-Moms: Celebrating out-of-this-world Astro-Moms! Highlighting the achievements of women in spaceflight.
- May 24-26: National Paper Airplane Days: Discover the four forces of flight that make paper airplanes fly.
- May 27-June 1: Able and Baker Days: Celebrating the NASA achievements of the successful Able and Baker May 1959 suborbital mission.
Rocket Park
- May 10: Von Braun Astronomical Society’s (VBAS) Astronomy Day at USSRC! Join the Spring Astronomy Celebrations at USSRC. Look through solar telescopes, touch and feel the oldest rocks of the solar system, and launch rockets in Rocket Park! Explore the Astronomy Van where people can watch live views of the Sun on a big TV screen!
- Specialty Planetarium Show: This will be at 1 PM on the day of Astronomy Day and will replace our typical Space Rocks programming. Show description below!
- Twinkle, twinkle, giant star! Those tiny specks of light in the night sky aren't so tiny up close – they're massive, fiery balls of hot plasma living dramatic lives with explosive beginnings and even bigger endings! Closer to home, our VIP star, the Sun, doesn't just provide us with light; it's our planet's ultimate energy source. In this live, interactive show, we'll dive into what kind of star our Sun is, and how it provides Earth with life-sustaining necessities. We'll blast off to explore dazzling nebulae, witness star-shattering supernovae, spin with pulsars, peek into mysterious black holes, and get star-struck!
May’s Maker Lab Theme: Build to Explore
- Design with purpose: rovers that traverse terrain, creative solutions for a base on Mars, training robots to complete simple tasks
- Strong focus on function-driven design.
- Combine math, physics, and code to make useful tools
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 aged 12 and older (middle and high school).
Weekly Schedule
Sundays, 12-2
Inventors Club: Mars Design Challenge
Mondays, 11-3
Inventors Club: Mars Design Challenge
Wednesdays
10 am: Mission: Ozobots
11 am: Messages from Mars
1 pm: Mission: Ozobots
Fridays
10:30 am: Teen Maker Hour: Math in Bloom
1:00 pm: Messages from Mars
2:30 pm: Messages from Mars
Saturdays
10:30 am: Teen Maker Hour: Math in Bloom
12:30 - 3:30: Inventors Club: Mars Design Challenge
Schedule* With Class Descriptions
*(Dates at any moment can be adjusted to meet the needs of UFT overflow programming)
Sundays (May 4, 11, 18, 25)
(12:00 - 2:00 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Join us for a Mars Design Challenge! Learn about future plans for exploring Mars and sketch your idea for a robotic rover or human habitat to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Combine upcycled materials to prototype your invention for Martian Exploration. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, hot glue guns, rotary cutters, and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention to take home. Ages: 12+
Mondays (May 5, 12, 19, 26)
(11:00 - 3:00 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Join us for a Mars Design Challenge! Learn about future plans for exploring Mars and sketch your idea for a robotic rover or human habitat to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Combine upcycled materials to prototype your invention for Martian Exploration. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, hot glue guns, rotary cutters, and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention to take home. Ages: 12+
Wednesdays (May 7, 21, 28)
Mission: Ozobots ($5)
Learn the basics of robotic coding language by programming Ozobot mini-robots using Blockly web-based software. Bring these robots to life through fun challenges while creatively problem solving. Code your Ozobot to dance, navigate color-coded mazes, complete simple tasks, and explore a mini world. Ages: 12+
(10:00 am - 10:45 am) Session 1
(1:00 - 1:45 pm) Session 2
(11:00 am) Messages from Mars ($5)
Come learn the basics of digital design using Cricut Design Space and explore techniques for creating a custom 2-D artwork of a Mars Rover sending greetings back to Earth. Our Maker Staff will help you design your Mars-themed scene, combining rover parts and satellites to beam a 2-D message home. Bring your design to life using our Cricut Cutting Machines that combine creativity and technology in a unique way. Ages: 12+
Fridays (May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30)
(10:30 - 11:30 am) Math in Bloom: Teen Maker Hour Explores 3D Coding ($10)
This hands-on class allows teens to dive into the world of basic computer programming and discover how mathematical operations can be used to create and manipulate 3D shapes. Using TinkerCAD Codeblocks, we will design a custom 3D model of a flower, watching geometry and logic bloom together! Your student's unique flower design will be adapted for 3D printing and turned into a keychain, which will be available for pick up the following day at the main Ticket Desk. Ages: 12+
Messages from Mars ($5)
Come learn the basics of digital design using Cricut Design Space and explore techniques for creating a custom 2-D artwork of a Mars Rover sending greetings back to Earth. Our Maker Staff will help you design your Mars-themed scene, combining rover parts and satellites to beam a 2-D message home. 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
Saturdays (May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31)
(10:30 - 11:30 am) Math in Bloom: Teen Maker Hour Explores 3D Coding ($10)
This hands-on class allows teens to dive into the world of basic computer programming and discover how mathematical operations can be used to create and manipulate 3D shapes. Using TinkerCAD Codeblocks, we will design a custom 3D model of a flower, watching geometry and logic bloom together! Your student's unique flower design will be adapted for 3D printing and turned into a keychain, which will be available for pick up the following day at the main Ticket Desk. Ages: 12+
(12:30 – 3:30 pm) Open Lab Time: Inventors Club (free)
Join us for a Mars Design Challenge! Learn about future plans for exploring Mars and sketch your idea for a robotic rover or human habitat to scale using the Engineering Design Process. Combine upcycled materials to prototype your invention for Martian Exploration. Our Maker Staff will help you practice with tools like hammers, hot glue guns, rotary cutters, and LED simple circuits to create an engineering model of your invention to take home. Ages: 12+
April: STEAM Literature Series (Every Thursday at 10 a.m. inside Spark!Lab)
- May 1: Light & Shadow: What are shadows? How are they made? Learn the science behind light and how it creates shadows.
- May 8: Sound and Communication: Learn how sound is created and how we use that in communication technologies
- May 15: Newton’s Laws: Learn how engineers use Newton’s Three Laws to innovate and make us safe
- May 22: Nebulas: Learn about the many shapes in our universe from galaxies to nebulae.
- May 29: Counting & Measuring: Practice counting and measuring while learning how many Earths could fit inside Jupiter (or the Sun!) and work together to create a tiny solar system