STEM event for students interested in space science

Summer Center for Space Science

The 2024 Johns Hopkins APL Summer Center for Space Science program is scheduled to take place at APL from July 8-19, 2024.

To be considered for the APL Summer Center for Space Science program, students must complete an online application and write an essay discussing why they want to participate in the program. To ensure participation will be a valuable experience, students need to have a keen interest in space and space technology and be recommended by their teacher to participate in this summer STEM program.

Throughout the two-week program, APL scientists and engineers will meet with students and give overviews of the exciting missions APL has designed and built for NASA. Interactive activities and demonstrations are provided, including a campus tour of APL’s space testing facilities and a visit to the meteorite lab.

During the program, students form small groups of 3–4 and work together to design their own space missions to planetary destinations of their choosing. Teams build “cardboard” spacecraft models, and each student will take on a particular role (program manager, mission scientist, mission engineer, etc.). The main focus is on space science, technology, and engineering. Teams must follow NASA Discovery mission guidelines as if building a real spacecraft. Each team will prepare a presentation and present their “mission” to families, guests, and APL staff on the last day of the program.

Questions can be directed to jhuapl-summer-science-program@jhuapl.edu.

Below are some mission website links to get students interested in a few of our NASA missions.

Artist's rendering of Parker Solar Probe

Parker Solar Probe Sun and Solar Wind

Parker Solar Probe dives closer to the Sun than humanity has ever ventured to unlock the mysteries of our nearest star.

Learn more about Parker Solar Probe

New Horizons Pluto, Kuiper Belt Objects, and Comets

New Horizons is the first mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the distant region of planetary building blocks that hold keys to our solar system’s formation.

Learn more about New Horizons

Dragonfly Outer Moons

Dragonfly is a NASA New Frontiers mission that will send a rotorcraft lander to explore the prebiotic chemistry and habitability of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan.

Learn more about Dragonfly

DART Asteroids

The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) was NASA’s first planetary defense test mission.

Learn more about DART

MESSENGER Terrestrial Planets

MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) was the first mission to orbit Mercury, shedding unprecedented light on the origins and evolution of the innermost planet.

Learn more about MESSENGER

Resources for Educators and Students

Space exploration isn’t just exciting; it’s an awesome way to learn how people use science and engineering to overcome seemingly unsolvable challenges — like figuring out how to fly close to the Sun without burning up, or plotting a course to explore across billions of miles. Below are links to learning activities that allow you or your students to participate in the science behind our most amazing missions.

The Science of Planets, Asteroids, and Planetoids

Pluto, as seen from the New Horizons spacecraft.

New Horizons: How did we journey over 4 billion miles to photograph Pluto?
CRISM: What do you see when you look at Mars in a new way?
MESSENGER: What would you find on a visit to Mercury?
NEAR: What does it take to orbit and land on a city-sized asteroid?

The Science of the Earth, Moon, and Sun

Parker Solar Probe is designed to fly through the intense heat of the Sun’s corona.

Parker Solar Probe: How is it possible to fly through the Sun’s corona?
STEREO: What does it look like to see the Sun in 3D?
Mini-RF: What would you find if you could map the Moon’s poles?
Van Allen Probes: What can you learn about our planet when you examine Earth’s radiation belts?
TIMED: What is it like to explore the atmospheric gateway between Earth and outer space?

Additional Resources

To learn even more about space, check out these additional resources.

NASA Home Page: The main site for America’s space program.
NASA Kids’ Club: Fun resources for young kids.
NASA Education Office: STEM education tools for teachers and students.
NASA Solar System Exploration: Interactive information about the planets in our solar system.
NASA Deep Space Network Now: Real-time status of communications with our deep space explorers.
NOAA Education: Learn about our home planet, our oceans, weather and climate.
Lowell Observatory: Where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto.