“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” – NASA Astronaut Neil Armstrong, July 21, 1969, Sea of Tranquility, Moon.

We believe learning can and should be fun—you just need the right tools! To celebrate the launch of our Summer 2025 Explorer Camps we’ve teamed up with Moonshotkidz. Experience the joy of STEM learning—just like our campers, with a hands-on interactive activity the whole family can enjoy.

Get ready to have a blast! Explore our latest project with Moonshotkidz founder and creator, Irina Rymshina.

What Is Moonshotkidz All About?

By Irina Rymshina

I see Moonshotkidz as ‘Yoga for the mind’—a fun, hands-on way to reconnect with your sense of wonder and let your imagination soar. We blend traditional tools like paper and color pencils with new ones like acrylic markers and cutting-edge tech like paper electronics, 3D printing, laser cutting, and others. It’s all about playful experimentation, uncovering hidden talents, and proving that creativity has no age limit. Whether you’re sketching after decades or diving into a 3D printer for the first time, Moonshotkidz shows that starting small can lead to big discoveries. It’s about having fun and seeing where those little steps take you, no matter your background or experience.

As the founder of Moonshotkidz, my journey began with a deeply personal spark. When I became a mother, I dove headfirst into my son’s learning adventure. Picture me like a kid in a candy store, eagerly exploring every book, tool, and toy related to creativity and STEM. While playing and experimenting alongside my son, something magical happened—I rediscovered my own inner child. My passion for drawing, arts, and crafts roared back to life. I wasn’t just teaching him; I was equally enthralled, inspired daily to learn, create, and tinker with new materials. Those precious moments with my son and husband ignited a fire in me that I couldn’t keep to myself.

That’s when I started posting my projects on social media, and soon after, I founded Moonshotkidz. But here’s the twist—it’s not just for kids or artists; it’s for everyone. I created Moonshotkidz to help awaken that playful, curious spirit in people of all ages—busy professionals, seniors, executives, you name it. My mission? To inspire you to take those first, easy steps into creativity with beginner-friendly projects. Just like the Moon landing began with ‘one small step,’ every big idea starts with a single, curious experiment.

Beyond the Home

The inspiration doesn’t stop at your doorstep. Visiting places like art museums, science centers, and Space Center Houston takes it to another level. These incredible spaces showcase human ingenuity—think stunning artwork and groundbreaking discoveries—and remind us that anyone can make a difference. They light a spark of possibility, showing that big dreams are built from small, deliberate steps. With Moonshotkidz, family time becomes a launchpad for creativity, connection and aspiration.

My Moonshotkidz NASA Saturn V Rocket DIY Paper Electronics Project

I’m beyond grateful and thrilled that Space Center Houston gifted my son an opportunity to attend its Junior Robotics Explorer Camp—where he had the chance to participate in hands-on activities, just like this DIY project. Having never visited Texas before, this feels like an incredible opportunity for our family. Houston holds a legendary place in history as the beating heart of NASA’s mission to land humans on the moon. It serves as the mission control center, communication lifeline, and decision-making hub, not to mention the home of astronaut training and preparation. The Saturn V rocket stands as a towering symbol of human creativity, technology, and sheer determination—transforming the impossible dream of a person stepping onto the lunar surface into reality. For centuries, millions must have gazed at the night sky, captivated by the moon’s beauty, yearning to reach out and touch it.

When my son was a baby, one of his very first words was “Moon.” He’d stare up at the sky, point with tiny fingers, and chant “Moon, Moon, Moon” in a voice brimming with wonder—a sound so precious it still echoes in my heart. That same sense of awe inspired me to create this simple DIY Paper Electronics project, which I’m so excited to share through Space Center Houston.

This project is more than just a craft—it’s a small spark of that lunar curiosity we all carry. Like the Saturn V, built through countless meticulous steps, it invites you to embark on your own journey of creativity and discovery. I hope it brings you the same joy and wonder my son’s first words brought me.

DIY “NASA Saturn V Rocket” interactive light-up card. Easy and fun paper circuit project for beginners.

You will need:

1. 2 LED diodes (orange)
2. Conductive copper tape (5mm)
3. Coin cell battery 3v (CR2032)
4. Magnet (neodymium)
5. Paper (176gsm)
6. Paper (90gsm)
7. Markers

Instructions:

1. Draw your space craft and your circuit design. Color it however you like.
2. Fold the card in the middle along the dashed line.
3. Cut out the outline of the rocket fire (marked with number 1) using a craft knife.
4. Cut a piece of thinner paper measuring 8x13cm and glue inside the card. Make sure it covers entire area of the fire. Color it if you like.
5. Cut a piece of paper measuring 1.5 x 5 cm. Fold it in half. Glue the switch to the spot indicated
6. Stick the conductive tape along paths A and B.
7. Place LED diodes on the spots indicated. Ensure the positive (longer) and the negative (shorter) leg are in correct positions.
8. Cut four small pieces 1cm each of conductive tape and stick them on top of each leg of the LEDs.
9. Stick the conductive tape along paths C and D.
10. Stick the conductive tape along path E. Ensure it goes over the switch.
11. Cut a 1 cm piece of conductive tape. Fold it into a loop, with the sticky side out, and stick it to the negative (-) side of the battery.
12. Place the battery on the spot indicated. Ensure the negative (-) sticky side facing down.
13. Test the circuit by pressing on top of the switch.
14. Attach four small pieces of double-sided sticky tape to each corner of the card and stick the card together.
15. Cut out a flag along the solid line.
16. Attach a magnet to the back of the flag using double-sided sticky tape.
17. To activate the card, place the flag on the moon.
18. You also buy the template for download and print from moonshotkidz.etsy.com

The post Saturn V Rocket to the Moon with Moonshotkidz appeared first on Space Center Houston.

Sign up this spring break to secure your spot at Space Center Houston’s Explorer Camps before seats fill up. Give your young astronaut an unforgettable mission filled with exciting, hands-on STEM activities, open to children ages 4-11. Plus, enjoy the Moon 2 Mars Festival presented by Wellby for a celebration of innovation that’s out of this world!

Spring Break Five-Day Explorer Camps Include:  

Ages 4-5 

Lunar Explorers | March 10-14, 2025 
Young explorers will discover astronaut challenges, navigate the Moon with robotics, and explore its place in the Solar System. 

Our Place in Space | March 17-21, 2025 
Campers discover all the features that make Earth the most desirable place for us to call home. Learn all about the Earth cycles and Earth’s position in the solar system through art and STEM activities. 

Ages 6-7 

Journey to the Moon | March 10-14, 2025 
This lunar camp introduces young explorers to Moon missions through robotics, coding challenges, rocketry, and astronaut training. 

Journey to Space | March 17-21, 2025 
How do astronauts work in space? How do robots work? What do engineers do? All these questions and more are answered as campers explore space through art, science, robotics, and engineering activities. 

Ages 8-9 

Lunar Exploration | March 10-14, 2025 
Inspire your explorer with space achievements, engineering challenges, robotics, and mission training. 

Junior Robotics | March 17-21, 2025 
Campers dive into space robotics, tackling hands-on challenges using various robotic platforms. Through project-based learning, they develop STEM and coding skills to complete their exploration mission. 

Ages 10-11 

The Moon & Beyond | March 10-14, 2025 
Experience hands-on engineering, robotics, and habitat simulations to explore what it takes to return to the Moon. 

Engineering Space | March 17-21, 2025 
Join NASA engineers in exploring space! Campers use robotics and engineering to solve challenges and complete mission objectives. 

Looking for More Spring Break Fun? Try These DIY STEM Activities at Home! 

• Try the Egg Drop Challenge!  
  Get the whole family involved in the fun! Create a contraption to protect an egg from a drop using materials like tape, cardboard, cotton, straws, string, paper, and, of course, eggs. Each person or team can design their unique creation. Drop them from the same height and see if your eggs survive! For a younger audience, feel free to adjust the challenge to suit their skills. #FamilyFun #ScienceActivity #EggDropChallenge 
  Resources: https://www.weareteachers.com/egg-drop-ideas/ , https://www.msichicago.org/science-at-home/hands-on-science/egg-drop-challenge
  
  
• St. Patrick’s Day STEM “Leprechaun DIY Trap”  
  Try to catch a leprechaun with these fun and creative Leprechaun Trap Ideas, with a free printable planning page! While leprechauns are mythical creatures, they’re a playful way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, 2025. Get inventive with your DIY Leprechaun Trap Kits like a Mini Garden Leprechaun Trap or a LEGO Leprechaun Trap.  
  Resources: https://bitl.to/3wGP and https://bitl.to/3wGQ 
  
  
• Host a STEM Movie Marathon!   
  Mix it up with math and movies that delight the whole family! Invite your kids in the kitchen to create delicious meals or treats that boost their math and culinary skills; just like an astronaut, then enjoy a STEM-themed movie.  
  
  Big Hero 6 
  Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 
  Honey, I Shrunk the Kids 
  Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 
  Robots by Disney 
  
  

Space Center Houston Summer Explorer Camps to be announced soon.

The post Spring Break Fun at Space Center Houston: Join Our Five-Day Explorer Day Camps with STEM Activities, March 10-21 appeared first on Space Center Houston.

HOUSTON, TX (October 17, 2024) – Space Center Houston is excited to announce Equinor as the title sponsor of the Conrad Challenge, the world’s most highly regarded global STEM innovation and entrepreneurship competition, and the presenting sponsor of the Energy & Environment track within the competition.

“We are thrilled to have Equinor as the title sponsor of the Conrad Challenge,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. “Equinor shares in our vision for the Challenge which is to promote collaborative, student-centered, real-world learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Now in its 19^th year, the Conrad Challenge brings together youth teams aged 13-18 to present innovative solutions across four categories: Aerospace & Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy & Environment, and Health & Nutrition.  A special category for 2024-2025 is Currents of Change: The Water Challenge, which dares students to help communities worldwide tackle water equity, purity, and efficiency.

“STEM education and innovation is crucial to our everyday lives,” said Chris Golden, senior vice president and US country manager at Equinor. “Searching for better is part of our purpose at Equinor, so we’re honored and excited to partner with Space Center Houston to empower the next generation of innovators in their search for better solutions for all.”

Throughout the year-long competition, teams are paired with subject matter experts and given access to resources to help create commercially viable innovations as they advance through four rounds of the Challenge.  

Since its inception, the Conrad Challenge has engaged over 1,000 schools from all 50 U.S. states and 72 countries, reinforcing the commitment to diversity and global representation. The 2023-2024 competition saw record-breaking participation with over 3,400 students involved.

Registration for the 2024-2025 Conrad Challenge is open until Friday, November 1, 2024, at 11:59 P.M. EDT. To register and learn more, visit www.conradchallenge.org.

###

About Equinor

Equinor is an international energy company committed to long-term value creation in a low-carbon future. We energize the lives of over 170 million people and companies around the world, every day. Our purpose: Energy for people. Progress for society. Searching for better. We aim to become a net-zero energy company by 2050. To do it, we’ll find new solutions in renewables, low-carbon and oil and gas. Headquartered in Stavanger, Norway, Equinor is the leading operator on the Norwegian continental shelf and present in around 30 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.equinor.com.

About Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston’s shared purpose is to bring people and space closer together. Over 1.3 million visitors and more than 250,000 students and educators visit each year to connect with the significance of space exploration to pursue a path in STEM or follow along as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to make new discoveries. Space Center Houston is owned by the Manned Space Flight Education 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and generates an annual $118M economic impact to the Greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center, and a Certified Autism Center. Learn more at spacecenter.org.

Media Contacts

Rashena Franklin
Manager of Communications
rfranklin@spacecenter.org

Illiana Luna
Public Relations Specialist
iluna@spacecenter.org 

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The program is focused on upskilling workers and preparing them to find employment in the Houston aerospace industry. By growing the skillset of people in our community, we hope to bolster efforts to create, sustain, and retain a viable workforce that fuels the aerospace industry to benefit the overall Houston region and the local economy.

Over the last four months, 40 Accelerate Space cohort members engaged in virtual and hands-on training sessions on resume writing and participated in mock interviews.

The sessions covered a variety of NASA and commercial space industry developments and how it relates to professional skills, including project management, digital techniques, embracing uncertainty, taking calculated risks, and leadership dynamics.  At the conclusion of the cohort, its members are able to begin sharing their new knowledge and enthusiasm with others.

This program has definitely helped me improve on some skills that I had already, as well as develop new skills. Each session whether it was online or in-person, was very entertaining, informative, and piqued my interest even more in the space industry.

Saul Castillo, cohort member

Cohort members worked in teams of three to four people to reach out to aerospace employees to capture stories and document possible career paths in the aerospace industry and with the public to test their awareness of the space industry. Through video, presentations, and surveys, teams used their diverse educational backgrounds to discuss robotics, gender representation, satellites, and crop production in space.

Outreach project – Crew D Heba Afzal, Oscar Neira, Joshua Flores, and Kendra Coronado interview NASA employee Mike Sovinsky.

Reaching nearly 200 people virtually, cohort members aim to drive curiosity in space exploration among the general public and build support to advance space exploration and further scientific discovery. Just as they are finding their place in the aerospace workforce, they hope that discussions with aerospace professionals will help others discover a path to being a part of this growing field.

I would say that the program has definitely pushed me to think more about myself, my skills, and how I can fit within the aerospace industry. Trying to embrace uncertainty in a time like this is difficult, but at the same time with so much turmoil going on in the job markets, now is the time to take those calculated risks.

Andrea Speakman, cohort member

Space Center Houston is committed to supporting people in our community and enabling them to grow, furthering the Houston workforce. It’s our goal to not just provide training skills; we want to change mindsets and empower professionals to be leaders in their organizations.

The goal for many of the cohort members is to obtain jobs, internship opportunities, and strategies to develop their career. We are excited to see where these leaders go from here.

Apply today for Space Center Houston’s Accelerate Space program.

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Each year, educators from across the world discover the latest STEM education resources at our Space Exploration Educators Conference (SEEC).

At SEEC, attendees hear from NASA experts, network with fellow educators, go on tours of historic NASA locations, explore Space Center Houston exhibits, and take back new and exciting lessons to their classrooms.

This year, SEEC will take place from Feb. 3-5. Educators can attend in person or virtually. Click here to get the schedule, see this year’s speakers, and register for SEEC 2022!

As we countdown to the start of this year’s conference, take a moment to scroll through the photo gallery below to see some of our favorite images from past SEEC sessions and events.

[envira-gallery id=”52819″]

More to explore

Photo Gallery: SEEC 2018
Photo Gallery: SEEC 2019
Photo Gallery: SEEC 2020

The post Photo Gallery: Best of SEEC appeared first on Space Center Houston.

Space City Specials:

2022 Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals

Launch into 2022 with our Space City Specials! Give the gift of adventure this holiday season.

15% off new memberships and gift memberships (online only)

Space Center Houston memberships enable everyone to be part of the NASA mission and explore more than 400 exhibits and activities free for 12 months. With a membership, you will enjoy early and express entry, and access to member-only exhibit openings and special events.

Your VIP membership experience also includes free parking, discounts and first access on education programs like Explorer Camps, invitations to events like Home School Days and Sensory Friendly Events, as well as Monthly Member Mornings when members explore the center (and enjoy even more perks) 1-2 hours before general admission opening.

Nov. 19 – Nov. 30, save 15% off all new memberships and gift memberships by using online discount code GIVESPACE.

15% off Space Center U®

Space Center University, our ultimate educational experience, is an immersive, multi-day program offered year-round. Ages 11-18 are inspired as they engineer solutions to space-related challenges, collaborate to find solutions and go behind the scenes at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Participants discover robotics, rocketry, thermal protection systems and space habitats. The program promotes teamwork, problem solving, communication and engineering solutions to space related situations.

Nov. 19 – Nov. 30, save 15 % off Space Center U programs using online discount code 15OFF03.

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Giving Tuesday is a global daylong celebration designed for giving back to your community. This year, Giving Tuesday is Nov. 30.

As a nonprofit science and space exploration learning center, Space Center Houston is committed to giving back to the community every day. We invite you to participate in the Giving Tuesday with us.

Your donation – large or small – supports the extraordinary learning opportunities that Space Center Houston makes available to students who would not otherwise have access to authentic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education experiences.

Every dollar, from $5 to $5,000, fuels our drive to engage, inspire and educate.

Learn about all the ways you can support our mission here! Join us in giving back and making our community a better place.

Your donations help us inspire students and educators from under-resourced communities through the wonders of space exploration. Every dollar, from $5 to $5,000, fuels our drive to engage, inspire and educate.

The post Giving Tuesday 2021: The Power of One Gift appeared first on Space Center Houston.

Campers ages 4-11 are discovering science and space exploration in our summer Explorer Camps. These future engineers and astronauts are conducting experiments, programming rovers and exploring Space Center Houston exhibits.

Campers are learning about long-duration space survival by designing water purification systems and building terrariums. They are working together to program robots to navigate a specific course. The students are learning about our solar system by calculating when their next birthday would be on other planets. They are also learning about chemical reactions by mixing ingredients to create glow-in-the-dark slime, which they charge in sunlight.

Check out the photo gallery below to see some of these experiences.

[envira-gallery id=”48574″]

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