The POWER Zone schools in District 49 focus on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) ecosystem. Fifth grade students from the gifted program at the zone's three elementary schools visited Challenger Learning Center May 20.

 

The students participated in a mission to a lunar base on the moon with half of the students in mission control with half of the students serving in space in the spacecraft. Students served the mission on specialized teams very similar to NASA missions. Communication, research, space weather, data, life support and navigation teams worked collaboratively on the ground and in space to navigate the craft, capture and repair a damaged probe, analyze regolith from the moon and land on our celestial neighbor. 

 

Students debriefed with the mission leaders from the Challenger Learning Center, discussing the overall success of the mission and challenges that were encountered along the way.