Programs

The NASA Lunar Plant Growth Chamber design challenge helps teachers facilitate a collaborative science project for their students to determine the feasibility of using plants as bioregenerative life support systems for long duration space missions, including on future Moon bases. Plant growth will be an important part of space exploration in the future as NASA plans for long duration missions to the Moon and beyond to Mars. In this challenge, elementary middle and high school students can research, design, build and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers using space-flown basil seeds. Students participate in the engineering design process and learn how to conduct a scientific experiment, receive national recognition for their efforts, and learn how to work collaboratively as a team.

To download the lesson plans for the NASA Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/plantgrowth/joinchallenge/Teach_the_Challenge.html

Challenger Center education staff has developed a generic Plants in Space (22 MB) unit suitable for sharing at a teacher workshop with activities for students.

Check out our Webcasts with astronaut Barbara Morgan, NASA scientists and engineers in support of the design challenge! Click here for more information.

Additional Information

For more information on Challenger Learning Center programs, please contact a Learning Center Coordinator via e-mail at info@challenger.org; by telephone at (877) 443-5701 or (816) 471-7770; or by completing the Feedback Form.