Blast Off! An Unforgettable Field Trip to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Give the Gift of the Space Center this Holiday Season. The Imaginairum Theater.

 

                                 Mari and Alex.  The Space Center's Field Trip Planetarium Navigators

Two bright yellow school buses pull up to Central Elementary School in Pleasant Grove, Utah, between 9:30 and 10:00 A.M. The doors swing open, and a stream of eager students pours out, excited for the upcoming adventure. They aren't here for math class, though learning is definitely on the agenda. They're here for an experience unlike any other: a field trip to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center (CMSC).

Since its opening in November 1990, this Alpine School District facility, attached right to the Central Elementary School in Pleasant Grove, has been the destination for hundreds of thousands of students and teachers. It offers what is arguably one of the best, most unique field trips in Utah—and possibly the world!

Missions into the Cosmos: Group A Takes the Helm

The students are quickly divided into two large groups. Group A heads straight for the heart of the action: the six starship simulators. Stepping inside is like walking onto the set of a Star Trek movie—and you are the main character.

The Magellan Crew

The Cassini Crew

The Phoenix Crew

The Odyssey Crew

The Falcon Crew

The Galileo Crew

These aren't passive simulations; they are fully immersive, theatrical productions complete with dramatic lighting effects, sound effects, and visual displays. The students become the crew, working together to accomplish mission objectives that are carefully tied to their grade-level curriculum.

• Team Building: Every mission hinges on cooperation.

• Leadership Training: Students take command roles, making "life and death" decisions.

• Essential Skills: The entire experience is a dynamic lesson in listening, critical thinking, reasoning, and character education.

These young crews learn to navigate the cosmos, manage their ship's systems, and choose their destiny, all before the lunch!

Stargazing and Science: Group B in the Planetarium

While Group A is saving the universe, Group B begins their morning in the CMSC's state-of-the-art planetarium. This is where the magic of the universe is unveiled. Their morning lesson covers essential astronomical concepts, provides a guided tour of the night sky, and touches on basic physics.

The staff at the Space Center—a collection of enthusiastic people with a deep and infectious love for science fiction and space exploration—guide both groups. Their mission is simple yet profound: to create a space-faring civilization. They are the mentors who make the complex accessible and the impossible feel within reach.

At 11:00 A.M., Group B’s cosmic lesson concludes, and they head into Central Elementary’s cafeteria for lunch, joining the regular elementary students.

The Great Exchange

James Porter, Space Center Director, and Jordan Smith Directing the Magellan Mission from the Simulator's Control Room

After lunch, the groups switch!

• Group A concludes their starship missions at 11:30 A.M., grabs lunch, and then spends the afternoon portion of their field trip immersed in the planetarium.

• Group B finishes lunch and a quick break, then lines up to enter the Starships for their afternoon adventure as a crew.

More Than Just a Day Trip

By 1:30 P.M., the field trip program wraps up, and the students board their buses. The rest of the afternoon is filled with excited chatter: tales of a daring escape, stories of saving the ship with a quick-thinking decision, and sharing the new knowledge they gained in the planetarium.

This field trip program isn't just a fun day out; it is the primary purpose and most important function of the Space Center. It is the crucial first step where students are introduced to the facility and everything it offers.

From this single, inspiring day, a student's lifelong interest in science and space can take flight. It opens the door to other fantastic CMSC programs, including:

• Space Adventure Camps

• Leadership Camps

• Public Planetarium Shows and Laser Shows

• Private Starship Simulator Missions

Join the Mission: The Voyager Club

Voyager Club Members learning the difficulty in mining precious metals from an asteroid, a lesson taught by Jason Trump, Director of Education at Clark Planetarium

The passion for space doesn't have to end when you grow up! Both students and adults can join the Voyager Club, the Space Center's service organization. This is for anyone with an interest in space, astronomy, and science fiction who wants to give back. Voyager Club members serve the community by volunteering at the CMSC for five hours a month, assisting with programming, acting in the missions, visual effects, and even prop building.

To learn more about this incredible center and its programs, visit the official website!

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Set a course for adventure!  Find more information on the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and how you can join the mission at SpaceCenterUtah.org.

The Field Trip Program Video

Enjoy this video covering a typical school's visit to the Space Center in November 2025. The last field trip before the Thanksgiving break. 

Give the Space Center as a Gift this Holiday Season

Gift the experience of the Space Center this year. We have a variety of gifting options that will provide an unforgettable experience for the ones you love.

Find them online by pressing "Book Tickets" at the end of this segment.

Gift options:

SIMULATOR GIFT CARD

- Great for a group or family gift

- For your adventure loving friend or family

PLANETARIUM PUNCH PASS

- For the space explorer ready to learn more about our universe

- Great for a group or family gift

PAIR OF PLANETARIUM TICKETS (2)

- Unique stocking stuffers

- Neighbor gift

- Fun night out

PAIR OF LASER SHOW TICKETS (2)

- Unique stocking stuffers

- Fun White elephant gift

- Perfect family activity or date night

Give the Gift of the Space Center this year! Your adventure awaits!

Book Tickets

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The Space Center’s Voyager Club: Where Learning Launches Into Action. Tickets on Sale for the Space Center's Christmas Laser Show, Don't Miss It. The Space Center has a New Website. The Imaginarium Theater

             

Mitch Foote Meeting with the Space Center's New Visual Effects Team

The Voyager Club is the Space Center’s volunteer organization—and the heart of its mission. Club members form the backbone of the Center’s volunteer force, bringing energy, creativity, and talent to every simulator and planetarium show.

Through the Voyager Academy, individuals ages 12 to 99 can dive into hands-on learning in theater studies, prop making, make-up, acting, and more. The Academy also offers training in Blender, Unity, After Effects, CAD, and prop design and construction. Volunteers build real skills and then immediately apply them in the starship simulators and planetarium. It’s hands-on, minds-on learning at its absolute best.

Jaxon shows his latest Blender creations to Mitch at Saturday's Meeting

 The Academy’s classes are taught by volunteer instructors—experts who generously share their time and talents. One of them is Mitch Foote. By day, Mitch works for Adobe in Lehi. When he’s not Earthbound, he’s at the Space Center serving as the Universe Lead and partnering with Tabitha Ricks in the Internship Training Program. Together, they teach Club members the art and science of experiential education in the starship simulators, preparing the next generation of supervisors and flight directors.

As a Voyager Academy instructor, Mitch also mentors the Center’s up-and-coming animators. Last Saturday, he met with Jaxon, Bryce, and Bruce—three Animator Apprentices—helping prepare them for advancement to Journeyman status. Once they reach that level, they’ll begin creating animations for the Center’s six starship simulators.

All of these opportunities—and more—are offered to Voyager Club members free of charge. It’s one of the many ways the Space Center invests in the students, families, and citizens of Utah, empowering them to learn, create, and boldly explore.

The Space Center has a New Website.  Stop in for a Visit

The Space Center is always improving, always developing new content, always looking for ways to enrich the communities we serve as part of the Alpine School District.  Our new web site is one of those improvements.  Stop in for a visit.  

Tickets on Sale Now for The Trans Siberian Christmas Laser Show at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center 

James Porter, Space Center Director, and his team of planetarium Navigators have been busy creating, imagining, and programming the planetarium for this year's Christmas laser show.  Tickets are on sale NOW.  Stop by the Space Center's new website to purchase your tickets today.  SpaceCenterUtah.org

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Rylan Hansen Retires from Space Service. He is Headed Planetside. Meet the Space Center's Voyager Club Starbase Williamson Development Team. The Magellan Hosts the Staff From the American Heritage Discovery Space Center. David Kyle Herring Weds. Imaginarium Theater

Rylan at the Mic for his Last Mission on the Falcon

Saying goodbye is never easy—especially when it’s someone who has shaped the Space Center with both talent and heart. Rylan Hansen began his service at the Space Center in January 2020, following proudly in his father’s footsteps. His dad, Jade Hansen, served as a volunteer back in the 1990s and continues today as a part-time Cassini supervisor—balancing that role alongside his full-time career. The Space Center has always been a family affair for the Hansens, and Rylan carried that legacy forward with distinction.

     Rylan, on the Falcon, with this last team of volunteers

From the very beginning, Rylan stood out as a rising star. He approached every assignment with enthusiasm, dedication, and professionalism. Determined to earn his simulator passes and one day take command as a flight director, he worked hard to learn every system and skill required. That effort paid off—Rylan became one of the Falcon’s first flight directors when the simulator opened, a milestone he earned through talent and persistence.

Rylan's last act as a Falcon Flight Director is to Surrender his Falcon Mic to Mikey, the Ship's Next Senior Flight Director

Rylan was the kind of volunteer and employee who raised the bar for everyone around him. He was respected, admired, and trusted—not just for his skill, but for the way he made others feel valued and capable. Thomas R., one of Rylan’s longtime volunteers on the Falcon, shared this tribute:

"Rylan had been such an influence to me throughout my time at the Space Center—from being one of my mentors and teaching me how to be a good flight director, to many fun times working with him as a volunteer on both the Falcon and the Magellan. Rylan had always been such a joy to work with, and it's safe to say he's become a close friend. I wish him well as he starts his new mission."

Those words capture what so many of us feel. Rylan’s presence and talents strengthened the Space Center community, and his absence will be deeply felt by volunteers, coworkers, and friends alike.

The After Mission Dinner at Culver's with the Falcon Staff and Friends

Rylan, we wish you all the luck in your future adventures planetside. Thank you for everything you brought to the Center—from your leadership to your humor to your endless supply of good energy.

Please “beam up” whenever you can. The starships will always have a place for you.

The Last Great Cheer from Rylan's Final Mission on the Falcon

Photos and Video thanks to Thomas R.  Thanks Thomas!

The Starbase Williamson Development Team Meets for the First Time at the Space Center

Dave Stevens and the Voyager Clubs New Starbase Development Team (SDT)

The Space Center’s Voyager Club is far more than a volunteer group—it’s the creative engine that powers much of what makes the Space Center extraordinary. In addition to staffing our starship simulators, Voyager Club members immerse themselves in hands-on learning through classes in Blender animation, acting, makeup artistry, and prop design and construction. It’s a place where imagination meets skill-building, and where young people learn to bring entire worlds to life.

Yesterday marked an exciting milestone as the Voyager Club’s newest development team met for the very first time. The Starbase Williamson Development Team—made up of dedicated high school student members—will work under the guidance of instructor Dave Stevens to design and build fresh interactive exhibits and props that will enrich the Starbase Williamson environment.  Megan Warner will oversee the team's work.  Megan is the Space Center's Operations Lead, responsible for the Starbase and simulator sets, maintenance, and development.  

For those unfamiliar, Starbase Williamson encompasses the downstairs lobby and hallways that lead to the Center’s six starship simulators. It’s the first thing crews see when they arrive for missions, and the Dev Team’s work will help transform that space into a more immersive, story-filled experience.

Their instructor, Dave Stevens, is a long-time adult volunteer at the Space Center and a familiar face to many. Over the years, he has taught numerous Unity and game-development workshops, inspiring students to explore digital world-building and interactive design. With his leadership, the Starbase Dev Team is poised to make a real impact on the look and feel of our starbase.

During their first meeting, students received an introduction to the basics of Unity, the game engine they’ll be using to prototype and create new interactive elements. Their first assignment is an exciting one: each member must brainstorm and plan a potential Starbase experience using the tools and concepts discussed in class.

We’re thrilled to welcome Jaxon, Bruce, and Alex as the founding members of the new team. Their creativity and enthusiasm will help shape the next chapter of Starbase Williamson.

More updates to come as the team begins building the future! 

The Magellan Hosts the Staff from the American Heritage School's Discovery Space Center.

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center was the first of its kind in Utah County—a pioneering launchpad for imagination, exploration, and hands-on STEAM learning. Today, that legacy has inspired a small constellation of additional space centers in American Fork, Lehi, Saratoga Springs, and Vineyard. Each has its own staff, volunteers, and starship simulators, yet all share a common mission: to prepare a new generation of space enthusiasts as we move steadily toward becoming a spacefaring society.

One of these sister centers is the Discovery Space Center, located at American Heritage School in American Fork. It is home to two starships: the Discovery and the Galileo II. Under the leadership of director Alex Debirk, the center is staffed by talented American Heritage high school students who bring energy, skill, and creativity to every mission they run.

Last year, the Discovery Space Center welcomed several members of our own Voyager Club for a special visit. Our volunteers had a blast flying a mission aboard their Starship Discovery. Yesterday, we were excited to return the favor. 

The Space Center hosted the Discovery Center’s staff aboard the Magellan, giving them the chance to experience one of our missions firsthand. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect, collaborate, and celebrate the unique community of educators and volunteers who make Utah’s space simulation programs so remarkable.

Here's to many more shared missions across our ever-growing fleet! 

The Happy Couple

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Herring; yes Space Center alumni, the great Kyle Herring (aka the Big Fish) has married the love of his life.  I was more than privileged to attend the ring ceremony Wednesday night. It was so good to see this long time friend, associate, and co-worker from many many years at the Space Center radiate with pure happiness and joy.  It was a night to remember.  

Not only was the ring ceremony emotionally moving, the middle eastern feast that followed was a culinary physically inspired event!!!! I've never in my life had food that good!

Congratulations old friend!  

Victor 

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