MSEC Summer Camp | GMU College of Science

Ignite Your Child’s Curiosity at the Mason Space Exploration Center Camp!

A totally human made drawing of a green rocket launching on a distant planet.

Our camp will inspire the next generation to launch their curiosity and creativity about space. At the Mason Space Exploration Center camp, your child will dive into expert-guided fun and engaging hands-on STEM activities. Campers will be exploring topics including:

Programming and electronics with Arduino
Mathematics and the physics of motion and gravity
Creating a scale model of the Solar System
Touring the 2nd largest on-campus Observatory on the East Coast
Visiting a small-sat development lab and radio dish
Using a Solar Telescope

...And much more. Join us for an adventure that will spark a lifelong passion for science and exploration.

Many campers are gathered around a video recording of a model rocket launch.

Registration for Space Camp is closed for the fall. Thank you all for your support!

Blast off to Adventure

Grade Levels:

Base Camp is appropriate for rising fourth and fifth graders.
Advanced Camp is appropriate for rising sixth through eighth graders.
For rising high schoolers, we recommend the Aspiring Scholars Summer Internship Program (ASSIP). Our observatory has partnered with them in the past, and many disciplines are available.
Permission required via email for students outside these grade levels.
Camp capacity is generally limited to 30 students per week.

Price:

$500 per week, including $100 worth of take-home materials.

Camp Schedule:

Dropoff: 8:45 to 9:15 a.m.
Pickup: 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

Weekly Space Mission:

Monday: Countdown and launch.
Tuesday: Explore the mysteries of the Moon.
Wednesday: Discover the secrets of Mars.
Thursday: Investigate the icy moons of Jupiter.
Friday: Unveil the wonders of Saturn’s icy moons.

Each day is packed with thrilling STEM challenges and unexpected surprises, ensuring an educational and exhilarating experience. Our unique program encourages teamwork and leadership, as students are grouped into six teams of up to five, each taking on different mission roles. For students attending multiple weeks, we recommend embracing a new mission role each week for a diverse and enriching experience.

Why Choose Our Camp?

Hands-On STEM Learning: Engaging STEM activities that ignite curiosity and foster a love for science.
Teamwork and Leadership: Small teams and rotating roles promote collaboration and leadership skills.
Expert Instructors: Guided by experienced educators passionate about space and science.

Secure your child’s spot in our Space Exploration Camp today and give them a summer filled with adventure, learning, and fun.

2025 Sessions & Availability

Base Camp:

Session #	Start Date	End Date	Camper Positions Available (as of September '24)
Session 1	TBD	TBD	30
Session 2	TBD	TBD	30
Session 3	TBD	TBD	30
Session 4	TBD	TBD	30

Advanced Camp:

Session #	Start Date	End Date	Camper Positions Available (as of September '24)
Session 5	TBD	TBD	30
Session 6	TBD	TBD	30
Session 7	TBD	TBD	30

We will continue to update you as our availability changes. 2024 Waitlisters who were unable to register for the 2024 Season will be contacted by camp administration prior to the 2025 Season.

Image Gallery

Here are a few fun memories from last year's season of camp.

Campers line up and count steps to play "Counselor Bot". Flight Director Aiden was programmed like a computer to walk across the room and sit in a chair. — Several campers line up for "Rover Calibration". They must program their counselor like a computer, and guide them across the room to sit down in a chair, developing programming skills in the process.

Several campers gather around a high-end computer in our Mission Control. They are having a lot of fun with math, it seems.. — Several campers are gathered around a high-end computer. Our explorers use campus facilities to perform advanced calculations and use real-world hard skills like Microsoft Office Suite and C++.

Professor Parks watches along with a camper as their virtual rocket makes it into orbit. — Professor Parks and a camper share a moment of awe as their virtual rocket achieves orbit. The rocket simulation was a camper favorite!

A camper's virtual spaceplane successfully takes off. — In the same rocket simulator as the last image, one camper has turned his rocket sideways and turned it into a space plane.

A camper's virtual rocket has catastrophically failed on the launchpad. Next time, he will point the rocket up instead of down. — An explorer's first attempt a virtual rocket is not always their most successful -- so were NASA's first attempts at space travel. In rocket science, failure is a part of the standard developmental process (even explosively so).

A camper shows of their water rocket. Flight Director Apoorva is seen in the background happily aproving. — Campers constructed (and decorated!) water bottle rockets for launch. We partially used reused and recycled construction materials.

Flight Director Apoorva and a camper successfully launch a water rocket. It appears Apoorva is getting a faceful of rocket exhaust! — Campers launched their water rockets on the Observatory grounds. They additionally performed data analysis on their results to determine the relation between launch pressure and maximum height. Getting sprayed is a small price to pay for the experimental data.

A Camper shows off the result of his Arduino experiment. — Campers use the "30 Days Lost in Space" Arduino Kit by Inventr.io. Registration for the online course can be done for free through Inventr.io's site.

Two campers follow the video modules of Inventr.io, one of our partners this year. — Two campers watching the video modules of the Inventr.io "30 Days Lost in Space" Arduino Kit. Although our camp only covers the first two days, your camper takes home materials and has free access to the remaining four weeks' worth of content. The final day even involves programming an Arduino Video Game!

Flight Director Gabby is seen explaining the contents of a graph to three campers. All four individuals are looking at a computer screen showing a zoomed-in map of Mars. — Campers explore the surface of Mars using NASA GIS Data. They find suitable landing sites by looking at the elevation data, and use some "messy math" to find landing ETA.

Two campers show off their orbital reentry gliders, ready for testing. — Two campers show off their Orbital Reentry Gliders. Campers tested their prototypes from the roof of Research Hall and analyzed experimental data in Office Suite to find the optimal wing shapes.

Several campers have gathered around a whiteboard, proud to show the photographer their work. — Several campers pose around a whiteboard. Campers will use messy math to solve problems related to their exploration. Here, they were very eager to show their results.

Two campers high five after a successful mission for the day. — A resounding success for our mission specialists' rocket launch!

Many Campers are gathered in the small satellite lab of the Volgenau School of Engineering.

A few campers proudly display their water rockets. One gives a thumbs up.

Several campers are assigning Ian instructions to write on the board. He appears to be struggling due to poor programming.

A camper appears horrified that Ian has begun writing the wrong way around, facing away from the board..

Many campers are gathered in a lecture hall. They are all wearing matching T-shirts. Two in front are doing jazz hands!

Camp Center at Exploratory Hall
10431 Rivanna River Way, Fairfax, VA 22030
Directions to Exploratory Hall