In the aftermath of the 1986 Challenger accident, family members met to conceive a plan that would carry on the spirit of their loved ones. What came out of that meeting was an idea to create the world’s first interactive space science center where teachers and their students could experience a simulated space mission. The first Challenger Learning Center opened in 1988 in Houston, and there are now over 45 Challenger Learning Centers. Locally, the dream for a Challenger Learning Center in St. Louis began in the early 1990’s when the educational, cultural and business communities formed a committee for the purpose of opening a Center in St. Louis. The committee envisioned a partnership to support the Challenger Learning Center that included the Saint Louis Science Center, Cooperating School Districts, and an area school district. The Ferguson-Florissant School District was chosen as the third partner and location for the Center. With support from Senator Kit Bond, a grant for $1,000,000 was obtained from NASA to make this dream come true. The Challenger Learning Center-St. Louis opened in the fall of 2003 on the campus of McCluer South-Berkeley High School in Ferguson, Missouri. Challenger Learning Center St. Louis is located in an 8,500 square-foot facility in Ferguson, MO, just one mile north of I-70 off of Florissant Road on Brotherton Lane. At the core of the Challenger Learning Center are two mission simulation environments: A Mission Control room where officers and directors monitor the progress of the space station crew and make key mission decisions. A Space Station environment where mission specialists engage in communication with Mission Control, direct navigation, perform scientific experiments, and maintain the well-being of the crew. Participants “travel” up to space via our unique space transporter after being briefed about the details of their galactic mission in the Orientation Room.
