The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center is a science museum located in

Concord, New Hampshire Concord () is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Hampshire and the seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2020 census the population was 43,976, making it the third largest city in New Hampshire behind Manchester and Nashua. The village of ...

, United States, next door to the NHTI campus. The museum is dedicated to

Christa McAuliffe Sharon Christa McAuliffe ( Corrigan; September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher and astronaut from Concord, New Hampshire, who was killed on the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' on mission STS-51-L where she was serving as a ...

, the Concord High School social studies teacher selected by

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

out of over 11,000 applicants to be the first Teacher in Space, and

Alan Shepard Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. (November 18, 1923 – July 21, 1998) was an American astronaut, naval aviator, test pilot, and businessman. In 1961, he became the second person and the first American to travel into space and, in 1971, he beca ...

, the

Derry, New Hampshire Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the fourth most populous in the ...

, native and Navy test pilot who became the first American in space and one of only twelve human beings to walk on the Moon. The Discovery Center's stated mission is to inspire new generations to explore space, through engaging, artful, and entertaining activities focused on

astronomy Astronomy () is a natural science that studies astronomical object, celestial objects and phenomena. It uses mathematics, physics, and chemistry in order to explain their origin and chronology of the Universe, evolution. Objects of interest ...

aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air ...

Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...

and

space science Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider ...

. The museum offers of interactive science and engineering exhibits, outdoor exhibits including a full-sized replica of a Mercury-Redstone rocket, a full-dome digital

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

, an

observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...

, science store, café, portable digital planetarium and a full complement of on- and off-site educational programs.

History

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center began as a stand-alone planetarium serving as the official State of New Hampshire memorial to Christa McAuliffe, opening in June 1990 as the Christa McAuliffe Planetarium. In 2001 it became the official state memorial to Admiral Alan Shepard as well, after his death in 1998. It is one of two public planetaria in northern

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...

, along with the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. In 2009, the organization more than quadrupled in size when it added a science museum focused on

and

; it was renamed the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. The grand opening was on March 6, 2009. After 22 years as a State of New Hampshire agency, on January 1, 2013, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center separated from the state and became a private sector nonprofit operation. The State of New Hampshire retained ownership of the facility and grounds, but engaged in a long-term lease with the new nonprofit operator, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Corporation. In 2019, the Discovery Center served as one of the primary settings of the independent film ''First Signal'' produced by New England-based company The Ashton Times.

Programs

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center's programs include the statewide high school "Astronomy Bowl" competition, annual "Aerospacefest" aerospace festival in the spring,

stargazing Amateur astronomy is a hobby where participants enjoy observing or imaging celestial objects in the sky using the unaided eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though scientific research may not be their primary goal, some amateur astronomers m ...

with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society along with a public science talk and planetarium show the first Friday of every month, a "teen night series" the second Friday night each month, an annual science symposium for educators the last week of June, an annual New Hampshire Space Grant Internship, homeschool and teacher workshops, toddler science workshops and summer camps.

Exhibits

The Discovery Center's exhibits include a 1956 XF8U-2 jet on loan from the

National Naval Aviation Museum The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...

, 1:1 scale models of the Mercury capsule inside and Mercury-Redstone outside, exhibits on

planetary science Planetary science (or more rarely, planetology) is the scientific study of planets (including Earth), celestial bodies (such as moons, asteroids, comets) and planetary systems (in particular those of the Solar System) and the processes of their f ...

, lunar exploration,

Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program na ...

exhibits including a simulator and scale models, aviation, weather, science fiction toys and memorabilia including the suit worn by

Grace Lee Whitney Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She played Janice Rand on the original ''Star Trek'' television series and subsequent ''Star Trek'' films. Early life Whitney was born on ...

in the 1979 film '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', and chairs from

Geordi La Forge Geordi La Forge ( ) is a fictional character who appeared in all seven seasons of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' and its four feature films. Portrayed by LeVar Burton, he served as helmsman o ...

's room in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''; in addition, the Discovery Center brings in three traveling exhibits annually on science and engineering. The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center operates NASA's Educator Resource Center in New Hampshire and is a New Hampshire Space Grant institution.

References

External links

McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery CenterPhoto of the plaque at the base of the Mercury-Redstone rocket replica
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mcauliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Planetaria in the United States Museums in Merrimack County, New Hampshire Buildings and structures in Concord, New Hampshire Science museums in New Hampshire Aerospace museums in New Hampshire Tourist attractions in Concord, New Hampshire Association of Science-Technology Centers member institutions Alan Shepard Museums established in 1990 1990 establishments in New Hampshire