School Science Trip to Houston

When it comes to out-of-this-world STEM school trips, it’s pretty hard to beat a visit to actual ‘Mission Control’ in Houston.

Nicknamed ‘Space City’, Houston is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center – flight control for manned space missions and one of the world’s key centres for astronaut training. This is quite literally the beating heart of human space exploration and research.

Not only will you be able to explore the centre, you’ll also be able to take part in a 5-day ‘space mission’ there. Your group will get stuck into a range of engineering and maths-based activities like coding, mission planning and Mars Rover construction. You’ll go behind the scenes of astronaut training (including experiencing weightlessness during astronaut scuba training) and learn more on topics like sustainable habit construction, robotics and, of course, rocket design and launch.

You’ll enjoy talks by NASA employees on the realities of working there and a real-life astronaut will attend or even present a Q&A session during the week.

And that’s not all, other STEM-related activities in Houston include indoor skydiving (which is offered in conjunction with a special workshop designed to help students understand the science behind the experience), and the opportunity to visit an oil rig in the harbour and find out more about how science and engineering has made offshore drilling possible.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1

Morning

Fly to Houston

Afternoon

Check in to accommodation

Evening

Welcome and safety meeting

Evening meal at accommodation

Day 2

Morning

Team briefing

Starship gallery tour

Rover design project

Afternoon

Spacesuit design - JSC engineer

Rover purchasing

Evening

Evening meal at accommodation

Day 3

Morning

Natural Buoyancy Lab tour

Mars Rover and Spectrometer presentations

Afternoon

Rock lab and curatorial

JSC tram tour/rocket park

Evening

Evening meal (possibility to visit Main Event Center)

Day 4

Morning

Mars Lander Design and Construction

Mars Lander Competition

Afternoon

Astronaut training/dive session

Evening

Evening meal (possibility to visit Kemah Boardwalk)

Day 5

Morning

Rocket design presentation

2-stage rocket design, purchasing and orbital lofting projects

Afternoon

2-stage rocket construction project

Communication presentation

Evening

Evening meal

Day 6

Morning

Space physiology presentation

Astronaut brunch and graduation ceremony

Afternoon

Rover engineering, obstacle course, launch and free time at the center

Evening

Transfer to departure airport and flight home

Day 7

Morning

Arrive back in UK

ATOL-protected return flights from UK to Houston
5 nights' full-board accommodation (first meal = evening meal on day 1; last meal = lunch on day 6)
Airport transfers and coach transportation as shown on itinerary
Space Center Mission Program (includes 7 hours of activities, simulations and workshops over the course of 5 days)
Graduation ceremony with certificate presentation
The services of a Halsbury representative in resort
Free staff place ratio 1:10
Itinerary planning service
Detailed final itinerary e-pack with relevant visit confirmations
Access to Vamoos - our easy-to-use travel app
Comprehensive travel and medical insurance
VAT at current rates to Tour Operators

Curriculum

A Level

Supports learning in STEM
Space physics
Mechanics
Electrical circuits
Atomic structure
The development of scientific thinking
Experimental skills and strategies
Analysis and evaluation
Vocabulary, units, symbols and nomenclature

GCSE

Supports learning in STEM
Space physics
Earth and atmospheric science
Forces and motion
Electricity and circuits
Light and the electromagnetic spectrum
Atoms, elements and compounds

Key Stage 3

Supports learning in STEM
Earth and the atmosphere
Motions and forces
Physics in outer space
Ecosystems
Electricity and electromagnetism
Waves: sound, energy and light

Accommodation

Courtyard Houston NASA/Clear Lake

Close to Kemah Boardwalk, the Courtyard Houston NASA/Clear Lake makes a great base for your school trip to Houston. The hotel boasts an outdoor swimming pool, 24-hour gym, and air-conditioning and WiFi throughout. All guestrooms benefit from en-suite bathroom facilities. Breakfast (with Starbucks coffee) is available each morning.

Springhill Suites Houston NASA/Webster

The Springhill Suites Houston NASA/Webster is just two miles from the Johnson Space Center. There's free WiFi throughout, an outdoor saltwater pool and 24-hour fitness centre and, each morning, a delicious breakfast with hot and cold options. All guestrooms feature air-conditioning and en-suite bathroom facilities.

Tour highlights

Mission Program at Space Center U

Your young scientists will spend 5 days with NASA employees at Space Center U, the visitor centre for NASA’s Johnson Space Center. They’ll take part in a variety of hands-on tasks, including building and launching rockets, Martian habitat building cryogenics and thermal heat shield testing, robotics and even experiencing weightlessness with basic astronaut scuba training. As well as all that, they’ll enjoy Q&A sessions with NASA astronauts and engineers, and behind-the-scenes tours of the facilities, including the Apollo landings Mission Control.

Did you know?

Space Center U’s Independence Plaza is the only place in the world where visitors can explore inside a space shuttle replica and an original shuttle carrier aircraft.

NASA Johnson Space Center

If your students are interested in space exploration then a visit to NASA’s Johnson Space Center will blow their minds. This is Mission Control for all of NASA’s manned spaceflights since Gemini 4 (that includes the Apollo, Apollo-Soyuz and Space Shuttle programs). It’s also a key training facility for astronauts. At the visitor centre (Space Center Houston, which is right next door), your scientists can see real-life spaceships and space shuttles, and find out more about NASA’s plans for future missions to Mars. And an open-air tram ride will take you into the historic Mission Control center and astronaut training facilities.

Did you know?

The Johnson Space Center is on the site of the former Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This was where astronauts returning from missions to the Moon were quarantined. It’s still home to the majority of lunar samples taken during these missions.

Indoor Skydiving

Not only will you get to have a go at indoor skydiving (which, let’s face it, would be a real highlight of any trip), your students will also learn more about the maths and physics behind their flight with this immersive experience. The centre’s highly trained STEM educators will get them excited about the real-world STEM applications, with physics demonstrations within the wind tunnel itself.

Did you know?

Because you’re not jumping or falling out of anything (and instead will be floating on a column of air), you won’t get that weird sensation in your stomach that you get when falling (or dreaming about falling…). So, this is usually a great experience even for those of us that experience a bit of motion sickness.

Educational Activities

Space Center U

Space Center U is the official visitor centre for the NASA Johnson Space Center and is one of the top attractions in Houston.

Galveston Oil Rig Tour

Discover the science and technology behind offshore drilling in Galveston Harbor.

Indoor Skydiving Houston

Enjoy an indoor skydiving session - and explore the science behind your flight.

Baybrook Mall

Enjoy a spot of retail therapy at Baybrook Mall.

Cultural Activities

Kemah Boardwalk

Take a stroll along the Kemah Boardwalk to enjoy waterfront restaurants and thrilling rollercoasters.

Supporting you every step of the way

Creating your perfect trip

Your quote will be put together by an experienced Tour Adviser who’ll be an expert in the subject area and will know the destination really well too. They’ll work with you to create a trip to suit your group’s needs and meet your learning objectives.

Launching your trip to parents and students

The next step is to get your trip approved and then get students signed up to it. Our ‘Trip Launch Pack’ will help you with this step. This is full of resources (all free to download) designed to make your life easier at this crucial point in the trip planning process.

After you’ve booked

Once you’ve booked, your dedicated Itinerary Coordinator will start work on the finer details. They’ll make sure your itinerary makes the most of your time and they’ll take on most of the admin tasks for your trip (freeing you up to do what you do best – teach).

Support while you’re away

From lost property to properly lost, we’ll always be on the end of the phone while you’re out on the trip. You’ll get a final info pack before you go, as well as access to all your trip documents via the Vamoos app.

After your trip

We’ll ask you for feedback, so we can improve our service. Let’s start planning your next trip too, so parents have plenty of time to pay (and so it’s less stressful for you). And don’t forget to head to our resources hub to continue the learning back in the classroom.