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Join us from 10 AM to 4 PM on March 2, 2013, to explore the wonders of rocket science and celebrate the premiere of
the all new original Sudekum Planetarium production
of Rusty Rocket’s Last Blast!

Blast Off! Day will feature rocket building, launching, and even splashdown activities. Construct a scale model of the solar system, take the Pizza Prediction Challenge and join Rusty Rocket’s Rookie Rocket Recruitment Rally. Sea Monsters and Skies Over Nashville will also be shown in the Sudekum Planetarium, and you won’t want to miss "Muttley’s Vacuum Show".

Activities throughout the day

Outside

• Astronomy Channel – vanload of telescopes, video gear, and enthusiasm about space.
• Solar Scopes – Safely observe what’s happening on the Sun today.
• One Giant Stomp – Take one giant stomp, and see how far you go.
• Walking Tour of the Solar System – Get a sense of the vast distances between the planets by walking all the way from the Sun to Pluto. It’s a long way between rest stops in the outer solar system.

First Floor

• Rusty Rocket’s Rookie Rocket Recruitment Rally – Complete this fun scavenger hunt to increase your rocket science knowledge. Then return to Mission Control with your completed form to claim your reward.
• Rocket Assembly Station – Make a simple rocket from just a strip of paper or straws and a balloon.
• Launch and Learn – Can you get your rocket to one of our targets?
• One Giant Stomp – Take one giant stomp, and see how far you go.
• Pizza Challenge – Can you calculate how long it would take to reach our nearest neighbors in space?
• Comet Kitchen – Watch our Special Chef whip up a comet before your very eyes.
• Pocket Solar System – Create a scale model of the solar system just by folding a piece of paper.
• Walking Tour of the Solar System – Get a sense of the vast distances between the planets by walking all the way from the Sun to Pluto.

Second Floor

• Capsule Construction - Sign up your team to bu ild a re-entry capsule for your egg-stronaut.
• Splashdown or Splat-down? – Will the egg-stronauts survive landing using only the basic materials provided?
• Spectral Detectives – Observe different sources of light through diffraction glasses you get to keep.
• National Space Society – Compare models of past, present, and future space vehicles used for human and robotic exploration of our solar system neighborhood.
• Rocket Racers – Build a rocket racer and use Newton’s Third Law of Motion to see if your vehicle will travel farthest for the day.
• Vanderbilt University Aerospace Club – Engineering students will share the challenges and fun of designing rockets.
• The Astronomy Channel – Explore space in 3D and examine real meteorites