JUST HOW LONG before the kids send you into orbit this summer? Why not send them instead? With the exchange rate hovering around €1 to $1.40, there’s still great value to be had stateside – and one of the most exciting children’s breaks around is the US Space Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
The centre has one of the world’s most comprehensive museums of space-flight hardware. Facilities include the Spacedome Theater (where the Imax movies are literally out of this world), rocket and cockpit simulators and a Nasa-resourced training centre.
There are three residential camps for kids. Space Camp is an intensive programme that gives nine- to 11-year-olds experience of life aboard an orbiter and an international space station.
So simulated it feels real, kids get to bounce on the moon, glide through space and perform tasks such as building and launching their own rockets. The six-day programme costs $799 (€575).
Alternatively, a stint at Aviation Camp at the same centre, aimed at budding fighter pilots aged from 12 to 14, allows participants to “fly” in high-performance simulators before testing their coping skills by “landing” in unfamiliar territory. This programme, also running over six days, costs $899 (€645).
For older kids (12-16 years), the centre’s X-Camp teaches teamwork through outdoor pursuits such as kayaking and rope walking, as well as wilderness survival training. The cost is $699 (€500).
www.spacecamp.com
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