Cosmosphere announces 2025 camps
May 20, 2025
It’s a bird…it’s a plane…Who knows? The Cosmosphere does and they want to educate kids this summer in everything from airplanes to aliens.
Camps are for students in 3rd through 12th grade. They include skills and concepts for future careers as well as tons of fun.
The following are the 2025 Summer Young Explorer Day Camps being offered:
Solar System
Campers will gain a greater understanding of the solar system by learning about planets and the sun through hands-on science activities.
For students entering 3rd or 4th grade
5 days
$350 plus $70 registration fee
June 2-6
June 30-July 4
July 14-18
Lunar base
Campers take on the challenges of living on the moon and explore past, present and future lunar missions.
For students entering 4th or 5th grade
5 days
$350 plus $70 registration fee
June 9-13
June 30-July 4
*July 7-11
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
Alien Adventure
Campers take a serious look at what it would be like to find alien life. This includes not only exploring the science behind how alien life would be possible, but also what an alien culture could look like.
For students entering 5th or 6th grade
$400 + $70 registration fee
June 9-13
*June 16-20
July 14-18
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
This camp is in session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Starship Earth
Campers learn more about Earth’s life systems as they consider how humans survive in space.
For students entering 6th or 7th grade
4 Days / 1 Overnight
$450 + $70 registration fee
June 2-6
*June 23-27
July 21-25
New registrants save 10%
Sign up by May 18
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
This camp is in session from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Overnight: Evening before graduation
The following are the 2025 Ad Astra Program Overnight Camps:
Mars Academy
In Mars Academy, teams of campers will find out if they have what it takes to survive on Mars! Activities and training will center around building a sustainable colony on Mars where campers will compete to earn various resources.
Entering 7th or 8th Grade
5 Days / 4 Overnights
$650 + $70 registration fee
June 4-8
June 11-15
*June 18-22
*June 25-29
July 2-6
*July 9-13
July 16-20
July 23-27
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
Check-In: HCC dorms 12-12:45 p.m.
Orientation: 1 p.m. on first day
Graduation: 11:30 a.m. on final day
Mission: Moon Shot
In Mission: Moon Shot, campers will work to successfully complete a mission to observe the Moon from Lunar orbit mirroring the Apollo 8 and Artemis 2 missions. Activities include a focus in robotics and rocketry, and introduce campers to careers in the arts, communications, Education, IT, and STEM.
Students entering 8th or 9th grade
6 Days / 5 Overnights
$850 + $70 registration fee
May 31-June 5
June 7-12
July 12-17
July 19-24
Check-In: HCC dorms 12-12:45 p.m.
Orientation: 1 p.m. on first day
Graduation: 10 a.m. on final day
Mission: Astro Lab
As Astro Recruits progress toward their end goal of establishing life on another planet, they must first successfully live in outer space. In Mission: Astro Lab, campers will work as a team to send a crew using the Astralis capsule-based simulator to a space station. Activities include a focus in SCUBA training and experimentation and introduce campers to careers in business, health science, human services, and marketing.
Students entering 9th or 10th grade
6 Days / 5 Overnights
$1,050 + $70 registration fee
2025 Dates
June 1-6
June 8-13
*June 22-27
July 13-18
July 20-25
Check-In: HCC dorms 12-12:45 p.m.
Orientation: 1 p.m. on first day
Graduation: 10 a.m. on final day
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
Mission: Lunar Trek
Having proven that life is possible in outer space, in Mission: Lunar Trek, Astro Recruits shift focus to landing humans on the moon using the Altair Lunar Lander. Activities include a focus in flight and drone training and introduce campers to careers in construction, finance, hospitality, and transportation.
Students entering 10th or 11th grade
6 Days / 5 Overnights
$1,350 + $70 registration fee
*June 15-20
June 29-July 4
*July 6-11
Check-In: HCC dorms 12-12:45 p.m.
Orientation: 1 p.m. on first day
Graduation: 10 a.m. on final day
*Campers will be joined by a retired astronaut who will interact with campers during an activity. Campers will also receive a photo with the astronaut and their autograph. Astronaut will be announced soon. $100 additional fee applies.
Mission: Martian Base
Now that campers have landed on the Moon, they are moving on to the next challenge: Mars. Learn what it takes to build and survive in a Martian Settlement. Activities include a focus on living on Mars, and introduce campers to careers in food, government and law, and manufacturing.
Students entering 10-12th grade
6 Days / 5 Overnights
$1,550 + $70 registration fee
June 14-19
July 5-10
Check-In: HCC dorms 12-12:45 p.m.
Orientation: 1 p.m. on first day
Graduation: 10 a.m. on final day
Travel Experience: Texas
Back by popular demand! Road trip to one of the biggest space cities in the US: Houston, TX. In order to attend this trip, campers must complete Mission: Martian Base (can be done in the same summer). Previous Colorado campers are welcome. More information will be released as we book different venues.
Students entering 11th or 12th grade
6 Days / 5 Overnights
$1,750 + $70 registration fee
June 28-July 3
The Travel Experience is by invitation only to those that have attended Mission: Martian Base.
The following is the 2025 seasonal camp:
Spring Into STEAM
2026 session to be announced in Fall 2025.
Former Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger joined Spring into STEAM campers in 2025!
Grades 4-6th
5 Days
Activities:
Presentation with water filtration demo (Campers will learn how urine is filtered into drinking water on the International Space Station), Air Leak Challenge, individual picture and autograph with former astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger. Introductory mission to low-Earth orbit in our Astralis Simulator, train like an astronaut in our 4G centrifuge, observe the sun using a telescope, launch water rockets and learn the basics of flying a drone.
No one should miss the Cosmosphere Camp experiences because they lack financial resources. Each year, approximately 10% of the students attending camp receive at least a partial scholarship. The application process is simple and transparent. It offers you a preview of what college scholarship applications might hold as you seek reference letters and prepare an essay.
Begin by choosing the dates and session of camp a student wants to attend. If you have questions, please contact our scholarship coordinator at 620-665-9326. Apply here. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. To apply for a scholarship, log into the camp portal, create a profile for your camper and access the application from the Dashboard page.
Receiving a scholarship does not guarantee the availability of a camp session date. To ensure you have a spot in the session you wish, please pre-register your camper and pay the $70 registration fee.
While everyone is eligible to apply, scholarships are limited. Scholarship amounts awarded cover some or all of the camp tuition. Travel, snacks or souvenir camp gear are not included. Scholarships come in Full, Half and Quarter of the camp price.
Thanks to generous donors, the Cosmosphere is able to offer scholarships for all camp types in 2025. If you are interested in helping support camp scholarships contact our development team at 620-665-9326.
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