Adler's 'Planet Explorers' sends kids into orbit

When the Adler Planetarium celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005, its staff began looking to the future. They chose a new mission: to encourage kids to consider careers in math, science and education. After four years of planning, they've taken a giant leap in that direction with the new permanent exhibit "Planet Explorers."

"It is the most immersive exhibit ever created for families with young children at the Adler," said Adler Planetarium President Paul H. Knappenberger Jr. "It's a clubhouse of sorts where kids feel they have a place all of their own."

The exhibit, which is geared to children ages 3 to 8, challenges the young explorers to consider their surroundings on earth and imagine how life might be different in outer space or on another planet.

Visitors first step into a miniature house, complete with a refrigerator stocked with toy food and bean bag chairs in front of a TV broadcasting images of rocket launches. Stepping outside, the focus is still on earth. A massive sandbox is filled with gardening tools and toy vegetables, and a dome lets you look up at familiar constellations. Another section encourages children to be explorers in their own backyards by showing footprints that could be left by different animals.

Next it's time to start exploring space. Kids can put on costumes like NASA jackets or bulky spacesuit backpacks and take on different roles. A major focus is teaching children they don't need to leave the planet to explore other worlds. Youngsters can take a seat on mission control to direct the launch of a rocket, pilot rovers over rocky terrain and navigate an "orbiter." An overhead camera provides a live feed of what's going on in different areas of the exhibit.

Of course, if kids prefer to play astronaut, there's plenty to do on that front. While their partners work in mission control, little astronauts can take a seat and prepare for liftoff, navigating their rocket to dock with a space station. They can then explore the mini-station while learning about life in space.

A display on what a spacesuit does includes touchable patches of different component materials. A robotic arm that could be used for work outside a space station can be manipulated, and there are videos of astronauts playing with toys in space. A simulated spacewalk features a translucent bridge that kids can walk across while fully surrounded by darkness and stars.

"Planet Explorers" strongly emphasizes drawing parallels. A bed in the model home is contrasted with an astronaut bed, which really just involves being strapped into a wall harness so astronauts won't fly away in zero gravity. The astronaut kitchen is packed with freeze-dried foods, and there's even a model of a zero-gravity toilet complete with handles to hold on to, showing the challenges space explorers face when it comes to even the most basic activities.

There are even weather stations that show the temperatures on earth and in space.

Another area focuses on the possibilities of exploring other planets. Kids take on the challenge of looking for traces of life and water on the fictional Planet X and determine if humans could live on another planet.

There are tunnels to explore with traces of crystals and animal prints on the walls, and a lab where kids can help with construction and learn about hydroponics. On busy days the lab can be used to run hands-on activities. While many of the lessons could be applied to studying Earth's real neighbors, the designers thought a fictional planet was better suited to the exhibit's goals.

"We wanted to have a lot of flexibility," said Karen Carney, director of exhibits and programs. "We didn't want to model it after Mars. We wanted it to be the unexplored - a new place to go."