Mission: Mars
About
Experience the Red Planet.
Explore the red planet and learn about the science and technology that got us there by visiting Mission: Mars. Developed by the Saint Louis Science Center in partnership with NASA and Washington University in St. Louis, this unique exhibit is located on the 1st floor of the McDonnell Planetarium.
From Mars to Earth
From H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds to Andy Weir’s The Martian, our culture’s fascination with the Red Planet is nothing new. However, the ability to explore this distant world is much more recent in our history.
Mars Rover Replica Build
Have you ever seen the Mars rover replica at the Science Center? It was actually built by the talented folks in our Exhibit Electronics Department. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look as Collin and Nathan put it together. Think of it as a giant Erector Set that took roughly 55 hours to complete!
Mission: Mars Base
Welcome to the future of Mars exploration! You’ll be transported to Mars at some point in the distant future. Taking on the role of an astronaut living and working on Mars, you’ll perform science operations at key locations on the planet. You’ll use two specially designed rovers, Intrepid and Adventure, which closely resemble the rovers currently exploring the red planet. Mars Base is located across the Skybridge at the McDonnell Planetarium, P1.
Roving with Perseverance
This Roving with Perseverance display allows guests to see full-scale replicas of the NASA Perseverance Mars Rover and Ingenuity Helicopter up close. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover mission is part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program, a long-term effort of robotic exploration of the Red Planet. The mission addresses high-priority science goals for Mars exploration, including key questions about the potential for life on Mars. While the real-life technological marvels are at work hundreds of millions of miles away exploring Mars, these life-sized “twin” models will be on display inside the McDonnell Planetarium for a full year to help demonstrate the scale and technology required for space exploration.
This display is FREE and is located in the lobby area of the McDonnell Planetarium.
Visit
Membership does more.
As a nonprofit, the Saint Louis Science Center relies on memberships, donations and ticket sales to support free galleries like Mission: Mars, our education programs, community outreach and daily operation.
If you’d like to support the Science Center’s mission, learn more about membership, make a one-time gift in support of the Science Center, or get tickets to see a show.
Accessibility
Mission: Mars is accessible to visitors with disabilities, as well as visitors with strollers, scooters, and walkers. Elevators and ramps serve all public areas.
