Race to the Moon

It is 1969 and national pride and prestige are on the line. The United States is in a tight race with the Soviet Union to see who can be the first to land humans on the Moon and return them safely to Earth. NASA needs engineers and scientists with real problem-solving skills.

Your Mission: Develop a rocket to launch into space, travel over 200,000 miles to the Moon, and land safely.

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Smithsonian TechQuest: Race to the Moon is a FREE alternate reality game at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Set in the thrilling era of early spaceflight, the game explores the exciting race to space by the first American astronauts.

Begin the Smithsonian TechQuest: Race to the Moon challenge with a short orientation from one of our specially trained Explainers including a video setting the stage for your grand adventure. Then, head out into the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar to participate in hands-on activities about launching a rocket to the Moon, setting a course to the Moon, and landing safely on the Moon. At each station, you will gather information and use your problem-solving skills to find clues leading to a computer code that will aid you on your mission. Finally, enter each computer code one at a time into a special computer interface. When all three computer codes have been entered correctly you can officially launch and land on the Moon! 

Orientations are offered at regular intervals between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm. Visitors play at their own pace. Overall program time is estimated at about 60-90 minutes.

Smithsonian TechQuest is designed primarily for families with children ages 10 to 14, but anyone can play.

Visit the Smithsonian TechQuest website for more information, as well as dates of other upcoming Race to the Moon games.

Smithsonian TechQuest is made possible by the generous support of McDonald's USA, LLC.