Photo provided 40 students enrolled in Kennett's Launch program visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., with the support of the Kennett Educational Foundation. [Click to enlarge]

Third through eighth grade students in the Launch Program at Kennett Public Schools wrapped up the school year with a visit to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., where they engaged themselves with interactive science exhibits and space exploration artifacts.

According to South Elementary Principal Kim Lowry, "Thanks to the support of the Kennett Educational Foundation, a number of students within the district were able to go on the educational field trip."

The Kennett Education Foundation (KEF) is a community-based foundation, devoted to enhancing the educational experience in the Kennett Consolidated School District by providing support and scholarships to students, and innovative grants to teachers and educators.

With KEF support, approximately 40 students visited the center which is the home of the hardware of the U.S. space program.

The Space center also serves as home to the United States Space Camp.

According to the center's Web site, the idea for the museum was first proposed by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who led the efforts of the United States to land the first man on the moon.

The center opened in 1970 on land donated from the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal. It houses scientific exhibits, more than 1,500 permanent rocketry and space exploration artifacts, as well as many rotating rocketry and space-related exhibits, and is located near NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center.

The U.S. Space Camp is located on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and provides residential and day camp educational programs for children in various age groups and adults. These programs include space oriented camp programs, aircraft themed Aviation Challenge camps, and outdoor oriented X-Camp programs.

Another interesting fact about the center is that it is also the resting place of Miss Baker, a squirrel monkey who flew on a suborbital test flight of the PGM-19 Jupiter rocket on May 28, 1959.

According to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, the beloved Miss Baker lived at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for many years until she died of kidney failure on November 20, 1984.

To learn more about Miss Baker or exhibits the students at Kennett Public Schools visited, log on to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center Web site at www.spacecamp.com