Tours of MKI labs and facilities

The Institute offers two outreach programs coordinated and supervised by the Education and Public Outreach Office. The programs, described below, are intended for school groups in a broad range of age, school grade, and expertise.


Tour of CHANDRA Operations Control Center

The Chandra X-Ray Observatory is the world's most powerful X-Ray telescope and allows scientists to study the origin, structure and evolution of our universe in greater detail than ever before. The science instruments on board are controlled by commands transmitted from the Operations Control Center (OCC) in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is the first time that NASA has allowed a satellite of this class to be controlled from a facility outside of one of the NASA centers. We will take our visitors on a tour of the OCC and show where scientists and engineers direct the flight and execute the observing plan of Chandra, and where they receive the scientific data from the observatory. During the tour the visitors will learn about the basics of X-ray astronomy and about the latest, exciting discoveries made by MIT scientists with data acquired by Chandra. This program is coordinated with SAO personnel of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Operations Control Center.

Cost of program: NONE
Scheduling: Subject to the availability of volunteers.
Appropriate for grade level(s): Middle, high school, and adults
Application details:Contact us one month in advance to reserve a time.
Location: The Chandra OCC is located on the 7th Floor of Hill Building (or MIT Building NE80), Draper Laboratory, 1 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139 (at junction with Broadway, a 10 minute walk from the Kendall Square subway station on the Red Line). Click here for a map.

Fill out this form to arrange a tour. E-mail Irene Porro or call (617) 258-7481 if you have any questions.


Tour of Labs at the MIT Kavli Institute

With this program we offer tours of several of the Labs of the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. We offer the opportunity to experience the excitement that permeates our labs, and to meet with the people who build instrumentation for space missions, who operate science satellites, and who study the data acquired by these satellites. Our goal is to engage students' imagination, and strengthen their interest in science, technology, and space exploration.

Cost of program: NONE
Scheduling: Subject to the availability of volunteers.
Appropriate for grade level(s): High school
Application details: Contact us one month in advance to reserve a time.
Location: The MKI's headquarters and most of the labs are located in Building 37 of the MIT Campus at 70 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, a short walk from the Kendall Square subway stop.

Fill out this form to arrange a tour. E-mail Irene Porro or call (617) 258-7481 if you have any questions.


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