Constructed during the pioneering days of America’s space program, the PARI site is rich with items of historical and scientific significance. Visitors to the campus can see the first massive radio antenna (85 feet across) that NASA built specifically to communicate with orbiting astronauts such as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong. This antenna, along with its companion 85ft instrument, is currently being used for research and education. The 4.6 meter radio telescope nicknamed “Smiley” was used by NASA for pioneering research at 30 GHz and also serves as an interesting footnote in the Cold War--- its “Smiley” face was pointed skyward as a friendly wave to orbiting Soviet spy satellites.

These instruments, and other aspects of the PARI campus, help serve a vital role in PARI’s mission.  Structured research and educational programs are two components of that mission. A third, and an extremely important element, is public outreach: making PARI and its scientific assets accessible to the public.  The central focus of that effort is the Science Education Center (SEC), currently housed in the StarLab building near the center of PARI’s campus.

The Science Education Center now contains earth science specimens such as gemstones and a meteorite collection, PARI’s StarLab portable planetarium and dedicated classrooms being upfitted for distance learning.   To date, full utilization of the SEC has not been realized because of PARI’s research and educational initiatives, which require a dark and quiet environment for scientific observations.  Fortunately, the 200-acre campus provides a solution: a tract of land separated from the scientific instruments by a ridge that will help protect the instruments from any light or noise pollution generated by public visitation and programs.

PARI has begun site preparation and has developed initial architectural plans for the new Science Education Center.  As currently envisioned, the new SEC will include a visitor center, an auditorium, a planetarium, expanded scientific exhibits and housing for overnight visitors.  The anticipated cost is $6 million and a fund-raising effort is underway.