As part of its ambition to send the first humans to Mars, NASA has awarded a US$1.3m (€1.2m, £1m) grant to the Wings of Eagles Discovery Center (WEDC) to construct of a replica red planet base to encourage STEM learning.

The Martian Base exhibit, which will be created according to NASA’s STEM curriculum, will also offer a professional development pilot program for K-12 students in the local area using existing NASA-STEM Mars-themed programming.

The permanent installation will feature an interactive display with real-world data, demonstrating how STEM principles can be applied to a Mars mission. Among the areas covered will be NASA-Mars transport vehicle design concepts, Mars Base design concepts, microgravity and possible effects on the human body of traveling to Mars, transport vehicle designs, agricultural methods, and types of food crops being planned for a Mars Base.

Following the funding announcement, New York state-based WEDC also announced a series of partnerships with the Greater Southern Tier Board of Cooperative Educational Services, the Elmira City School District, Cornell University, Ithaca College, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and the NASA Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers to complete the project.

“I have long been a supporter of WEDC, one of New York’s treasures,” said New York senator Chuck Schumer.

“Through increasing community partnerships and by expanding on the already stellar STEM education programs it offers to children across the region, this award will allow the center to soar to new heights. I look forward to their future successes as the Center grows its mission and expands its footprint in the Southern Tier and beyond.”