Wiess School of Natural Sciences

Houston Museum of Natural Science

The Rice Space Instittue collaborates with Houston Museum of Natural Science on several outreach programs:

Master of Science Teaching Program trains teachers in earth and space science content. 


Public Connection Program brings high-quality earth and space science content to museums, schools and the public. These were started with NASA seed money and some are now being commercially distributed by the software company Space Update, Inc. Free copies are distributed to teachers at conferences through grants. Over 150,000 CD's or DVD's have been distributed. Well over one million visitors have interacted with these exhibits at various museums.

  • Space Update  (CD and now DVD):  over 37,000 distributed  (most given free to teachers; some paid through Space Services or Space Update)
  • Earth Update CD:  over 17,000 distributed (most given free to teachers; some paid through Space Update)
  • Space Weather CD: nearly 100,000 distributed free of charge; 20,000 annually in NASA teacher packets


Discovery Dome Program creates planetarium shows for large digital theaters (first earth science shows in the country, second digital theater in the world), as well as creating and distributing portable theaters: the Discovery Dome. RSI has created a number of shows which Rice holds the copyright on. The Discovery Dome network now has 56 installations in 11 countries and 19 states. 

"Firsts" of the HMNS/Rice partnership.

• First NSF-funded teacher research program in Astronomy and Earth Science: 1988-91 (teacher alumni of that program include the Director of Science at HISD, head of Challenger Center at George Observatory, and many other talented teachers).

• First meter-class telescope dedicated to the public: George Observatory,and still the largest public telescope within one hour of 5 million people.
Also collaborated to get state law passed to protect dark skies near observatories.

• First internet-accessible but safe (non-html) online museum exhibit, 1994 HMNS has had Rice-Developed, internet-accessible earth and space science exhibits ever since, with more than two million in-person users. 

• First educational CD-Rom to allow safe (non-html) access to online realtime earth and space science data:  Space Update, 1996.   (Followed by Earth Update, Space Weather, and Mars Update)   Over 140,000 in the field, mostly given away free to teachers.

• First network of museums for Earth science:  Museums Teaching Planet Earth, 1998 Winner of first two NASA Cooperative Agreement Competitions: ESIP and REASoN

• Charter member, Earth Science Information Partners, 1998; Cooperating with:  DLESE, NSDL, Museum Visualization Alliance, and others

• First fullview immersive digital theater in the U.S., 1998 (Burke Baker Planetarium) First fullview show: “Cosmic Mysteries” Upgraded theater to fulldome in 2000 (6 projectors instead of 4)

• First fullview Earth Science production for immersive digital theaters Powers of Time, 1999

• First fulldome Earth and Space Physics show for immersive digital theaters Force 5, 2000.  Additional shows completed:   Future Moon, 2002; Saturn: the Ring World, 2004; Secrets of the Dead Sea, 2004; Earth’s Wild Ride, 2005; Dinosaur Prophecy, 2006; Night of the Titanic, 2007 (plus other HMNS shows)

• First single-projector, immersive portable digital theater Discovery Dome,  2003    (now in 56 locations, 19 states, 11 countries – including first digital planetarium in East Africa).  Spinoff: MTPE Inc  (www.discoverydome.com)