
Work has begun on an upgrade to the Michigan Science Center’s planetarium and associated space exhibits, made possible by a $2.6 million grant from the Ballmer Group.
Expected to be complete by the end of this year, the renovations and upgrades will create a new, immersive, and interactive learning space with improved 8K digital projection, state-of-the-art real-time science visualization capabilities, and a seamless dome.
New inclined seats and an updated 5.1 audio system will “propel” guests through hyperspace to magnificent vistas and distant worlds. The existing exterior structure of Mi-Sci’s planetarium will remain the same; all upgrades are interior improvements only.
“Space is much closer than you think, and you may one day have the opportunity to visit,” says Christian Greer, president and CEO of Mi-Sci. “But why wait? This transformative grant from Ballmer provides us an incredible opportunity to take advantage of renewed public interest in space and use it as a relevancy gateway for enhancing public knowledge and improving K-12 STEM literacy.
“Although the universe is vast, it’s not empty. It’s filled with mysterious worlds, countless stars, and unimaginable beauty. Our new ‘Hyperspace’ planetarium initiative will take your curiosity about what’s out there to its limits.”
The Michigan Science Center’s core mission, according to Greer, is to advance STEM learning (science, technology, engineering, and math) across all ages and disciplines through discovery, innovation, and interactive education. As a STEM hub, Mi-Sci focuses on developing and introducing expanded education programs, exhibits and initiatives to empower and enrich our children and community.
Mi-Sci’s stated goal is to be a pioneering force for the future of STEM education in Detroit and a dynamic destination in Michigan, making itself accessible, engaging, and transformative for all while fostering a vibrant, culturally relevant, community STEM hub where learning is deeply personal, profoundly social, and inherently joyful.
“We put you at the center of science by inspiring and cultivating a lifelong passion for learning through personalized, immersive, interactive, and playful experiences that connect communities and invite people to see themselves in STEM,” Greer says.
“One aspect of that work is inspiring curiosity in aviation, aerospace and space. Mi-Sci’s Hyperspace Initiative is an internal program with three distinct themes, with big ideas representing two new interactive galleries and one new immersive planetarium theater interior upgrade. The grant from Ballmer Group will fund the latter.”
The Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband, Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team. For more information, visit ballmergroup.org.
For more information about the Michigan Science Center, visit Mi-Sci.org.