Now to a story that takes us decades into the future when Mars travel could become common.

Middle school students are using STEM skills, science, technology, engineering and math to conduct a successful space mission.

Our Laura Rogers takes us to the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah.

Or they're proving that education matters.

How beautiful it is with things that are unknown, that are just so amazing to figure out how a.

Profound point of view from Lila montez, one of dozens of Masefield seventh graders on a mission to Mars.

I've been, like, talking on the intercom, tell people like, what they need to do.

It's all a simulation, of course, here at the Challenger Learning Center at Paducah on the campus of West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Literally, they can think out of this world.

They experience not only space simulations, but they do hands on engineering activities.

A former teacher, Melissa Duncan, says the center is focused on upper elementary and middle school students.

When studies show many of them start to lose interest in STEM subjects.

STEM education, science, technology, engineering and math.

It's basically the wave of the future are not even the wave of the future.

It's the wave of now.

With support from a half a million dollar fundraising campaign, the Challenger Learning Center went through a major upgrade this summer, including a brand new mission control.

They're actually going into the year 2076, where we hope Mars travel has become common.

This group of students living on Phobos, the larger of Mars two moons, are sending their classmates on an expedition Mars mission.

We have teachers come in and they will look at us and say, I remember when I came here as a student.

Teacher like Kaylee Anderson.

I just remembered how much fun.

It was.

Who says what they're learning here supplements their classwork.

It gives them a chance.

To practice the hands on skills that we talk about at school all the time.

My team.

Over.

It's extremely cross curricular.

There's really no way that you can say this does not apply to something that we do at school.

So as possible.

Duncan says it's not just STEM, but other 21st century skills like teamwork, creative thinking, and decision making that come into play.

They're reading, they're writing, they're following directions.

The kids really enjoy.

The mission and getting to do their individual job.

Which is at 20.

Those jobs include testing H2O samples.

Well, we found water on Mars and that there was a little bit of life around the water.

Commander Luke now even navigating an emergency, helping their classmates avoid an asteroid.

Along the way from here.

I learned how to work together.

It's better for you to work with everyone on Mars.

So when you go to finish up the job, everything is completed.

And everything is calm.

We often see children really come out of their shell.

They are just taking their job.

They're taking it seriously, they're enjoying it.

They're participate, adding, they're contributing to the success of the mission.

This episode is just one of 150 missions as the center welcomes 130 classrooms a year from Kentucky, southern Illinois, Tennessee and Indiana.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Laura Rogers.

Thank you, Laura.

There is also a Challenger learning center in eastern Kentucky at Hazard Community and Technical College.

There are more than 40 centers around the world.