Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama Opens Immersive STEM Experience Featuring NASA-Style Mission Simulations
SAN JOSE, Calif., May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- zSpace, Inc. (OTC:ZSPC), a leading provider of augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) solutions for education and workforce development, today highlighted its partnership with the Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama and the JAX State STEAM Institute following the official ribbon cutting held on May 8.
The newly opened Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama delivers immersive, mission-based STEM experiences that engage students in NASA-style simulations designed to build critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. The Center honors the legacy of the Space Shuttle Challenger crew while preparing students for future careers in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM).
At the core of the experience are a spacecraft simulator and mission control room where students assume roles such as mission specialists, engineers, and flight controllers, working together to complete complex objectives under real-time constraints. The facility also includes three high-tech classrooms equipped with tools including drones, robotics systems, and zSpace laptops, which allow students to manipulate and examine three-dimensional models in a virtual environment.
"Our goal is to create a workforce pipeline in Northeast Alabama by providing middle school students with opportunities to engage in STEM activities like zSpace that will spark an interest during some of their most impressionable years," said Dr. Farrah Hayes, Executive Director of Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama.
Custom mission scenarios were developed by the zSpace content team, who created interactive STEM experiences using zSpace's simulation models to complement the center's hands-on programming. These missions allow students to test engineering solutions, analyze systems, and apply scientific reasoning in an authentic, problem-solving environment that mirrors real-world aerospace operations.
"Watching students step into the roles of mission specialists and engineers – and think critically and collaborate to succeed – reflects exactly the kind of immersive learning experience zSpace was built to support," said Paul Kellenberger, CEO of zSpace. "We're proud to bring our technology into the Challenger Learning Center and contribute to what the team in Northeast Alabama is building for students and the region."
The Challenger Learning Center model, part of a global network of STEM education facilities, is built around team-based space mission simulations in which every participant plays a defined and essential role. Working across Mission Control and spacecraft environments, students must communicate effectively and make decisions that directly impact mission success.
The Challenger Learning Center of Northeast Alabama, the first of its kind in the state, will serve students across a 12-county region, with organizers estimating it will reach more than 52,000 middle school students. The Center and JAX State STEAM Institute are expanding access to hands-on STEM learning aligned with classroom instruction and workforce development priorities.
Photo Credit https://www.facebook.com/challengeralabama/
About zSpace
zSpace, Inc. (OTC:ZSPC) delivers innovative augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) experiences that drive achievement in STEM, CTE, and career readiness programs. Trusted by over 3,500 school districts, technical centers, community colleges, and universities, zSpace enables hands-on "learning by doing" experiences proven to improve engagement and student outcomes. Headquartered in San Jose, California, zSpace holds more than 80 patents, with research published in the Journal of Computer Assisted Learning (2021) validating the impact of 3D virtual reality technologies on student knowledge gains.
Press Contact:
Amanda Austin
Senior Marketing Director, zSpace, Inc.
press@zspace.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Gateway Group Cody Slach, Greg Robles
949.574.3860
ZSPC@gateway-grp.com
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