JPL Participates in Space-Themed Corn Maze

PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is joining forces with Utah’s original corn maze, Cornbelly’s Corn Maze and Pumpkin Fest, for a kickoff celebration on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

John Callas, project manager for NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers at JPL, will appear at the grand opening festivities of an autumn corn maze celebrating the U.S. space program. The weekend will be filled with interactive displays and activities brought in by JPL, including an exhibit featuring a replica of a Mars rover, as well as a NASA-designed text message and QR code game inside the maze.

This event is part of Space Farm 7, an outreach project celebrating NASA’s achievements through agri-tourism events taking place throughout the nation. The goal of the project is to educate and inspire children about U.S. space exploration efforts and achievements.

The seven participating farms around the country planted and designed NASA-themed corn mazes. Cornbelly’s maze design depicts a Mars rover alongside an image of the solar system, a nod to the fact that JPL has built spacecraft that have visited each of the planets.

In addition to Cornbelly’s, the Space Farm 7 includes: Belvedere Plantation, Fredericksburg, Va.; The Rock Ranch, The Rock, Ga.; Dell’Osso Family Farm, Lathrop, Calif.; Dewberry Farm, Brookshire, Texas; Liberty Ridge Farm, Schaghticoke, N.Y.; and Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, Gretna, Neb.