A non-profit educational centre that aims to educate people about space. The centre was established in the wake of the Challenger space shuttle disaster in January 1986, by the bereaved families of the crew members. Founded on 24 April 1986, the first Challenger Center is located in Alexandria, Virginia. More than 50 Challenger Centers have since been opened throughout the USA and two in Canada. The first European centre was established at the University of Leicester, England, in 1997.

Many centres include simulators of NASA's mission control and a space station, enabling students to experience some of the realities of a space mission. The centres also train teachers, provide curriculum materials for classroom use, and hold summer space camps for students.