The Original Corps of Discovery
the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition
In 1803 the young United States purchased a vast expanse of land that France had previously claimed as its own. It stretched from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west; from New Orleans in the south to the Canadian border in the north. With the purchase, the United States nearly doubled in size and positioned itself to eventually become an important player in world affairs.
Yet, little was known about this land, so in 1803 President Jefferson called upon Congress to fund an expedition to explore what would be called the “Louisiana Purchase.” The expedition was to learn as much as possible about this new land but it was specifically ordered to search for a “Northwest Passage”; a trade route by water that would be a short-cut between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The expedition became a scientific mission of exploration and discovery into what was then a vast unknown frontier. The expedition’s success relied on its understanding and skills in the subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math; or what we refer to today as STEM.
The expedition called itself the “Corps of Discovery“, (Corps is pronounced “core”) and it still stands today as one of America’s greatest expeditions of exploration and discovery. Watch the video clip from the Ken Burns documentary “Lewis and Clark The Journey of the Corps of Discovery“ for an introduction to the expedition and its accomplishments.
“The Expedition” “The Garden of Eden”
A new Corps of Discovery
to explore a new frontier
Today, another vast frontier stretches out before us and a new Corps of Discovery is needed to explore it. The edge of that frontier lies just above our heads and extends outward across our Solar System and beyond, to the planets around other stars and the countless wonders of our galaxy.
You can help explore this vast frontier in the new Corps’ first faster-than-light spacecraft, the Advanced Spaceflight Laboratory ASL-3305 Voyager. Our missions help you develop your STEM skills and contribute to our knowledge of the many worlds we know of today and those yet to be explored.
You are invited to become members of the new Corps of Discovery Academy where you’ll expand your knowledge of STEM. As Academy cadets, you’ll participate in Corps of Discovery Command projects where you’ll apply your STEM knowledge and skills on a Corps Command project. Projects include such things as serving as Systems Test engineers evaluating new software and hardware systems on ASL spacecraft or surveying planetary satellites to determine where best to construct a new environmental research facility.
If you have and interest in Science, Technology, Engineering or Math, or an interest in space or space exploration, join the Corps and we’ll help you take your passion and skills out onto the new frontier.
Academy Cadets deploying satellite network at Jupiter’s moon Ganymede
Academy Cadets measuring Neptune’s radius and volume