A NASA education program has been so popular in Rotorua, people have been walking off the street and joining in.

This week the Spaceward Bound program, which aims to encourage younger people into space exploration, is being held at Te Takinga Marae.

NASA scientist Dr Carol Stoker says they started out with 50 people, students, teachers and scientists.

"As we've been here we've actually accumulated more people because as local people would hear about it they would start coming in as well."