It would appear as if one can now get a US Space & Rocket Center Master Card now!

Along with MBNA, they seem to be offering a Platinum Master Card. If you apply now, you even get a free USSRC T-Shirt!

Using this credit card will benefit the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and its programs. Since the credit card you currently use most often probably isn't doing all that much for you, why not get this one and let it do some good for the USSRC?!

Pictures of the two available designs (shamelessly stolen from the application page):

So go get one, and remember: don't leave Earth without it! (sorry...couldn't resist saying it...come to think of it, they should totally steal that slogan!)

Enjoy them!
...and many thanks to the "carrier pigeon" that brought them to us!

(Click for larger images)

Rennovations to the Training Center Floor are almost complete, according to this press release from Space Camp.

Among the improvements the TCF is seeing is a mock up of the International Space Station!

A little further down the road are plans to enclose the TCF such that trainees on their missions will see stars in the sky and a sunrise every 45 minutes!

Another addition on the way somewhat reminiscent of Space Academy Level II's former EDMs: "A Habitation Module is also planned, which will allow for extended simulated shuttle missions, including overnight missions that could span 24-hours."

Exciting changes indeed!

Click on the image of the new TCF for a more detailed image of it.

I reported a few days ago there were changes coming to ASA...the new program outline can be read here.

They've changed the pilot track now...those in it will no longer be doing SCUBA. Instead, the pilots will go to Aviation Challenge for some additional training.

I think this makes a great deal of sense. While SCUBA is very fun, it doesn't really fit in with the pilot track, but a few Aviation Challenge activities will very well, I'm sure.

Additionally, there are two "track-specific labs:"
* Space Piloting
* Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC)

The other two tracks look pretty much the same....there aren't any highly-visible changes to them from the outline.

Also, ASA will again be 6 days long this summer, but 5 during the spring/fall.

Since there's no time like the present, if you want to register now for next spring/summer, you can do so now at spacecamp.com!

The game 24 is played often by elementary school children to enhance their math skills while having fun at the same time.

The idea is to take any 4 numbers from 0-9 and, using one number only once, add, subtract, multiply, and/or divide them (and using parenthesis, if needed) to get the numbers to equal 24.

Normally, they would do this with numbers like 1,2,3,4 for which their are well over 100 possible ways to reach 24.

Well, if you want more of a challenge, try the numbers 1, 4, 5, and 6.

...These are the four numbers for which there are the fewest possible solutions out of all possible solvable combinations.

...I encourage you all to give it a go, but be warned: It may take 5 minutes to get the solution, but it may also take 5 hours to get it.

I was amazed both by the problem as well as the solution though. You may be as well.

Enjoy!

Some time ago, I started keeping track of hits received to the main page here at Hab1.com.

In far less time than I might ever have expected, Hab1.com has received 10,000 hits to the homepage!

This is the second milestone in just a few days, as the HabForum very recently reached 5,000 posts!

I would like to thank everyone for visiting, and hope you come back often!

Long time visitors to Hab1.com may remember that in July 2001, I posted that the Enterprise sim and it's MOCR would be receiving renovations that fall....And then everyone that came back from camp told me nothing had been done!

Well, I've received word that Enterprise flight deck has just been gutted and the MOCR has been relocated.

It would seem that they're really revamping things on the Traning Center Floor, what with this as well as the other happenings posted here earlier.

On another note, I've also heard some rumblings of some coming changes to the ASA program for 2003, but nothing specific as of yet.

Then you really should think about actually applying!

If you've been to Space Camp's site recently, you may have seen a message stating there are currently 200 counselor positions available.

...I waited a few days to see if it would change to 20 or something, but it hasn't, and I guess there are indeed 200 available positions just waiting to be filled.

So if you think you have what it takes, why not apply?!