I’m definitely behind on this one, so you may know already, but Space Camp has officially released the names of each of the four who will be inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame. A short bio has been given as well for each person and is reprinted here.

Space Camp Alumnus

Francis French - Director of Education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum; 1989 Graduate of the Space Academy Level II program; met his future wife at Space Academy Level II

Former Space Camp Staff Member

J. David Hnyda - U.S. Army Aviator; scheduled to attend the Navy Test Pilot School in Maryland over the next 12 months; Advanced Space Academy counselor 1997-1999

Dr. Andrea Hanson - Post-doctoral Research Scientist/Engineer at the University of Washington; currently the project coordinator to develop bone health monitoring hardware for use during future lunar mission; Advanced Space Academy Counselor 2000 & 2002

Friend of Space Camp

Danny Jaques - As a science teacher he has coordinated and brought school groups from southwest Colorado since 1994; graduate of the 2002 Space Academy for Educators program


The induction ceremony will be held on August 20, 2010 at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

What unfortunately couldn’t be done last year has now been confirmed for this year!

Max-Q, the intrepid band of astronaut musicians, will perform at the 2010 Space Camp Hall of Fame Ceremony.

Though it is a shame that there will be no alumni camp this year to provide a great excuse to come visit, this is certainly another fantastic reason!

STS-131 crew member, Space Camp alumus, and Hall of Fame member, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger had been confirmed for the 2010 Hall of Fame event for some time. As the current front-woman for Max-Q, the idea to get the whole gang to Huntsville for this event was on the minds of many. And so shall it be!

It has long been my personal hope to have Max-Q perform at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for some time. Their music really isn’t recorded anywhere and I think it would be a great idea to record their performance at the 2010 Hall of Fame to be made into a CD for fundraising purposes. It’s a good idea.

But one can never be sure if the powers-that-be will act upon a good idea. So if you want to hear the musical stylings of Max-Q, you better get yourself to the 2010 Space Camp Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on August 20, 2010.

Some very lucky Space Camp trainees were able to go to Marshall Space Flight Center today to sit in on the STS-131 crew visit!

Commander Alan Poindexter, Pilot James Dutton, Mission Specialist 1 Richard Mastracchio, and Mission Specialist 3 Stephanie Wilson were kind enough to spend some time with some of the trainees from Space Camp this week as well as some very enthusiastic NASA-folk! Unfortunately, STS-131 crew member, Space Camp alumus, and Hall of Fame member, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger could not make the trip.

A few of the Space Camp for Educator counselors snuck over to MSFC as well, including Space Camp Hall of Fame member, Dan Oates.

The crew brought along a highlight reel of their mission and took questions and, after the show was over, they were kind enough to stick around and sign autographs!

Also noteworthy was the Q&A session that was held, especially when the astronauts were asked about the impending retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet:

Some very lucky Space Campers were able to go to Marshall Space Flight Center today to see members of the STS-130 crew!

Commander George Zamka, rookie Pilot Terry Virts, MS2 Steve Robinson, and MS3 Nicholas Patrick brought along a highlight reel of their mission and took questions from both Space Campers and NASA-folk alike!

Afterwards, the astronauts were gracious enough to stick around and sign autographs!

The list of the new class of Space Camp Hall of Fame inductees has been released!

The official press release will no doubt be up soon, but here are the names with details and photos to follow soon!:

Friend of SPACE CAMP

• Jim Allan - Austin, TX

Former Employee

• Jerry Gleason - Madison, AL

Former Camper

• Robert Pearlman - Houston, TX

Unfortunately, it seems MAX-Q will not be able to come to Space Camp and perform for the 2009.

So this is not the turn of events we were all hoping for...But, as it went last year and the year before that, there is always next year.

And the Hall of Fame event has for the past two years proven to be an excellent time!

Two more months!

Space Camp will be featured on the TLC show, Little People Big World tonight!

Be sure to check your local listings to catch it, or catch it when they re-air it.

Here’s the promo:

Robert “Hoot” Gibson, great friend to Space Camp, is featured in the April/May issue of the always-wonderful Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine!

The highlight of the article is best summed up in the title of the article: “The Man Who’s Flown Everything.”

It’s a really nice article and gives some very nice insight into flying the space shuttle:

"The shuttle doesn't fly like anything else," said Gibson. "The control surfaces are huge. When you move them, you reduce your wing area, so, at first, pulling up makes you sink. Pushing over makes you sink faster. Pulsing the stick gets you into serious trouble. Below a certain altitude, every input you make is going to be wrong."

An extra on the web makes mention of the multitude of aircraft this man has flown. As a matter of fact, Hoot’s flown so many different aircraft, that Hoot himself missed a few while originally discussing his experiences!

And so you can visit “The Hoot List” to see a listing of every aircraft Hoot Gibson has flown. All 108 111 of them!

Congratulations, Hoot, for making the cover of Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine!

Planning for the 3rd Annual Space Camp Hall of Fame Ceremony is currently underway and it looks like it’s finally going to be what I always hoped for. Namely, a fun, relatively casual affair with good food, good music, and good Space Camp company, with little concern for superficial formalities. Don’t get me wrong. I thought the previous two Hall of Fame events were both wonderfully done! I’ve always just felt that they were inappropriately formal and out of character for Space Camp.

As the month of March draws to a close, two issues are most pressing.

One, nominations are due for the Hall of Fame by the end of this month! So if you have a worthy soul in mind, be sure to get the nomination in for him or her soon!

Go here for nomination details and links to the nomination forms.

The second pressing issue is to find a Master of Ceremonies for the event.

I’ve been hearing rumors with some great names tossed about, and I’m sure whoever gets chosen will do a great job, but I just heard one potential host was dismissed out of hand and I wanted to comment...

Read More...

The date for the 2009 Space Camp Hall of Fame has been set!

Mark your calenders for July 11, 2009.

Nominations are currently being solicited at:

http://www.spacecamp.com/details.php?cat=Hall&program=Nominations

Additionally, Space Camp wants your suggestions with the planning!

I have been critical in the past because the first Hall of Fame event was a very formal affair and it was held far away from Space Camp.

The second year was better in that the tickets were cheaper, the dress code a bit more relaxed, and it was held back home at Space Camp. Still though, it was a bit too formal in nature.

The third time might just be the charm, but it’s up to you! Post your suggestions as to what you think would make the best Hall of Fame / Space Camp celebration to date!

What would make for an appropriate guest list? Should they try to get William Shatner back again, or should someone a little closer to Space Camp MC instead?

What sort of food should be served? Entertainment options?

Discuss all of these points and more in the HabForum!

Konrad Dannenberg passed away this morning.

Konrad Dannenberg was, of course, one of the original German rocket scientists to have come over from Peenemunde with Wernher von Braun shortly before the end of World War II. He was 96 years old and is survived by his wife, Jackie.

The Huntsville Times has a short writeup, as does WHNT.

There will be a memorial service at the Davidson Center at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center at 2pm this Friday.

In the 1980s, Konrad Dannenberg could often be found at the Space Center giving lectures to the campers.

In his memory, here’s a video from 1987 of Konrad Dannenberg taking an Adult Space Academy group on a tour of Rocket Park.

If you were unable to catch Hoot Gibson on “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader” last night, you can watch the entire episode in your web browser at:

http://www.fox.com/fod/play.php?sh=smarter

Hoot’s episode of “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader” ended and he is no doubt disappointed.

But was he wrong?

Hoot made it all the way to the million dollar question.

That question? “How many common factors do 28 and 32 have?”

Hoot answered “two,” locked in his vote, and lost. He said 2 and 4 were common factors of each, and indeed they are. But he lost because the answer, he was told, should have been three. 1, 2, and 4.

But on the “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader” message boards, trouble is brewing. A few mathematically inclined viewers in multiple threads have pointed out that one can define common factors not to include the number 1.

A link in one thread to this article states, “Factors are either prime numbers or composite numbers.” Given that the number 1 is neither, maybe Hoot was right!

It would seem a shame not to give the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation $975,000 Hoot fought so hard to win.

Five time shuttle astronaut and friend of Space Camp, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, will be competing for charity on the game show, “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader,” tonight.

I had the opportunity to speak with Hoot after his return from taping the episode of the show this past July and he said he had some pretty good banter going back and forth with the host, Jeff Foxworthy! And so you should have no doubt that the show is going to be very entertaining even if you’ve never before seen a single episode of the show!

“Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader” airs on the Fox network tonight at 8pm EDT.

Be sure to turn on, tune in, and veg out!

The 2008 Space Camp Hall of Fame webcast is now up online as a streaming video!

The link to the video was just posted to the Alumni Page as follows:

View the July 19, 2008 Hall of Fame induction ceremony ... today. This video is approximately 3 hours in length and can take up to 30 seconds for the video to buffer. Click here to watch the archived video.

In order to be able to skip around the video with minimal issues, I recommend using VLC Player over Windows Media Player to watch the stream.

Also, some time ago, photos from the entire Apollo Reunion / Hall of Fame weekend were published online as well.

Well. Space Camp has yet to get the Hall of Fame ceremony video onto the internet for those that may have missed it, but that hasn’t stopped someone from posting the wonderful videos that were produced for each Hall of Fame inductee.

Captain Phil Smith	Oscar Holderer	Lisa Devries
Vincent Vazzo	Josh Whitfield	Marlenn Maicki

Some very lucky Space Academy trainees were able to go to Marshall Space Flight Center today to see a few Expedition 15 and Expedition 16 crew members.

Flight Engineer Clayton Anderson, Flight Engineer Daniel Tani, and Expedition 16 Commander Peggy Whitson were kind enough to spend some time with some of the trainees from Space Academy this week as well as some eager NASA-folk! A few of the Space Camp for Educator counselors snuck over to MSFC as well!

The crew brought along a highlight reel of their mission and took questions and, after the show was over, they were kind enough to stick around and sign autographs!

You may have noticed the Space Camp Barbie countdown on Space Camp’s website.

Space Camp has once again partnered with Mattel to produce a Space Camp Barbie doll.

Though the new Barbie was supposed to be launched at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on July 4, as it turns out, she and Ken were having such a good time on vacation in China that they extended their stay a bit!

Nevertheless, Space Camp Barbie 2.0 will be available at the Space Center beginning tomorrow at 10:00am!

This new Space Camp Barbie has some pretty big shoes to fill as the old Space Camp Barbie has already rubbed shoulders with some of NASAs finest!

Photos of some of her recent adventures are posted below!

Read More...

The US Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp are featured on this week’s episode of Penn & Teller’s show, Bull...something!

Now, if you’ve ever seen the show, you’ll know that they mercilessly attack whatever the topic of the week is.

This week the show is about NASA.

But, being huge fans of America’s space program, Penn & Teller go pretty easy on NASA and, thankfully, on Space Camp.

Worth noting is that the USSRCs media guy Al Whitiker makes an appearance as does Space Camp manager Brandy Hulsey! They both did a terrific job on what has to be the most difficult show in the world to be on when you’re not on the show’s side. Great job, you two!

Also worth noting was that Penn & Teller were in Space Camp flight suits! Too funny!

And I think it was actually a positive plug for Space Camp and the Space and Rocket Center! No small feat on a show called...well, you know...

It will be airing through July 7th on Showtime, and you can go here to see the exact schedule.

A preview can be seen here.

Read More...

Odds are if you went to Space Camp in the late 90s or early 00s, you ran into Tony and/or Nathalie. They might have been your team leaders or they might have run you thourgh one of the simulators or, like me, perhaps Nathalie picked you up at the airport!

If you were one of the first to attend 8-day Advanced Academy, your missions were a direct result of many hours of work by these two.

If you’ve attended 8-day lately, you’ve still been exposed to much of the great work they did to prepare for the return of the Extended Duration Missions.

Tony and Nathalie left Space Camp in late 2004 never to return again. Until yesterday.

With no fanfare, while visiting the Huntsville area this weekend, Tony and Nathalie made their triumphant return to the Space and Rocket Center, if only for the afternoon.

Upon their arrival, they toured the entire campus. Four years later, it would no doubt seem as if they had never left. Because no matter how much things change, it always feels like Space Camp!

Read More...

Though most of us have already seen the list of the new class of Space Camp Hall of Fame inductees, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center today officially announced the new Hall of Fame inductees.

The official press release can be viewed here, but here are the names with details and photos to follow:

Friend of SPACE CAMP

• Oscar Holderer - Huntsville, AL
• Marlenn Maicki - Bloomfield, MI

Former Employee

• Lisa DeVries - Cocoa, FL

Former Camper

• Captain Phillip Smith - Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
• Vincent Vazzo - Huntsville, AL
• Specialist Josh "Safety" Whitfield - California

Read More...

Space Camp has just launched a much needed makeover to spacecamp.com!

Overall, I think it looks like a nice effort!

If nothing else, it's certainly an improvement over the previous site as I'm sure we can all agree that it had gotten a bit cluttered and disorganized.

And so well done!

If you happen to come across any problems on the new site (misspellings, bad links, etc.), feel free to post them here on the Habforum and help Space Camp out!

Some very lucky Space Campers were able to go to Marshall Space Flight Center today to see the crew of STS-122!

The crew brought along a highlight reel of their mission and took questions from both Space Campers and NASA-folk alike!

Afterwards, the crew was gracious enough to stick around and sign autographs!

Here's a big, bold reminder that today is the very last day to submit your nomination for the 2008 Space Camp Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Get to it!

Nominations for the 2008 Space Camp Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are due on April 13, 2008!

You can nominate whomever you feel best meets the criteria as outlined on the Hall of Fame Nomination Criteria page.

From there you can also submit the nomination.

Last year's inductees can be seen here.

Remember, April 13 is the last day to submit nominations!

Space Camp has started up there own channel on YouTube.

You'll no doubt want to check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/user/spacecampusa

Don't you think this would make an outstanding place for Space Camp to put all of that archival footage they have sitting on the shelf? It would, indeed!

Big things are coming up for Space Camp and the Space & Rocket Center!

This Saturday is the grand opening of the new Saturn V center! At long last! Granted, it's not really the grand opening. That took place on January 31, but we commoners weren't invited (corporate tables only). But this should do nicely! You can press your nose up against the window and check out pictures from the January 31 opening at www.spacecamp.com/gala/.

On Sunday, Space Camp will continue on a new Mission to Malls tour.

The schedule is as follows:

February 10 - Mall of Georgia
February 15-17 - Town Center Mall
February 22-24 - Perimeter Mall

Tons of opportunities to visit Space Camp if you're in the Atlanta area this month!

Just a quick reminder that Space Camp is currently recruiting for counselors for this coming Spring.

Details as to the requirements to get the job can be found here.

There will be a job fair at the Space Center on December 14th. If you're not local, all of this can be handled online and over the phone though.

This is a tremendous opportunity to make Space Camp a memorable and exciting time for a large number of children...Just like your counselors did for you!

You also get to meet and work with a lot of great people and, if you reside on site, you get to have a shuttle in your backyard (how many people get to say that)!

Well, Mission to Mall, anyway....

If you've been to spacecamp.com lately, you no doubt have seen the following banner:



Space Camp returns to tour at least one more mall this December!

The July Newsletter has been out (though notification of such has been strangely absent from my inbox).

At any rate, highlights include the Rocket Roll as well as the Saturn V reunion (both excellent times).

Also, Aviation Challenge counselor "Snowflake" makes an appearance as this month's featured alumnus.

Go see for yourself!

Available for your enjoyment, the June Alumni Newsletter has been released and is packed full of exciting stuff!

First, coming up this Tuesday (July 10), the USSRC will host "Rocket Roll." Starting at 9:30am, this free-to-the-public event will kick-off the moving of the Saturn V into its new home, the Davidson Saturn V Center.

Next, this coming Friday (the 13th), the USSRC will have the fourth annual Saturn V reunion! The VIP list looks awesome as it includes astronauts Walt Cunningham, Jim Haisell, and Owen Garriott, amongst others.

Even more incredible than the lineup is the price: $10 per ticket if you buy them in advance ($25 at the door). It should be a fun time! Tickets can be purchased online or at the ticket desk. See http://www.savethesaturn.org for more details.

Additional highlights in the June Alumni Newsletter include highlights from the 25th Anniversary Hall of Fame Induction Dinner, an update on 25th Anniversary activities yet to happen, and the Alumni Spotlight section featuring Beth Favor.

Go read!

I just got back from the von Braun Center to rehearse my tiny role in the hole affair.

The setup looks wonderful!

I really think it's going to be a special night for the eight inductees and all of those in attendance.

If you're in the area, I believe you can still get tickets if you go over to the Space Center today! I think it'll be a very enjoyable night for all!

The alumni instructions have been updated with submission forms for the Space Camp Hall of Fame Nominations.

You may submit them online here.

If you would rather mail in your nomination, you may download the PDF here.

Alumni Andi swung by the HabForum this evening with an urgent message, posted here in full:

Loyal readers and alumni, the mothership is working on the details for the Space Camp Hall of Fame event. They want to host it at the Von Braun Center in downtown Huntsville. I call upon you to respond to the following questions in the form of a comment to the forum.

1. Would you travel to Huntsville for the SPACE CAMP Hall of Fame if it was held at another venue?
2. How much would you pay to attend this event if William "Captain Kirk" Shatner was the emcee?
3. Would to rather have a sit down, full service dinner or a buffet dinner?

Please reply with comments. This is very urgent, there is a 9 am CST meeting tomorrow that you can affect the outcome on.

Voice your opinion (quickly) here!

William Tiberius Shatner has been announced as an emcee for the very first Space Camp Hall of Fame induction banquet to be held on June 13, 2007.

If you actually needed another reason to try to get down to Space Camp this June, this has to be it!

And, if we're lucky, he may not sing (oh, I kid, Bill)! But if he must, I vote for No Tears for Caesar.

Here's a link to one of the many stories out there. The story has been picked up by a huge number of outlets which should amount to excellent press for Space Camp!

And Alumni Andi had it first!

As published on YouTube by and mentioned in her latest post, Alumni Andi has given us the footage from Space Camp that aired on Fox & Friends on December 7, 2006.

Actually, I guess I should say in "their" latest post. While we had been given the impression that it was more than one person behind the myspace page, when Charity was revealed, it sounded as if she was the only one behind it.

But in the latest blog, I was scolded for my photograph selection with the following, "I would like to thank Vincent of www.Hab1.com for posting such a lovely picture of my counterpart."

Time will tell!

Discovery launched on Saturday night and up with it went 249 Space Camp 25th Anniversary Flags.

This is the first time something specific to Space Camp has flown in a large quantity. This is just one sign that the mothership will put on a big show next summer.

They sure are shiny!

If you've been keeping track of the MySpace site, you'll know that a formal press release has been issued by the U.S. Space & Rocket Center announcing some of the activities and timeframes for this Summer's 25th Anniversary festivities.

. Read More...

Like I said in my last post, Space Camp is currently soliciting information on its alumni. I encourage everyone to go let Space Camp what they're up to.

Here.

Just in case they don't post everyone's, well, I'm still interested and I'm sure others are too! I've started this thread in the HabForum so you can post your responses!

Space Camp's 25th anniversary is next year! The big quarter-century mark!

And to celebrate, they're making some big plans!

You can visit the 25th Anniversary Site to see what they're kicking around so far, including alumni reunion dates!

Also, be sure to register as an alumnus to make your interest known and let Space Camp know what you've been up to.

And I'll be sure to report more details as I learn them.

As posted on Space Camp's website, several NASA astronauts will be at Space Camp this Summer to speak to Space Campers!

You can see this list if you want your week at camp to coincide with a vist from Frank Colbertson, Bob Springer, or Story Musgrave.

If you haven't noticed lately, there is now only one way to enter the Space Camp site from spacecamp.com instead of both the HTML and Flash options that one used to be presented with (though the flash version is still available if you go here).

Also, if you've been really paying attention, you'll notice that some pages don't match the look and feel of the current website.

Finally, to fuel the fire that a redesign is in the works, I recommend you check this out. The domain, hattin1187.info, was registered to Space Camp on March 8 of this year by John Goglick (notice that it's an @spacecamp.com address)! Though I'm not sure what the significance of "hattin1187" is.

Interesting, indeed!

A fresh new crop of counselor trainees start their training tomorrow at Space Camp.

I just want to wish you luck as they start a great new adventure! Pretty soon, it will be your job to inspire Space Campers from around the world and try to instill in them a sense of wonder and adventure for the exploration of space.

It's a great job.

Good luck!

Space Camp is currently hiring for the Spring 2006 season. In fact, they're looking to hire as many as 100 new counselors to start training January 16, 2006!

Become one of the few, the proud! Become a Space Camp counselor, and get paid to play (essentially)!

Details and the paper work can be found at Space Camp HRs website.

And with the new pay structure, you'll pocket even more of that "Mad Phat Space Camp Money" (pardon me).

If you've even been unhappy with Space Camp's pay for its counselors, or wanted to work a Summer as a Space Camp counselor, but weren't sure if financially it would work out well for you, well, this might be just the thing you've been waiting for: Better pay, more opportunities!

Here's the breakdown:

Counselor I

Pay: $7.25/hr base pay

Requirements: Must be high school graduate and at least 18 years old.
1 week of training

Shifts:  morning, afternoon, evening, Saturday and/or Sunday - all day

Trained in:  Astrotrek Simulators, Museum simulators and Aerospace Support or Museum Guide and Outpost in Space

Counselor II
Pay: $8/hr base pay, $0.25/hr increase to base for each certification (briefing staff/scheduling staff/robotics track/aviation track/Advance Academy and/or Mach III/Corporate, 8-day or 13-day programs)

2 weeks of training

Shifts: Day shift (7-3), Night shift (3-11), Weekend shift:  Friday & Saturday (7a-11p) and Sunday (7-3)

Must have 2 years of college
Trained in: Space Camp/AC team leader, TCF or AC simulations, and museum simulators

Counselor III
Pay: $9/hr base pay + $.25/hr increase to base for each certification (briefing staff/scheduling staff/robotics track/aviation track/Advance Academy and/or Mach III/Corporate, 8-day or 13-day programs)

3-4 weeks of training

MUST HAVE OPEN AVAILABILITY (able to work any shift)
Must have 2 years of college

Trained in: Space Camp/AC team leader, weekend program team leader, TCF or AC Simulations and museum simulators

Other than the Great Moonbuggy Race being called off only to be on again, things are pretty quiet around Space Camp.

Then again, we are moving into the Fall. Of course, if there is something going on in front of or behind the scenes that I'm not aware of, please feel free to let me know!

In the event that you missed the airing of the Space Camp segment on "The Early Show" on CBS, they have it posted online!

You can view the adorable segment here (it's under "Multimedia" on the right side).

Congratulations to Kate and Phil for making national TV! Sort of a neat perk of the job, in a way, eh?!

...The band, not the camp!

I've been wondering about this one for a while, myself. It seems Space Camp (the camp, not the band) finally got around to saying something about it!

From the band's website:

This is the home page of the band formerly known as Space Camp. Sadly, the band is being forced to change its' [sic] name by Space Camp in Alabama, (you know, where the kids go to be astronauts...). This week, the band recieved [sic] a letter demanding we make this change. Since we are good natured most of the time and don't want to rattle the cages of the United States Space Camp, we will be renaming the group. What's really in a name anyway? All of our current tour dates remain current, but will not be played under the handle "Space Camp."

So there you have it.

Space Camp is offering a huge discount for those who have not yet registered for a 2005 session of Space Camp, Space Academy, Mach I, and Mach II (6 day camps, ages 9 to 14).

If you and a buddy register to go to one of the listed programs together, you'll each save $250 off the price of tuition.

It's certainly a great deal! And though you'll no doubt make a lot of new friends when you attend Space Camp or Aviation Challenge, you'll have one already with you, too!

Unfortunately, this one won't apply to Mach III & ASA campers, but it's a great deal nonetheless!

Word on the vine is that discounts will be introduced soon for six-day camps. If you've been thinking about registering soon for 2005, you might want to wait a few weeks.

Though I don't have any details about what kind of discounts will be offered, something is better than nothing.

If you were hoping for discounts on the 13-day programs, well, dare to dream! It seems as if reservations for the 13-day have already exceeded expectations and thus no discount will be offered. Further, you should probably not wait too long to register for a 13-day session, or you may find yourself at camp for only six days instead!

The Endeavor shuttle simulator Academy kids have come to know and love is leaving the TCF. But the TCF will not be devoid of an Endeavor orbiter as the current Intrepid simulator will be renamed.

Still, it's a shame. I spent more time than anyone else there this past summer. It's a shame to see the old gal go!

The 15th annual International Space Camp program kicks off today! Teachers and young adults from all over the world will be in Huntsville this week to train at Space Camp. Other activities unique to ISC are planned as well. ISC is always and exciting time at Space Camp and this year should be no exception!

I do hope everyone enjoys their time spent here in the United States!

As promised for mid March, Space Camp has their new website up and running.

Despite a few quirks that no doubt will be worked out shortly, it is truly a vast improvement over the old site design(s)!

Don't delay, check it out!

Smiley was kind enough to pass along a few photos of the star curtain now on the Training Center Floor.

These pics kinda show what the star curtains look like. Its kinda hard to capture the effect. The stars are LED's and vary in brightness. So they kinda twinkle. This starfield will wrap about 60% of the sims floor area.

Sounds quite nice! ...Click on the small photos to see them larger.

Space Camp has just posted information regarding the 8 day ASA and Mach III programs online.

If you visit the website and click on the "Click for your Special Invitation - Alumni Only Special" at the top left corner, you'll be taken to all of the information. Or you can just click here.

One thing listed though that was not previously announced is that the Christmas session (Dec. 27, 2004 - Jan. 3, 2005) will also feature these 24 Hour EDMs!

(partially, at least)

Space Camp will have several special sessions this summer for ASA where the Extended Duration Mission will be 24 hours instead of the now shortened six hour EDM's.

Many moons ago, the EDM's were 24 hours long. Later, they were shortened to 12 hours. When the program was changed to Advanced Space Academy from Space Academy Level II, they were shortened to six hour missions.

The offering of 24 hour EDM's again is definitely a step in the right direction!

If you're interested in going, the weeks will be:

May 29 - June 5
July 3 - July 10
August 7 - August 14

In addition to normal ASA sessions, for each of these weeks, there will be one team consisting of those that will be going on a 24 hour EDM. Camp will start on Saturday and go to the following Saturday. Graduation will be at 11am on Saturday. Mission Specialists flying in and out are asked not to fly out earlier than 3pm on Saturday (since the 24 hour EDM will have a SCUBA component for MS's).

In addition to the 24 hour EDM, additional training and speakers will be provided.

To participate in one of these special sessions, you must previously have attended a Space Camp program.

With increased activity comes an increased cost. If you register for one of the 24 hour EDM sessions by March 15, it will cost $1149 (I believe the cost if you register after this date, provided there are any spots left, will be $1299).

If you previously signed up for a week under the $649 Early Bird Special and wish to change to one of these 24 hour EDM spots, it will cost an additional $300.

This is great! Hopefully, this will be available every year as an option.

(It was either that, or, "When Life Hands you Lemons..." You can decide which is the better title).

Anyway, from Channel 19 in Huntsville comes a story of a kid who, despite being told "no" from his parents regarding sending him to camp, decided to go anyway.

Space Camp wasn't a passing whim for Tyler. To pay for the trip, he set up a lemonade stand outside a neighborhood restaurant in his Maryland hometown.

Good work, Tyler!

Illinois resident Robin Rotman has just been named a Rhodes Scholar. One of 32 from the United States this year, Robin, a Space Camp graduate, will spend the next two to three years in England studying at Oxford.

Congratulations!

The Sun-Times article can be read here.

International Space Camp 2003 offically starts today!

Congratulations to those selected to represent your respective countries at ISC this week. And remember, it's not just an honor, it's an adventure!

I hope everyone enjoys their trip to Space Camp as well as the United States of America.

That was the message handed out on Monday by the consultants hired by the US Space & Rocket Center to figure out why camp attendence has declined steadily over the past few years.

For more than five hours Monday, the bosses of U.S. Space Camp heard what others think about their business. They listened as both in-house managers and hired consultants presented results and recommendations from recent surveys aimed at finding out how to reverse a decade-long decline in camp attendance.

The bottom line: Spend more money to spread the word about Space Camp and what it can mean to children.

The Huntsville Times has a wonderful piece of coverage on the results of the meetings as well as a rundown of the information the survey generated.

Read the whole thing here.

Personally, from the standpoint of a camper, I think the outcome is somewhat a mixed bag. On one hand, the USSRC will probably spend a great deal more on advertising in an effort to get word out about Space Camp (a long overdue measure). On the other hand, if they blindly follow what they think the results say, we'll see a greater emphasis on shorter duration programs.

I'll guess we'll just have to sit back, watch, and hope for the best!

A big step in the effort to figure out how Space Camp officials can boost attendance and profits happened on Monday, as was pointed out by this (brief) story posted today at WAFF.

The article:

Officials at the Space and Rocket Center are working together to come up with ideas on how to increase enrollment at the Center's Space Camps. Some space camp programs have seen a 1% decrease in enrollment over the last two years, but that's enough to concern leaders. They spent Monday learning about other successfull camps in the country. Marketing ideas were also discussed, hoping to make the difference.

A nice story was published in the Huntsville Times on Sunday stating that Space Camp will soon be holding a retreat to help them determine why Space Camp attendence has been declining for the past 10 years.

Space Camp has also hired an independant firm to help them gather statistics and opinions from those who have and have not attended Space Camp in an effort to help solve the problem.

The Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, the board that oversees the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, will be looking for answers at a retreat this month.

Are kids less interested in space? Are more interests and distractions such as the Internet and video games competing for attention? Do new school schedules and shorter summer vacations make Space Camp harder to fit in around family vacations, band camps and other activities?

Or is something else at work, something that is, as yet, unidentified?The whole article can (and should) be read right here.

It was posted in the HabForum and I thought it was worth noting here that Joel Walsh (see here if you don't know who I'm talking about) has left Space Camp!

Joel was truly an institution at camp! Virtually every time I went there, there was Joel. Yes, while Space Camp is an everchanging machine, Joel was one of its constants.

Until now.

Best of luck to him in all of his future endeavors though!

The Huntsville Times is reporting about a group of investors ready to give a California Space Camp another go.

Read all about it!

The new camp would be in The Dome on the grounds of the RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach. Campers' dormitories would be aboard the historic ocean liner, which for decades has been an anchored hotel and tourist site.

The Dome - a giant geodesic building - was formerly home to the "Spruce Goose," Howard Hughes' wooden seaplane. The plane was moved to a museum in Oregon in 1992.

McNerney said an opening date, like many details about the new camp at this point, is subject to negotiation.

"We're going to try to open up July 6," he said.

Hmm...I wonder if they're looking for a new employee!

An article published in the Huntsville Times notes the current status of bookings at Space Camp and how they are down for the year due to the current conflict in Iraq (the article was published at a time when war seemed imminent, but had not yet begun).

Reservations for June and July camps are down by about 1,400 from where U.S. Space & Rocket Center CEO Larry Capps would like them to be.

However, the article does note that while reservations are down, revenue is still up since they haven't discounted the price of the programs as they did last year.

In light of recent world events, Space Camp has made a few alterations to its cancellation policy.

As can be seen here on their registration page, the policy now includes the following:

• We will hold your individual reservation for US Space Camp or Aviation Challenge until such time that you can reschedule.

• For groups of 12 or more, we will gladly reschedule your contracted session to include the busy summer season dates if necessary.

• Full tuition refunds will be made provided we receive your refund request in writing no earlier than two weeks prior to the start date of your camp session.

Otherwise all cancellation requests will be held to our existing stated Cancellation
Policy. NOTE: We can not be held liable for additional or forfeited transportation charges incurred as a result of your desire to reschedule your camp session.

In the event of military conflict, and if you, your child or group are unable to travel during that time you would need to arrive for your camp session:

Space Camp has reconfigured their homepage a bit.

The rest of the site seems to be relatively unchanged for now though.

Feel free to vote over to the left as to whether or not you like it though. Further, you may read and post comments on the new homepage in this thread in the HabForum.

If you're not in need of a new flight suit, you can get a free copy of Lift-Off when you register for a camp program that takes place between May 24 - August 22, 2003.

Just reference source code ETI03 when you register. Only 150 of these will be given out.

New promotions should be announced within the next day (give-or-take) for camp.

While I have no idea what they might be, it'd probably be best to hold off registering for day or two until they're announced.

And the free flight suit promotion is good until the end of this month, so there's really no risk to wait (unless there's only one or two spots left for the week you wish to go).

More to come...

Register for a (5+ days) Space Camp/Academy/Aviation Challenge program between now and April 1, 2003 and you'll get a free flight suit for doing so!

Further details can be found here.

On the Simpons this evening, Space Camp was mentioned.

Bart: "How was your summer, Nelson?"
Nelson: "Sucked."
Bart: "What'd you do?"
Nelson: "Space Camp."

okay...so it's not the most flattering reference regarding camp. But it was Nelson saying it, so naturally we can't take personally what a fictional cartoon bully says.

Still. Anytime Simpsons references anything, whatever was referenced should be flattered!

Well, not Bobby Fischer, but Space Camp is currently looking for someone who attended a Space Camp program on March 12, 1998. This should have been during Week 22 (give or take a week).

If you have, please contact me (my first name [Vincent, of course] at hab1.com) and I'll put them in contact with you.

Just a quick note to let everyone know that the 2003 Space Camp Brochures are printed and ready to be mailed out!

Just give them a call and, as always, they'll be happy to send one out to you!

...1-800-63-SPACE, if you don't have the number memorized already!

They're going to be hiring for the summer, of course! And what could be better than being at Space better Camp? Getting paid to be at Space Camp?!

Having emailed the HR department, I've been told that applications should be in no later than the "end of March" and that, if hired, one would be starting on or around the 19th of May.

So if you're interested, get those applications in fairly soon! I'm sure going to! And don't just think you need to be from the United States to get a job. I know they've had workers form other coutries in the past, and there will no doubt be more in the future. Be one of them!

...and if you'll need a place to crash, they can even arrange that too!

err...sorta.

Posted at a local Illinois news station, WAND TV, an article states:

This year, 65,000 brand new Endeavor sport utility vehicles will hit the road throughout the U.S.and every one of them will be made in Central Illinois.

Friday, January 17th, the very first Endeavor rolled off the assembly line at the Mitsubishi motors company in Bloomington-Normal.

The new model has helped the local Mitsubishi plant expand it's workforce from 3,000 to 3,200 employees.

"It's a validation. It's a validation of the outstanding workforce in Bloomington Normal," says Mitsubishi's North American president, Richard Gilliagan.

The first Endeavor produced was given to the NASA space camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

Astronaut Mark Lee, who was commander of the first Endeavor space shuttle mission was on hand to accept the it.

While I don't quite get it, I guess Space Camp has a new vehicle...so, that's...nice!

Given the small influx to the site of Space Campers from the recently concluded Christmas session, I thought it might be of some interest to them especially to learn that one of their own made her local paper!

Stephanie Iatrow's experience received a mention in Tuesday's edition of the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus. Entitled, "Local student survives Space Camp," the piece covers Stephanie's time at Camp, which she had won a scholarship to attend!

Congratulations, Stephanie! I hope you enjoyed your time at ASA!

Woohoo! Video shot recently on the Training Center Floor has fallen into my possession. For those of you who want to see a bit more of the changes made to it, enjoy!

Special thanks goes out to "Gus J." for this video. At the same time, I think he's the one to...uh...blame...for the audio on it too!

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!

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?!

This just in!

The Training Center Floor is currently undergoing some pretty major changes!

Check out the pictures...notice any changes (click on the images for a larger picture)?!

(highlight below for the answer)

Well, Columbia simulator has been completely dismantled (hence it's not in these pictures anymore) and the Atlantis simulator has been rotated. Why, you may ask...well, that indeed is a very good question!

As no one around here, myself included, was really sure the fate of Space Camp Florida after the foreclosure of the Astronaut Hall of Fame and Space Camp Florida, I thought I would post an article I came across that pretty much spells it out.

Space Camp Florida is dead.

Published yesterday in the Sun-Sentinel, this article cites a young girl's efforts to save it (She wrote to Jeb and George Bush!) as well as citing that when the Astronaut Hall of Fame was purchased, "Space Camp Florida was not spared."

*sigh*...And then there was one.

An article in the Washington Post last week indicated that the prospect of another Space Camp opening up were quite possible in Prince George's County, Maryland.

The article cites a study currently underway to determine if a Space Camp there could be successful.

If approved, a Space Camp along with a new Space and Flight Center would be opened, and is estimated it could attract up to 90,000 visitors per year.

The article can be read online here, and a website with a mockup of the proposed center can be found here.


Despite the recent troubles of Space Camp California and Space Camp Florida, officials in Maryland are confident their situation is quite different.

If it goes through, I truly hope so.

Meanwhile, it would appear as if a Space Camp in Korea has been approved! A story on that can be found here.

An intrepid habforum user posted today word that Space Camp Florida may be forced to close its doors come September.

Financial problems currently threaten both Space Camp Florida as well as the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

The story made it to CNN.com and can be read here.

I suppose the only good thing (if you want to use the word "good" with news like this) is that traffic will probably increase in Huntsville.

still...

Space Camp's 20th Anniversary Celebration is still ongoing. If you happen to be in the vicinity of Titusville, Florida this Saturday, you can get tickets to have dinner with astronaut Jim McBride in honor of Space Camp's 20th Anniversary. Tickets cost $60.00 each, with the event starting at 7:00pm and running until 11:00pm.


Additional details will have to be had from the Astronaut Hall of Fame when you order your tickets, as very little additional information is provided on the order page.

Looking for your child to get a little something extra out of his or her Space Camp experience this fall?

The weeks of October 6th and 13th, Space Camp will be having "Robotics Week." Besides the regular array of activities at camp, trainees will "also participate in a simulated First Lego League Robotics Tournament."

Go here for a little more information.

Space Camp with Lego Mindstorms. Sounds doable!

I was over at Space Camp's website and saw that they have made an addition to the list of things going on at the 20th Anniversary Celebration...

...It would seem as if you will now get a free poster when you go!

Take a look here.

It looks really, really nice!

Just a reminder to all, Space Camp will be celebrating its 20th Anniversary in one week!

If you're planning to go, you better have arrangements made, or get them finalized 5 minutes ago!

For those not going, be sure to go share your experiences at camp at spacecamp.com's Alumni Testimonials page.

Space Camp now has an "Alumni Testimonials" section on their site, where one can read about various experiences of attending camp, and you can post your own thoughts as well.

Look for "Alumni Testimonials" near the bottom right of the home page. To post a comment, read a testimonial and you'll see an option to "Share Your Experience" at the top left of the testimonial.

Haven't gone to a camp yet? Go and see what others have to say about it!

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Space Camp, they're holding a "Grand Celebration" on May 25, 2002!

from this site:

Saturday, May 25, 2002

Were having a Grand Celebration for our 20th Anniversary of Space Camp and your invited! Along with our anniversary celebration we will have all sorts of fun activities as well as premier openings of our New "SpaceStation" IMAX movie and "Extreme Deep" Exhibit.

* Tours of the Space Camp Training Center & AVIATION CHALLENGE
* UAT Diving Demonstrations
* SPACE CAMP Mission Demonstrations
* Fun activities for children
* Extreme Deep Exhibit
* "SpaceStation" IMAX movie
* Display of SPACE CAMP memorabilia
* Drawing for Parent/Child camp
* Drawing for Max-Q day camp


So head on down to Huntsville and join in the festivities!

I had heard a little while ago that Space Camp California had applied for some sort of grant in an effort to remain operational...beyond that I had heard no other details.

Now though, it appears they did not receive their funding...Space Camp California appears to be no more. Though if you happen to have $2 million sitting around, you could still save it...

I was just at SpaceCamp's web site and was reading...and reading...and...

Anyway, I saw that, this summer, "From May 25 through August 23 all program sessions begin on Saturday and end on Friday."

This is an amazing chance to not only get more bang for your buck, but to enjoy another day at camp!

If you were thinking about booking an ASA session for this summer, do it NOW! They've been known to fill up fast...but with six days instead of five, I think spots will fill up even faster!

...Ah...this reminds me of when ASA (previously Space Academy Level II) used to be 8 days! While 6 still isn't as good as 8, it's moving in the right direction!

update: I also just noticed that the price for a summer session has gone up again from $899 to $999. This of course is bad, but still worth it...but, just once, I'd like to see the price of camp go down from the previous year...but it's still worth it...

Word on the grapevine has it that the Enterprise sim (the one Advanced Academy uses), as well as it's MOCR (mission control) and space station centers are due for a renovation this fall...

If you go back later, you may not recognize it!

I called today to see what dates were available:

June 3-8 and June 24-29 in the Payload Specialist Tracks were the only dates available.

If you want to go in the month of June, I suggest you hurry and give them a call at 1-800-63SPACE or register online.

I guess I for one will not be going, due to both those dates being quite bad for me, and my being too old after June to go. *sniff*

Hurry if you want to go!