HabFiles Update – The First Brochure

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A relatively new addition to the Hab1 collection, this brochure is from 1969 and touts the soon-to-open Alabama Space & Rocket Center.

“OPENING FALL 1969,” it reads on the last page of the brochure! That date would prove to be inaccurate. The Space Center would not open until March 17, 1970. That makes this brochure extra interesting in my opinion!

ASRC Opening Soon Brochure Cover

Former Space Camp Florida Counselor Named SpaceX Astronaut

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SpaceX just released the names of the crew for their Inspriation4 mission which they are calling “the world’s first all-civilian mission.”

Amongst the four members is former Space Camp Florida counselor Chris Sembroski!

Chris is a former Air Force missileer and current employee of Lockheed Martin.

He will be joined by three other civilians later this year for their flight!

Congratulations, Chris! It’s always wonderful to see Space Camp alumni make good!

Space Camp Explorers Club Launching

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For the past few days, Space Camp and the Space Camp Alumni have been teasing a “new way to be a part of Space Camp Alumni!”

Though the announcement was supposed to come today, severe weather (and an early closing time today of the Space & Rocket Center) has put off the announcement until tomorrow.

But I think I’ve found it!

Behold, The Space Camp Explorers Club!

At a glance, it appears that Space Camp is setting up Patreon-like system where, for a fixed amount of money, you can get access to various things only available (or premium versions of things publicly available) to Explorers Club members.

There are three tiers: Bronze, Silver and Gold for $10/month, $25/month, and $50/month, respectively.

Explorers Club Tiers

If successful, this could provide a new, steady stream of income to Space Camp! Best of luck to them! I hope it is a smashing success!

Space & Rocket Center Launches New Podcast

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The U.S. Space & Rocket Center / Space Camp have a new podcast!

podcast logo

Three episodes have been released thus far.

Episode 1 is a talk with Homer Hickam, famed Rocket Boys / October Sky author.

Episode 2 is with retired NASA engineer Kenny Mitchell

Episode 3 is with Virgin Galactic Founder Astronaut Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides.

Next week they’ll be speaking to famed Star Trek graphic designers and authors Michael and Denise Okuda!

Get subscribed!

(Sorta) Space Camp Snoopy Shirt on Woot! Today

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shirt.woot.com has a shirt today feature Snoopy on top of his doghouse in a Space Shuttle that says “Space Camp 1982” in a NASA worm-logo font.

Is it authorized? Certainly not! Is it neat? Absolutely!

This is not the first time shirt.woot has a shirt referencing Space Camp! Back in May of 2016 they had one as well.

Here’s to You, Dr. Robinson!

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The U.S. Space & Rocket Center finally has a new CEO, and today is her first official day on the job!

What was intended to be completed by early 2020 was sidetracked by COVID for a year!

Speaking of, kudos to Louie Ramirez.  The man retired from the CFO position at the end of 2019, only to be pulled back as an interim CEO to shepherd the Space Center through its most trying time yet.  And that’s really saying something.

Dr. Kimberly Robinson comes to the Space Center by way of a 30+ year career at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center!  This seems like a most excellent start to the director of a space museum!

We are so happy you’re here!

We’re all wishing you the best! We are rooting for you and wish you nothing but success!

Hab1 is 20

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20 years!

It seems like just yesterday I was celebrating 10 years!

How time flies.

Ten years ago, I said “It’s important that we stay engaged with Space Camp through the good times and the bad. Space Camp’s most difficult challenges likely still lie ahead.”

I didn’t realize how true that would be. At the time, my biggest concern leading me to that thought was the retirement of the Space Shuttle. But Space Camp has handled that transition reasonably well.

Obviously, the biggest challenge for Space Camp in the intervening decade is one that is challenging the entire world.

Thanks to thousands of generous donations, Space Camp has been able to weather the COVID-19 storm thus far. Let us hope for a speedy return to normalcy soon! And they’re not out of the woods yet, so please consider giving if you haven’t yet and are in a position to do so.

Regardless, I’ll be around! Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this site over the years by reading and even participating in the HabForum. I’m definitely behind in both reporting and updating the HabFiles section, but please stick around! I will get to it!

It continues to be a privilege. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Vincent Vazzo