It seems Dottie will be getting an extra day in orbit as STS-131 has had their mission extended a day to allow for extra time to inspect Discovery’s heat shield. From SpaceFlightNow: When the Ku-band system is working, they will actually do that late inspection after they have undocked and… Continue reading
With the successful launch of STS-131 this fine morning, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger became the first Space Camp alumnus to reach orbit! Despite a minor setback with the mission plan, the crew of STS-131 is sure to have a successful mission. And then there will only be three. Several of Space Camp’s… Continue reading
Any shuttle launch is a very exciting and special event. But STS-131, scheduled to lift-off from Launch Complex 39-A tomorrow at 6:21am EST, is particularly special for Space Camp. Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Space Camp’s first alumnus astronaut and Space Camp Hall of Fame inductee, will make her very first space-shot! Representatives… Continue reading
On November 7th, 2009, the Salmon Library at the University of Alabama Huntsville will host a tribute to Konrad Dannenberg. The program will run from 10am to 4pm. The $20 registration fee (payable at the door, but an RSVP in advance is required) will include lunch as well as German… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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,… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
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… Continue reading
I was looking through some old Space Camp memorabilia today and came across a photo in the 1988 of the recently-arrived Pathfinder. No boosters, no External Tank. There it sat. As you can see from the fresh paint job in this photo and the lack of paint and material in… Continue reading
It seems the Discovery mission isn’t the only shuttle dealing with debris issues and damage. Unfortunately, Pathfinder has spent many, many years outside in the hot and humid North Alabama weather. Just last night, a massive piece of Pathfinder broke loose and fell off! The piece came from the belly… Continue reading
