Space Camp will launch an all new design for their websites complete with brand new content (e.g. produced promotional videos) within the next few weeks!

This move has been in the works for a while, but has become increasingly necessary since the Space Camp / Aviation Challenge websites went down several weeks ago for a period lasting several days.  Since returning online, the site itself seems to have been somewhat stripped down, and not everything is where it ought to be.

For an entertaining jaunt through the history of spacecamp.com, head on over to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine and see their listing of old Space Camp sites.  I’ve always felt the site circa 2004 was pretty shiny!

Though it had to be moved indoors from its planned Shuttle Park location, the press conference held today at Space Camp otherwise went off without a hitch.

U.S. Space & Rocket Center CEO Deborah Barnhart, Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission Chair Col. Roosevelt Lewis (Ret.), Space Camp Alumni Advisory Board Chair John Ramsey, and Astronaut Col. Jim Halsell (Ret.) spoke today about the effort to bring the Shuttle Training Aircraft to the Space & Rocket Center, amongst other highlights at the Center.

Dr. Barnhart asked supporters, in honor of the Center’s 44th birthday, to donate forty-four dollars to the STA Indiegogo campaign.  A new incentive was also issued today at the $44 level as well.

The event today was covered at al.com, WHNT 19, and WAFF 48.  All have different pieces of footage and interviews that are worth checking out.

The entirety of the press conference is also up on the Hab1 YouTube page in its entirety.

Robert Pearlman, editor of collectSPACE, wrote up a nice piece when the campaign started that’s worth a look as well.  Space.com even picked it up, hopefully providing even more exposure!

As of this writing, 71 contributors have donated $22,000 towards the $70,000 goal.  It should be noted that, unlike many crowd-funding campaigns, this is not an all-or-nothing campaign.  Should the Space & Rocket Center fail to raise the $70,000 they’re looking for, they will still have gotten off to a very nice start!

The campaign is only nearing the end of its second week though and has been making steady progress throughout that time.  The Rocket Center is on track to exceed the $70,000 goal if donations continue in at the current rate!

The US Space & Rocket Center turns 44 today!

To commemorate this event, and to make some important announcements regarding the Shuttle Training Aircraft Indiegogo campaign, there will be a press conference at 10am in Shuttle Park at the Space & Rocket Center today.

You’re absolutely invited to come out and support the Space Center, and there will even be birthday cake (no lie)!

Update: Due to weather, the press conference will now take place in front of Endeavour, near the UAT.

Space Camp has launched a new crowd-funding initiative!

Hosted on indiegogo, Space Camp is attempting to secure funds to bring NASA’s Shuttle Training Aircraft, a modified Gulfstream II airplane, to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

The USSRC has set a funding goal of $70,000, and they’re offering various incentives depending on the amount you donate.  One of the higher perks involves VIP access during the Space Camp Hall of Fame weekend in August, and even lifetime membership to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center can be yours!  But even one dollar helps get a vital training apparatus from the Space Shuttle Program to a worthy retirement home.

Head on over to the indiegogo page and have a look!

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center is set to receive nearly a million dollars from NASA!

Over four years, the Space Center will receive $998,000 as part of a grant to help get more kids to pursue STEM  careers.

From the article:

Deborah Barnhart, chief executive officer of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, said the money will be used to develop an International Space Station exhibit called Space Station: Science in Orbit.