This Week's Overnighter and Wyatt Lenhart's Great News.

Wyatt all Decked out. A Star is Born.

Hello Troops,
We've survived the solar storm. The news said the worst sailed right by Earth. The Earth's magnetic field deflected much of it. I still believe the static electricity in my home was stronger than normal because of it. I got a good shock opening the bathroom door. And more than once I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. So, it was either the solar storm or I may have an unwanted poltergeist who has taken up lodgings in my humble abode.

Tonight we host the 6th grade class from Cedar Ridge Elementary School. They are great, well behaved kids. All the ships are flying.

Phoenix. Dave: Supernova
Voyager. Jon: Event Horizon
Galileo. Ben: Crisis
Magellan. Mark: Vortex
Odyssey. Christine: Outlaws

Its 11:45 P.M. I'm at my desk. Jon and Ben are in the Voyager explaining the Center's safety procedures. The boys are peppering their speech with the usual amount of giggling, laughing and the occasional flatulence. You can't have an Overnight Camp without a traditional belly busting belch. I'm waiting to see if I can hear it. Regardless, I WILL hear the the roar of laughter which inevitably follows. Jon must then put on his "I'm not a happy camper" face and threaten the mighty wrath of the awful and dreadful Mr. Williamson upon them.

Tonight I'm going to post something written by the Space Center's very own Wyatt Lenhart. Wyatt has been selected to play the role of Chekov from the original Star Trek series in a new online Star Trek series. He flew to Los Angeles yesterday to have his uniform fitted for filming. Way to go Wyatt!!

I went to a convention in Vegas a few years ago that had no real ties to star trek. It was an anime convention, and so all the people there were ANIME nerds and not star trek nerds. In the opening ceremony, while introducing the main guest, (Vic Mignogna) he announced that he would be having a Star Trek the original series trivia. Now, at an anime convention you might find a few really like anime AND star trek the ORIGINAL series (or TOS for short). Keep in mind this was the biggest guest at the whole gig, this guy was most well known. In the back of my mind I was thinking, "Are you kidding me? The original series? I know that stuff better than anyone on this planet! I practically LIVED on it as a child." SO I MADE A PUBLIC CHALLENGE! being the arrogant teenager I am, I thought of the most challenging and obscure question I could think of. searching my brain furiously for a question worthy of this challenge.

suddenly it came to me! as my friends were gathered around me (Ben and Hayley) I asked the question that I didnt know the answer to. He was stumped! confused that someone of my intellect could come up with such a surprising question! He of course welcomed the challenge and asked if I knew the answer...(sweating at this point) I told him he would have to wait until the trivia panel. Where I would roast him alive! He smiled and walked away with confidence, as though he knew the answer all along. With my head pounding and hands shaking I walked away screaming! "I'VE GOT TO FIND THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION!" Hayley and Ben both looked at me with eyes WIDE open as though to say, "you mean you didn't know the answer?" I guess I had played to cool and confident that no one had noticed :D. so I researched the question further only to find that AN ANSWER DIDN'T EXIST!!!!! I had gotten my episodes mixed up and asked an inconsistent question! I was terrified! now I had to show up to the panel and be expected to ask that question in front of everyone who was present. I think me exact words were "hey I'm gonna kick your but at that trivia panel!" so when I arrived I saw toward the front, but not in costume. I was hoping that through the thousands of faces he saw in a day. Hopefully, he would forget that I had even challenged him, and I could go on with life and forgo the shame of asking the question (if you asked it then you HAVE to know the answer) so I blended into the crowd and hope that he would forget...

then the moment of the panel comes, and HE SHOWS UP IN FULLY AUTHENTIC STAR TREK UNIFORM!

and this is what happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vmlTis207o

So, basically I got destroyed at that panel. He had a phaser that was also a water gun. Every time he would answer a question correctly (and he got EVERY one) he would turn to me and ask a more obscure question from that same episode, and if I didn't know it he would squirt me in the face with this water gun. It was fun, although I hated it and loved it at the same time. Yes, I was getting squirted in the face, but it was fun and we all talked about how cool it was later..

so we left the convention and then went on with our normal lives. Yes! It was cool! but i didn't think much of it.

I DID email him trivia questions from time to time until he answered to many in a row it seemed pointless to keep asking.

so a year or so went by and we were off to our next convention! off to Colorado! We arrive, and I'm dressed in my Captain kirk attire.

The convention was great! we arrived for opening ceremonies and then RIGHT after was his Q and A panel. (this convention was much bigger, there were probably 10,000 people at this one. 6,000 of them in the room at the time) we were toward the front because he was again, the biggest guest at this convention (and really the biggest voice actor in the anime world). The Q and A session started and it was seemingly normal for the most part. people who had never been to a convention before asked their annoying questions and the creepy fan girls made him do lines as a character for him, but it was everything I had seen before.....until he saw me. He began to start, what some would describe as, freaking out. then he started talking about his STAR Trek career, and how he met William Shatner. Then he kinda had to stop and be like, okay, we should probably start talking about anime, since that's what were here for.

THEN CAME THE AUTOGRAPH SESSION!

all the other voice actors were given a room and a specific amount of line room. Vic, however, was given a whole floor, and the line was ENORMOUS!! The average wait was something like 3 to 5 hours. When you arrived in the room, you were allowed ONE item to be signed, and you could have a cd or a headshot signed if you decided to buy one also. They had security guards standing by in case you even THOUGHT about asking an extra question or signing an extra item. We were indeed afraid.

So we get to the room...and our little group walks in. Sparing the details of conversation, we were in there for 20 minutes!!! SECURITY WAS FURIOUS! in fact, they removed the rest of my party from the room! During our conversation, he told me about the star trek series he was doing, and he said, "We've GOT to get you doing a small cameo or something!" I was like YEAH! THAT'D BE SO COOL! then he paused and was like. Can you do a Russian accent? being EXTREMELY comfortable with a Russian accent because of all my practice at the space center. I busted out my Computer Specialist accent without hesitation. Then he said, well, Would you like to be Chekov? inside I was like YEAAAAAAAHH! but outside I was like YES! that would be so cool! and that was when security was said "take him down!". so I left the room and was completely blown away by what just happened. This is like what fans DREAM about, and I had just stumbled onto it by challenging someone to a star trek trivia panel.

A few weeks later he emailed me asking for my information, He called me and we talked about an audition video. I sent in my video, and I got the part!


I leave March 8th to get fitted for my costume in LA.

May 3 I leave to film the first few Vignettes and do a TON of publicity photo's

and then October we film the first episode!!!!

Its going to be great!

Wyatt

Solar Storm Attacks Earth!

False Color image of Solar Eruption.

Well, yes, it's a solar storm, and yes, it is hitting the Earth, so I call it an attack just for the effect. But the fact is, this Solar Flare that is hitting the Earth and causing fantastic Polar Lights could just as well cause interference in satellite communications. These disruptions could affect GPS navigation systems, high-flying aircraft travel, power grid transmission lines, and radio signals. Listen to news updates for anything serious though.

This all stems from what's called a CME, or "Coronal Mass Ejection" that occurred on the Sun yesterday and has begun hitting the Earth's magnetic field.

Shields Up!

You can get detailed information on the best site I know for tracking this storm, SpaceWeather, at: http://www.spaceweather.com/

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Delays in Resupply to ISS

Falcon 9 and Dragon under preparation.

It will not launch earlier than late April, but SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon resupply capsule are making progress towards their flight. The soon-to-be-historic flight will accomplish two major milestones for SpaceX. The mission combines its next objective, that of a rendezvous near the station, with its next objective, which is actual docking. By achieving the two goals in one flight, SpaceX will leap forward in their progress and save money as well. If successful, it ill be the first commercial resupply of the ISS (outside of Space Agencies). Last week, the Falcon 9 rocket seen in the picture above made a successful testing on the pad of its fueling and simulated launch.

ATV-2 on approach to ISS.

Meanwhile. on Friday March 2, European Space Agency directors announced a delay in the launching of the next cargo resupply to the ISS. Workers will need to re-enter the cargo area of the craft, designated ATV-3 (Automated Transfer Vehicle 3) to retighten cargo straps and prevent load shifting during the launch. This delay will move the launch to March 23. The ATV-3, officially nicknamed Edualdo Amaldi (after an Italian physics scientist), will carry 7 tons of fuel, water, air, and supplies to keep operations going on the ISS. The ATV is to be launched on top the Arianne 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center in South America.

By Mark Daymont
Space Center Eductor

The Imaginarium's Morning Cafe

Hello Troops,
A moment at the Imaginarium's Morning Cafe for a Sweet Sticky Bun, a hot cocoa, a gaze out the window at the rising sun and a moment to once again ponder the power of human imagination.

Pull up a chair.

One of my favorite commercials of the year.
Imagination's Highest Award for this one.

I always do. Don't You?
Never travel Solo. Take a Wookiee.
At least you'll be OK to drive in the HOV lane on the freeway.

There comes a time when you just can't take it anymore. People stand up and say "Enough is Enough." A lesson Rush Limbaugh is only now learning.

Every family seems to have one.
Are you the one in your family?

Drink finished with only a few drops down the front of my shirt (hey this may turn out to be a good day). Taking a moment to lick the sugar off my fingers and then its out the door of the Morning Cafe and down the street to the Space Center.

See you in the trenches.

Mr. W.

Making the Most of a Perilous Occupation: A Wedding Proposal on the Magellan

Hello Troops,

I want to thank Nicole for writing this post. Strange things indeed happen at the Space Center, not the least of which - a marriage proposal. I met the bride to be on Sunday at my niece's home. Family and friends of my niece were gathered for the obligatory feast following a baby blessing when I overhead a young woman talking about her wedding proposal at "that space place". Autumn brought her right over and introduced me to her. She showed me the ring. We both agreed it was a proposal never to be forgotten.

And now Nicole's account of the proposal itself.

It started off as an unusual mission, but not unusual in a bad sense. The Magellan crew had decided to throw a surprise party for their grandfather, a self-proclaimed Trekkie. We often have surprise parties for younger crews, but not usually for an older crew. The crew consisted of all age ranges as members of the family came together to celebrate the grandfather’s birthday. The mission itself was fairly normal; the crew and the staff both did an excellent job. At the end of the flight, the crew asked Zac and me to take some group pictures of them as they celebrated their victory.

After taking multiple group pictures with three different cameras, the birthday grandfather, who had been the admiral, left the group to talk with Zac and me. “Get the cameras ready,” he whispered with a gleam in his eye. “We are about to have a real proposal.”

Zac and I looked at each other with obvious delight; nothing like this had happened to us at the Space Center before. The admiral walked back down the stairs to join his crew.

“As the admiral of a starship, it is my privilege to marry people,” he stated. After some bantering between the crew members, one man stepped forward and asked if he could get married. The admiral nodded his approval and the man turned to his girlfriend. He got down on one knee and with victory music playing in the background, he asked her the question; while cameras flashed, she smilingly held out her hand and told him that she would marry him. Cheers broke out from the crew. The man slipped a diamond ring onto her finger.

Zac and I grinned as we continued to snap pictures while the crew celebrated. In my humble opinion, I believe that the man must have realized how short life can be when you are in the perilous occupation of flying a space station and, during the course of the mission, must have decided to finally marry the woman he loves. That, of course, is my own opinion, and you can see the situation as you wish. Zac and I were excited to have been able to take part in such a rare event at the Space Center, and we join with everyone as we wish the couple a wonderful future together.

The Great Fish, Shipwreaked in Matrimony Cove (And Other News).

Kyle (The Fish) Herring and Michelle Hinman,
his soon to be Better Half (and I'm not kidding)

Hello Troops,
Our news begins with the shocking revelation that confirmed bachelor, gentleman, scholar and resident Space Center political analyst has been lured by Siren song into the rocks of Sirenuse. Evidence of his bewitching is apparent on the ring finger of his fiancee, Michelle . Word has it Michelle is taking physical therapy to repair muscle damage to her arm and shoulder caused by the weight of the stone.


Yes friends, the Great Fish has been hooked! No one could be more pleased than Kyle Herring's mother.
"Finally!" she was overheard saying during a telephone call to Kyle's grandmother.
"Remember dear, with marriage comes the possibility of children," the kindly grandmother reminded her of the many family discussions held on the topic over the years.
"Oh, I forgot about that." Kyle's mother hung up and went for a long walk to consider the consequences of potential offspring.

"How did you manage to get her to give you the time of day?" one of Kyle's best friends asked after the news of the engagement was announced on Facebook.

"How could she resist me?" Kyle answered. "Look at this perfect specimen of Olympic grandeur." It is a well known fact that Kyle has always taken pride in his appearance.

His friend would have none of that. "No seriously, how did you get HER to give YOU the time of day??!!" He asked again while pondering the posted engagement photo.

OK, all teasing aside - all of us at the Space Center want to congratulate Kyle and Michelle on the occasion of their engagement. May they live long and prosper. The couple plan on making Orem their home. I tried to talk them into Pleasant Grove. After a ten minute fit of laughter they both said Orem has a much better zip code for someone of Kyle's up and coming status in the Republican party. After all, we all know Pleasant Grove is inhabited by a race of blue collar potato eaters :)

And now moving on.............

A TenYearer Captured and Honored!

Something as rare as a full solar eclipse on April Fool's Day occurred at the Space Center a week ago. A TenYearer was spotted, captured and honored at a short and simple ceremony held after last week's Overnight Camp. Matt Long received his Ten Year Gold Pin from Director Williamson. Director Williamson was quite please with himself for capturing this illusive TenYearer (as shown in his quite smug photo). Matt was found lurking about in the Computer Lab. Everyone knew he was there because computer programs kept appearing on the Center's computers in the middle of the night when no one was around. Matt was captured using a trap baited with a nice home cooked meal and a clean Space Center shirt.

"We know there could be more TenYearer's out there," Mr. Williamson said. "Finding them is the problem. Some have been spotted by the Center's volunteers and staff, although the evidence gathered is highly suspicious - grainy photographs or out of focus video tape. Still, the search continues."

Matt was released back into the wild after the award and thunderous applause by all those gathered. Before running out the door he waved, jumped into the air, clicked his heals and disappeared. Perhaps we will see him again in another ten years.

Can These People's Awesomeness Be Believed?

Jacob (above) and Caitlynn (middle) and Ashleigh (below) were recently inducted into the Space Center's Hall of Awesomeness last week with the awarding of Year Pins. Mr. Williamson is pleased and always happy to award Year Pins.

"Anyone who has stomached us for one year and still volunteers is truly Awesome!" Mr. Williamson exclaimed after pinning the pin on their lanyards. In fact, Mr. Williamson was so overcome by emotion he broke down in tears. The tears were accompanied by copious amount of nasal discharge (a problem he has lived with for years) requiring a change of shirts before he could continue with Ashleigh's award.



Nathan Y. (above) was recently awarded his Galileo Pin for valiant service to the Galileo and its master, Stacy. Stacy shook his hand while Nathan smiled uncontrollably during the pinning, and has continued to smile ever since. The ceremony ended over two hours ago and Nathan still smiles while working the Super Saturday.

"If he is still smiling at 4:00 P.M. we will take him to the Instacare," Mr. Williamson said. Everyone is concerned about Nathan's blood pressure. The joy of receiving a Galileo Pin can bring so much joy that one's blood pressure could spike - resulting in a stroke (we offer Ben as an example- his speech and overall appearance - a tragedy).

The staff are doing what they can to calm Nathan by reminding him of his most embarrassing moments at the Space Center. They hope this will bring on a rapid depression. So far nothing has worked.

Please excuse Mr. Williamson. One of the programmers tole him Apple Computer's new Siri program could speak AND read minds if the user were able to focus a concentrated thought at the Apple device for a sustained period of time.

He is sorry to report that after one hour of staring at his computer, he couldn't get the cursor to move, no not one millimeter.

This is Jon preparing to punch Mason in the face after giving him his Voyager Pin. Jon gets upset when someone earns their Voyager pin in less time than it took him.

"It ain't right, no it ain't!" Jon shouted after several young volunteers jumped up from the front row and stopped the punch from landing. One young volunteer took the brunt of the blow to the nose causing a twenty minute nose bleed.

"I am the best. Ain't nobody gonna tell me different," Jon was heard cursing as he was lead away to the school's basement Fallout Shelter. The stale air and fifty year old emergency biscuits have a calming influence on him. After an hour or so he is ready to return to work. Mason was shaken up a bit but quickly recovered. He kindly has decided not to press charges for mental distress against Jon.


Finally, proof positive of the abuse new young volunteers receive from older staff. In this exclusive The Troubadour photograph, we see young camper and volunteer Kimball helplessly wrestle with the Space Center's backpack vacuum cleaner while two older and much more experience volunteers (Caitlynn and Eric) stand by and watch.

"Its a disgrace," one member of the ACLU wrote after seeing the photograph. The United Nations Council on Human Rights has agreed to look into the problem. Caitlynn and Eric have been interrogated. Both have denied wrong doing.

"I saw him, who didn't?" Caitlynn spoke in a sourly sarcastic tone while chewing a stick of gum. "What was I suppose to do, Help?" Caitlynn laughed and turned to Eric who sat opposite her at the table.

"Like, No Way Man," Eric chimed in while inserting another stick of gum into his already full mouth.

Caitlynn and Eric have both been told to be nice and lead by example. Both have agreed to "try". Although we are not sure they understood the lecture. Both were texting at the time.

Have a Great Weekend Troops,
Mr. Williamson

ISS: Playing with fire

Astronaut Don Pettit at the SLICE equipment.

Up in the world's space outpost, astronauts and cosmonauts of Expedition 30 continue their research and experiments with living in space. Yesterday, astronaut Don Pettit worked on SLICE, the Structure and Liftoff In Combustion Experiment. SLICE allows astronauts and scientists to examine how flames behave in the microgravity of Earth orbit. The information gained by these tests will help engineers invent new equipment for fire safety which will benefit living in space, as well as potential benefits in fire control on Earth. This work will also help in pollution control and fuel efficiency in combustion engines.

Interviews with the press aboard the ISS. Don Pettit on left, Andre Kuipers on right.

During interviews with reporters, Flight Engineers Don Pettit and Andre Kuipers drank tea using specially designed glasses that allow humans to drink normally rather than have to sip liquid from plastic bags. After years of drinking from bags, this is a small but pretty cool step for living in space.

Other activities continued as normal aboard ISS: experiments with liquids and gasses in microgravity, computer and station maintenance, and astronaut physical workouts to control bone mass deterioration. Three of the crew practiced emergency evacuation procedures using the Soyuz TMA-22 spacecraft. Unloading continues from the Progress 46 supply spacecraft which docked at the station in January. Supplies from the module will continue to be unloaded, and eventually the module will be filled with trash, waste and garbage so it can be jettisoned later to burn up in the atmosphere.

What's next for ISS? On Wednesday the ISS will fire up its thrusters to boost its orbit a little bit. On March 9, the European Space Agency will launch another cargo spaceship (ATV-3) to the station. This craft has been nicknamed, "Edoardo Amaldi."

Blast Off! Atlas 5 Lifts Navy Satellite

Atlas lifts off from LC-41. Credit: SpaceFlight Now.

The MUOS 1 Mobile Communications Satellite was lifted into orbit Friday afternoon from Cape Canaveral at 3:15 pm MST. The US Navy will use the satellite to improve communications between ships and naval ground forces. MUOS 1 is built by Lockheed.

MUOS satellite graphic, credit Lockheed.

This was the 200th launch of the Centaur second-stage rocket system, which carries the satellites from the first stage Atlas rocket to an orbit before releasing the payload. Congratulations Centaur!

The Atlas 5 rocket is a joint project between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, under the organization of United Space Alliance. This rocket is under consideration of being man-rated to carry the new CST-100 crew capsule, currently being developed. This combination would be used to ferry astronauts to the ISS and back to Earth. It is also a possible launcher for the Dream Chaser, under development by Sierra Nevada Space Systems. The DreamChaser resembles a lifting-body design.

Dream Chaser- Atlas 5 configuration computer model. Credit Sierra Nevada Space Systems.

No doubt we'll be seeing more of the Atlas-5 in the competition for low-Earth-orbit capsules. In the meantime the Atlas 5 is very successful at delivering payloads into space. One of the spacecraft launched by an Atlas 5 is the New Horizon explorer, currently more than halfway to the dwarf planet Pluto! Another interesting payload is the Air Force's new X-37B unmanned robot shuttle, which is still on a mysterious mission in orbit.

Posted by
Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

The Imaginarium on a Cold Winter's Day

Hello Troops,

Snow in the County and a white curtain draped across the sky brings winter to the Imaginarium.
What better way to worship the divine in man than through his music.



And with that said, we venture further into the human capacity to create something from nothing. To make order out of chaos. To practice the essence of imagination.

The blending of old and new school advertising.

It's been a part of nature all along.....

Never a dull moment for the practioners of the Imaginative Arts.

Scotland?


A trick I perform on demand. Book early for you birthday party entertainment.


Volkswagon had the idea first.


The Truth in nearly every American home.


Clever......

Doggie Droppings. Hanne and Bridger at the Park and the Art of Sitting Quietly

The One Thing in Life We Can Truly Rely On

Have you ever stopped to wonder what one Space Center Overnight Camp is worth in doggie droppings? It's not the typical topic one would hear discussed at supper. The query has never been brought up at the Space Center, not even once in all our twenty-one years. A university economics class might be able to come up with answer - albeit doubtful.

Let's put our best thinking to the solution. One Overnight Camp carries a value of $43.00 United States dollars. That number is easily understood. The number is also understood in foreign currencies; for example:

Euro: 32.06
Russian Ruble: 1256.30
Japanese Yen: 3243.24

These numbers allow parents to budget. With $43.00 they could fill their gas tank or send a child to an overnight camp. But, back to the question at hand, how many doggie droppings equal $43.00? A full zip lock bag? A full garbage bag? Perhaps a full pickup truck? I wouldn't give you a bright shiny nickle for any of it. I don't think you could gather enough doggie droppings to balance the scales at $43.00.

You're asking where this is heading? Let me set the stage. It's 10:00 A.M. Saturday morning. I've dismissed the campers. I'm standing in the gym near the exit thanking the campers as they leave. A boy approaches with sleeping bag and pillow in tow.

"Mr. Williamson, I want you to know that this camp was worth 3 HOURS OF DOG POOP!"

I've been here for every overnight camp held at the Space Center since it opened in November 1990. That's 21 years worth if you're trying to do the math. His statement comparing our camp to dog poop was a first.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He stopped in the gym's doorway.

"I had to scoop up dog poop for 3 hours to earn enough money to come to this camp, and I'D DO IT AGAIN. It was worth it!"

I thanked the young man and up the hall he went, unaware of the smile he left sprawled across my face.

Troops, I could retire from the Space Center right now completely satisfied, because for the first time in my Space Center career I finally understand the true value of what we've created. The next time a parent asks me about our camp experience I'll say, "It's worth three hours of poop scooping."

Hanne and Bridger
at the Technology Fair

See Hanne at the Technology Fair?
See Bridger at the Technology Fair?
See Hanne and Bridger both at the Technology Fair?
Hanne and Bridger like science and technology.
Hanne and Bridger like the Space Center.

"Can we like them both at the same time?" Bridger asked one day while they were swinging at the park.

"Sure we can Bridger!" Hanne replied as she pumped her swing higher and ever so higher.

"But we live so far away in Boston and the Space Center is in Utah. How is it possible?" Bridger was confused. Bridger gets confused sometimes. His mother told him not to think so much. Bridger tired. It confused him.

"How can't I think so much?" Bridger shouted back to his mother one day while standing in the middle of the road wondering if the strips of paint painted down the center were equal distant from both curbs. "My brain has a brain of its own and it won't cooperate."

"God give me strength." Bridger's mother mumbled under her breath. Everyone standing on the curb heard her. Bridger's mother is a good church going woman who believes God can work miracles. She is often heard saying things like, "It will be a miracle if........" when she talks to her friends about Bridger.

"Come back to us Bridger!" Hanne shouted from high above. She knew when Bridger was lost in his thoughts. "Let's bring the Space Center here." Hanne pumped her swing higher and ever so higher.

"Stop confusing me Hanne. We can't bring the Space Center here." Bridger got off the swing to go off and pout. Besides, Hanne was too high and seeing high things scares him.

"Don't go pout and don't get confused. We won't bring the whole Space Center here. Let's show what the Space Center does. You see, that isn't so hard is it?" Hanne prepared to jump.

Bridger stopped and thought. He understood what she meant.

"Hanne you're so smart," he shouted. "We show what the Space Center does!"

"Hanne is smart and brave!" Hanne screamed before launching herself into the air and landing in the wood chips.

Hanne and Bridger laid down in the grass and thought and thought. Hanne talked. Bridger asked for a turn to talk. Hanne agreed. Bridger got to talk as well.




This is Hanne and Bridger at the MIT Techfair with their Space Center display.


Hanne did so much work setting up the display. Hanne likes to work. Hanne is a good worker. Ask her yourself if you don't believe me.


Bridger was distracted. Cool things distract Bridger. Hanne scolded Bridger for not helping. Bridger said he was sorry and promised to be a better boy. Hanne gritted her teeth. She does that a lot when she is with Bridger.


Hanne and Bridger's brilliant display at the MIT Technology Fair. Hanne and Bridger did good. Hanne and Bridger are good friends of the Space Center.

(Note: Thanks to Bridger and Hanne for highlighting the Space Center's work at the MIT Techfair. Bridger and Hanne were both outstanding volunteers at the Space Center through their high school years. It is good to keep in touch as they continue following their dreams)

The Art of Sitting Quietly
Lessons offered upon request

I was asked once what I do when I get home from a full day at the Space Center.
"I like to sit quietly," I replied. I do it professionally.

There are very few people who do it better than me. Sitting Quietly practitioners can be found in all parts of the world. You see us on park benches, in restaurants, at church, at the mall and in schools. We may look asleep, but don't let that fool you. Experts in the field have developed techniques to trick the mind into staying partly awake while still being able to transcend time and space into the imaginarium of dreams and inspirations.

I invite all to join us. Learn the benefits of Sitting Quietly. Free yourselves from the modern world. Find a bench. Sit down. Close your eyes and see where your mind takes you. I offer free lessons to anyone with a serious interest.

Have a Great Weekend!
Mr. Williamson




P.S. Bridger found a friend. One of his mother's miracles came true!

All Quiet on the Northern Front

A Letter from the Front

The troops are bedding down for the night. Two sit by a small fire using their kit spoons to surgically remove the last drops of juice from their tins of pork and beans. A few others quietly read letters from home by flashlight. One not so fortunate soldier stands above us with rifle at the ready. He drew midnight sentry duty. Imagination's foes inhabit the fields to the north, across the heavily barb wired No Man's Land. My bed roll waits while I finish this letter.

Tonight we proudly serve with Cedar Ridge Elementary's first and second platoons. These young soldiers, mostly 5th grade with a few 6th, are wildly enthusiastic to wear the Federation's colors. So enthusiastic, I was just notified by Lt. Jon Parker that I may need to visit the barracks and put the fear of a very tired instructor who has been at work since 7:00 A.M. this morning and desperate for a few hours of shut eye into them.

"Let's wait until lights out and see how they do," Lt. Jon said.

It's 12:01 A.M. Lights have been out for awhile. No word from Jon. Perhaps these young ones are cooperating. I hope so. They don't know what awaits them tomorrow. Shortly after dawn they will face an ensemble of some of the Universe's greatest villains, Masters of Disaster all.

We've had a busy week here in the trenches. Big classes filled our field trip slots. Add to the mix a slew of after school missions, a full Overnight Camp and a fully booked Saturday and you have a tired staff and ships in need of some rest. At least I won't have to do the 6:00 A.M. Walmart donut run. This is Mr. Daymont's weekend for that.

The only thing left to do is place a wager. I'm betting I'll be woken up by two boys tonight. Homesickness is commonly seen in our new 5th grade campers. Over all I'm able to convice half of those stricken to stay and show Mom and Dad they are big boys. The other half go home. Nearly all return in the morning.

That being said, I'll end this letter, shut down the computer and see what dreams may come.

Mr. W.

Finally- A Serious Space Debris Plan Developed by the Swiss.

CleanSpaceOne plan. From the article on Parabolic Arc:

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2012/02/21/swiss-developing-way-of-taking-out-space-trash/

"That wasn't a laser blast... something hit us!" - paraphrasing a certain space smuggler.

Orbiting the Earth at present are tens of thousands of satellites, pieces of satellites and rockets, and fragments of space programs that have been placed there over the last fifty years. NASA uses radar to track 16,000+ items which could potentially cause damage to functioning satellites and spacecraft. Every now and then, even here on SpaceRubble we comment on the ISS needing to use thrusters to play "dodgeball" with a dangerous piece of debris. Lately, more and more space programs are considering the danger from all this wreckage in space.

Here come the Swiss! According to the article "Swiss Developing Way of Taking Out SPace Trash" on the website Parabolic Arc, the Swiss Space Agency has found a niche to master: ridding Earth orbit of non-functional satellites. CleanSpaceOne is a trash-intercepting satellite which will match orbits with a piece of debris, carefully approach and grapple with the object, then alter its orbit so the two will burn up in the atmosphere in re-entry.

At a cost of over 10 million Swiss Franks, each mission will be initially very expensive just to remove a dead satellite. Space Program planners will have to start including costs for eventual "disposal" at the end of their planned missions. At least this will be a start of the very necessary clean up of Earth orbit. Perhaps it will inspire others to find less expensive ways to deal with the problem. CleanSpaceOne is expected to be tested within the next three years.

Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

50 Years Ago Today - Friendship 7 Orbits the Earth! A First for the American Space Program

Mercury Atlas 6 blasts off from LC-14.

by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

After several disappointing weather delays and equipment failure postponements, NASA finally had a good day and launched the third mission of the Mercury program. The previous two missions launched Alan Shephard and Gus Grissom on short sub-orbital flights over the Atlantic. The Redstone rocket used on the previous flights were simply not powerful enough to place the Mercury capsule into an orbital flight, so the heavier Atlas ICBM was converted and "man-rated" to lift the astronauts into space.

Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Mercury-Redstone missions had taken place from Launch Complex 5. With the more powerful Atlas rocket, operations were established at Launch Complex 14. Mission Control was performed from blast-proof domed bunkers near the pad. For this mission, radio ships at sea joined with radio stations around the world to maintain NASA's communications with the orbiting astronaut.

Astronaut Glenn enters the capsule. In the background is "pad leader" Gunther Wendt, overseeing launch tower operations.

John Glenn was a Marine officer who had flown combat missions in World War Two and the Korean War. As a test pilot, he had flown many types of aircraft and set speed records in the F-8U-1 Crusader jet. His backup for this mission was Scott Carpenter, a naval aviator who had served in the Korean War and flew surveillance missions near Soviet installations.

The ride to orbit was a bumpy one, but after the escape tower jettisoned with the booster engines the ride smoothed out. At last the capsule separated and Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth at 17, 544 miles per hour. Mission Control gave him the positive outlook that he was "go" for seven orbits at least.

In-flight picture of Glenn in the capsule.

During the flight, Glenn reported on his visual range of the Earth' surface, and at one moment was startled to see hundreds of tiny bight objects swarm around the capsule. He described them as like "fireflies" which the press picked up on immediately and speculated about possible life in space. The fireflies would be an object of investigation on the next Mercury flight. In the photo above, you can also see a curved mirror placed on Glenn's chest. This was included so that the camera in the capsule could also see the reflection of the capsule instrument panel. Also during the flight, there were problems with the temperature warming up too much in Glenn's spacesuit. He had to carefully maintain a balance between suit control settings and the temperature settings inside the capsule.

After an orbit, controllers determined a possible problem with the landing bag system. A computer light indicated that the landing cushion bag had deployed. If true, this could have cause problems with the positioning of the heat shield necessary for re-entry. Flight Director Chris Kraft consulted with flight engineers and they determined that Glenn should not eject the retro-rocket pack, attached to the heat shield with metal straps. Jettisoning the pack could cause the heat shield to slip off, and Glenn would be killed as the capsule experienced severe re-entry heat. Mercury pilot Wally Schirra, one of the astronauts yet to fly, was capsule communicator stationed at California, delivered the procedure plan to Glenn, who fully understood the possible danger.

Computer-generated model of Friendship 7 as it would have looked in orbit. The retro-engine pack with its straps visible on the left of the craft. Image by James R. Bassett.

During re-entry, the retro pack heated up and melted. Glowing pieces flew past the window, as Glenn exclaimed that "that's a real fireball outside." Glenn worried at times that he might be seeing pieces of the heat shield melting and falling away, but the heat shield held fine. As scientists would later determine, the landing bag indicator itself had been faulty, and there never was real danger to the craft. But the mission controllers did not know this at the time.

The parachutes opened as expected and Friendship 7 landed in the Atlantic Ocean. Glenn was about 40 miles from the expected landing zone. Not bad for America's first re-entry after orbit. The destroyer USS Noel quickly found glenn and hoisted him and the capsule out of the water.

Glenn would later receive a ticker-tape parade in New York and would received by President Kennedy and given a medal. But stepping out of the capsule onto the deck of the destroyer, his words were "It was hot in there!"

Normally I would have a bunch more NASA photos of the event in this blog. Unfortunately, the NASA image archives are compromised today, perhaps due to unusually high Internet traffic on this very memorable occasion. SO, I've decided to place a few pics from my trip to KSC last year and I'll post more pictures later.

Memorial plaque and sign at LC-14. As the sign points out, all the Mercury-Atlas flights took place from this complex.

At the Mercury Seven Sculpture. This location is located at the entrance road to the launch complex. That's me on the left, and my Uncle John Daymont, who patiently posed with me while the tour bus driver graciously took the picture. The Cape Canaveral AF Base tour is fantastic, but they only do it once per day IF there are no launches that day.

Distant picture of what's left of LC-14. The Atlas rocket would be trucked up the ramp from the right and then tilted into position into a large Gantry tower on the left. Compare this with the LC-14 picture previous.

Control bunker at LC-14. Supposedly blast proof in case the Atlas missile were to explode on the pad. Sometimes they did during testing!