The Troubadour

50 Years Ago Today - Ranger 3 Misses the Moon

2012-01-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Artist idea of Ranger probe traveling through space. This replica of Ranger was used at the Parade of Progress Show in Cleveland Ohio in 1964. I would love to find out where this is today. Perhaps the Smithsonian?

Fifty years ago on January 26, 1962, NASA launched an Atlas-Agena B rocket from Cape Canaveral. Lifted beyond Earth orbit, Ranger 3 was set on course to begin our epic reconnaissance of the Moon. On board were not only experiments to test the functionality of the Ranger series of probes, but also a Seismometer capsule which would roughly land and begin studying moonquakes. The craft itself was intended to crash into the surface of the Moon, as engineers had not yet devised a way to softly land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. A camera would send images of the lunar surface back to Earth before the expected crash, and instruments would make radar reflections of the surface, measure the altitude from the surface, and study gamma rays while in space.

Side view or Ranger 3.

Power for the craft was provided by two solar panel wings providing energy to a 1000-watt capacity battery. A large communications antenna was attached to the base. In a way, Ranger 3 appeared much as most of our satellites of the period would look.

Atlas-Agena B lifts off from Cape Canaveral.

The Ranger 3 mission did not go as planned (surprise!). The booster guidance system suffered a malfunction which caused the spacecraft to speed up beyond the planned acceleration. The mid course correction failed, and the spacecraft was unable to relay data and information clearly. Ranger 3 missed the moon by about 22,000 miles. Eventually, some data was received that helped engineers fine-tune the design for the next mission. Ranger 3 itself kept on flying- it eventually began to orbit the Sun, and remains out there to this day.

Science fiction fans may remember that the TV series "Buck Rogers" used a space-shuttle derived design as Buck's spaceship, which was named "Ranger-3."

Posted by Mark Daymont
From Spacerubble.blogspot.com

A Dark Tuesday

2012-01-24T20:23:00.012-07:00

Hello Troops,
Some people say the sun stopped its forward motion toward night. Others reported seeing strange objects in the sky. Psychics worldwide stopped whatever they were doing for the briefest of moments. Each heard the same something - an unnatural whispering in the fabric of human consciousness.
"There is a disturbance in the mechanisms of the universe" one psychic from Montreal texted to a friend in Wolverhampton, England.

Scientists are reporting these strange phenomena are the result of a massive solar storm spewing radiation across space at 4 million miles per hour.

"The solar radiation is coming in contact with Earth's magnetic field. This contact is causing worldwide feelings of incompleteness," a scientist from the National Academy of Sciences said during an interview on tonight's NBC News with Brian Williams. "It is the way the radiation affects the firing of the brain's nerve cells."

St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City had twice the number of people in attendance at evening Mass. "I haven't been to Mass in years," one woman explained. "There is something about this night that bothers me and I think the best place to be is church."

What happened during the early evening hours of Mountain Standard Time to cause so much uneasiness? How was the normal universal routine altered? The answer may surprise you.

Mr. Williamson left the Space Center at 5:20 P.M. !

I'm sorry if this unannounced and abrupt change in my daily routine upset so many. It was never my intention to do so. You see, today was one of those weird rare days at the Space Center. We didn't have any after school missions. Not one of our five ships had a booking. No bookings meant I could actually leave the school having put in ten hours instead of my normal eleven. The whole thing seems to fantastic to be true, but I promise it is. I left the Space Center at 5:20 P.M. I can't believe it myself.

Perhaps there are no absolutes in this universe.

And How About a Few Things from the Imaginarium?

"Run for your lives, the Dalaks are coming!"

Rachel's urgent Facebook Message.

You must forgive Rachel. Yes, I'm talking about our Rachel. The Rachel you know who flight directs the Odyssey and Galileo. She has evidence that two of science fiction's greatest human nemesi are making appearances - perhaps in your neighborhood.

What is causing our normally calm and unflustered Rachel to panic so? See for yourself below.

This Dalak sits and waits for the arrival of The Doctor. If the boy had any smarts, he would high tail it out of there. Who in their right mind would ever purposely put himself between The Doctor and a Dalak? It is suicide, pure and simple.

This English city's council government was smart enough to put up warning signs to alert the people of their pending extinction. A Dalak on the loose is a recipe for community disaster on a monumental scale.

If Dalaks on your doorsteps aren't enough of a bother, what about the latest bellows from Rachel's Watchtower? Yes, the Weeping Angels are on the loose in some of our cities. Don't blink. Trust me on this. Don't Blink! And whatever you do, don't look away.

Yet More for Tonight

Many of you good readers of The Troubadour know my one great weakness - my adoration of the Human Imagination. Tonight I pay tribute to two wonders of modern imagination.

Behold what the human mind is capable of doing when given freedom and incentive.

Always take the ordinary and make it extraordinary. Exercise your imagination whenever possible. Step out from the teaming masses. The air is fresher and the view, breathtaking.

And Finally, The Other Mary Poppins
"Scary Mary"

Solar Storm Hits Hard Today

2012-01-24T15:37:00.004-07:00

False color image of Sun. Solar flare developing in upper right section.

A massive CME (Coronal Mass Ejection) should be hitting the Earth right now. Traveling at about 1400 miles per second, the solar energetic particles are hitting the Earth's magnetosphere (our shields) and interacting with high-flying orbital satellites. A storm this strong hasn't hit the Earth since 2005. There were concerns that some aircraft traveling at high altitude over the Arctic circle would have to divert. Our main concern is that some satellites may suffer damage or loss of signal quality during the event. Skywatchers with clear skies can be looking for magnificent aurora.

The Noises of the Night

2012-01-21T15:26:00.009-07:00

Hello Troops,
It was 1:00 A.M. I was tossing and turning, hoping to find a comfortable position on a thin pad held rigidly in place by the school's hardwood stage floor. I stared up at the ceiling. Two banks of stage lights hung precariously overhead. I though for a moment about the 'Big One' predicted to shake Utah to its knees sometime in the near future. I wondered what those lights would do if that massive earthquake broke loose that second. I envisioned two possibilities:

All would be well because Central Elementary was built in the 1950's and people knew how to build quality schools in those days.
I wouldn't survive because Central Elementary was built in the 1950's and people didn't build earthquake resistant schools in those days.

Fueled by that thought, my late night pessimistic strand led me to think about the gym's massive air conditioning / heating unit which sat directly overhead on the roof. One good jolt would bring the whole thing crashing through the roof and right onto the very spot where I slept. I thought of moving but didn't. There are times in life when the occasional risk must be taken.

Right in the middle of my 2012 disaster movie playing in my head, a noise from the gym shifted me back to the hear and now. Below me on the gym floor were fifteen space campers sleeping on our quality creaking cots that like to collapse without warning. Twelve or so of the Space Center's male staff and volunteers ranging in age from 13 to the twenty something occupied the stage with me. One of the campers started to cough. The first cough broke the silence and was quickly followed by a series of three or four coughs in a row separated by a couple of minutes. Each series of coughs pulled me back from those few minutes of shut eye I desperately needed. I debated whether or not I should wake him up to get a drink. My hesitation paid off. After twenty minutes or so, that part of the evening's performance of Noises of the Night came to an end on its own without my intervention. It was nearly 1:30 A.M.

I turned over on my flimsy pad. My old unyielding bones complained about the hard floor. I adjusted my pillow and tried a different position. My unsatisfied bones continued to object. I layed on my back and closed my eyes. I thought of the alien invasion predicted by one of the SyFy Channel's UFO reality shows. I wondered if the Grays with the bulging almond shaped eyes would take an interest in my fleet of startships, show mercy, and allow me keep my brains off their supper menu or decide not to replace my consciousness with one of their own in a weird body snatching scenario.

Right in the middle of that thought another noise pulled me back to the here and now. It was a gurgling accented with the occasional snort. One of our young campers was snoring. After chaperoning our Space Camp for twenty one years, I've come to realize that everyone's snore is distinct - like fingerprints. Many times I've been tempted to record the more interesting snores with the intention to send the sound bytes to some professor of linguists for analysis. Such a study might answer a nagging question I've wondered about for years. Do snorers snore with a regional accent? If so, then it was my believe that this boy's snore had a definite southwestern tonality and pitch.

The snores ended abruptly when the boy sleeping next to the snorer shoved him. "Stop snoring!" he whisperyelled.

Shortly after 3:00 A.M. The Noises of the Night woke me with a crescendo of Dreamtalking. One of the boys on the far end of the stage burst into audible babble. His dreamtalk might have been religiously motivated - something akin to speaking in tongues because I couldn't understand a word of what he was saying. I reached for my flashlight. I found the boy sitting up in his cot. He looked into the light. I held him in the spotlight while he finished his thoughts and fell back into silence. I switched off the flashlight. I closed my eyes and counted sheep to the sounds of the heating unit on the roof.

At 5:00 A.M. I awoke to the sounds of the hardwood floor. One of the volunteers was up on his way to the bathroom. Each step caused the floor to creak like the timbers of a old wooden sailing ship riding the waves of a building storm. A few minutes later I heard the sound of a flushing urinal. The bathroom door opened. "Don't do it!" I thought. I didn't want him to reenter the stage through the hallway door. Of course he did just what I didn't want him to do. "Here it comes," I thought. The metal sound of the door's crashbar latch snapping and clicking into the locked position rang throughout the gym. The cymbals had their moment in our nighttime symphony.

A couple boys woke up just before 5:45 A.M. and started whispering. They provided the Noises of the Night with its closing piece. I turned my flashlight in their general direction. They quieted right down. I was done for the night. I got up, left the stage and prepared to make my early Saturday morning WalMart donut run.

All of us who have worked at the Space Center over the last two decades have grown accustom to the Noises of the Night. These performances have good and bad weeks. This weekend's performance was good thanks to the absence of one tune I despise with a passion. It starts with a wrenching guttural sound followed by the sound of liquid splattering onto the gym floor. I refer to it as "Vomit in F minor". Its absence from this week's playbill makes me grateful for life's simple blessings.

And so, we move into another week. I want to thank you campers for coming to the Space Center and serenading us with your renditions of the Noises of the Night. There would be no Symphony Hall without you. And a Thank you to our great staff and volunteers.

Mr.Williamson

Delta IV lifts SATCOM to orbit

2012-01-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Delta IV components. Credit: NASASPaceflight.com

Here we go... For the first U.S. launch of a satellite this year, United Launch Alliance (ULA) sent a Delta IV rocket into the Florida skies from Launch Complex SLC-37B at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Forty minutes later, the WGS-4 satellite separated from its stage and began orbiting. The Wideband Global Satcom 4 is a military satellite, first in a series of ten that will form a Defense Satellite Communications System. Other countries included in this defense system include Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

ULA operates Delta launches from Pad B of launch complex SLC (Space Launch Complex) -37.

SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Historically, SLC-37 (originally LC-37) was used to test the first Saturn 1 and thereafter launched over a half dozen Saturn 1 and Saturn 1B rockets during the Apollo program. All of these Saturn rockets were unmanned, but were part of the testing required to make sure the equipment was ready to put astronauts into space and on their way to the Moon. Later, during the 1970's the complex was demolished. The complex was later rebuilt to launch DElta and Atlas advanced rockets for government missions. The Delta IV and Atlas V are in consideration as launch vehicles for the upcoming Orion space capsule.

Closer view of SLC-37B. I took this photo while standing at Launch Pad 34, location of the infamous fire onboard Apollo 1. Inside the tower can be seen a Delta rocket being readied. Photo taken in May 2011.

Last Apollo mission to lift off from LC-37B, was Apollo 5. This was an unmanned mission on a Saturn 1B rocket, designed to lift a test version of the Lunar Module into orbit without a crew.

Apollo 5 test mission patch.

Posted by Mark Daymont

The Space Center's New Summer Missions are Announced!

2012-01-16T15:48:00.005-07:00

Skyler and Emily's killer hound "Safari" patrolled the school's hallways
during our meeting. Always on the hunt for KAOS agents.
She is trained to bite and ask questions later.
"Who's a good dog then?"

Monday, January 16. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A School Holiday.

The Space Center's staff of dedicated Set and Flight Directors arrived at the Space Center this holiday Monday morning under the ruse of having to do court directed public service hours for delinquency. On my direction they had their shoes untied, hair messed up, heavy dark facial make up (for females), low riding jeans (for males), and all smacking chewing gum to give the impression to any KAOS spy lurking in the trees and bushes that nothing of importance was happening at the Space Center. Once in the building the staff's anti social costumes were exchanged for proper student attire.

Why the deception? We didn't want our advisories to know today was the day we approved our summer schedule and either wrote or reviewed our summer camp stories for the summer camp season of 2012.

9:00 A.M.
Meeting with the Phoenix staff and the Programming Guild. There was a discussion concerning new Phoenix Cocoa controls.

10:00 A.M.
Breakfast meeting.
Delicious donuts, bagels, orange juice, milk and chocolate milk were on hand to get everyone's brains ready for the schedule presentation. We bid farewell to Alex Anderson who is leaving for an LDS mission on Wednesday. The applause for Alex's years of dedicated work was heart felt. Tissues were on hand for those who needed them. Counsellors waited in the room next to Discovery for anyone who needed psychiatric help to overcome the Alex addiction (over dependency on his unique computer skills necessary to keep our ships running).

Alex will be missed.

After Alex's tribute the meeting turned to the new summer missions. All five simulators need new missions for the summer. Today was the day for them to be written or revised. Just before I brought the writing sessions to order a sound was heard on the school's roof. Jon and Miranda were dispatched to investigate. Both stopped at the Magellan's armory to don vests and phasers. I feared the possibility that KAOS agents might be hovering over the rooftop air conditioner listening in, waiting to steal our intellectual property for their organization's diabolical purposes.

"Just the wind of an approaching storm," Jon reported. We stood down from Red Alert.

"Break into your teams, write or revise your new Summer stories and meet me again for lunch at Noon," I directed.

I met with my Voyager team consisting of Emily and Jon. We discussed several cool and innovated concepts we'd like to introduce in our Voyager mission; I'm not at liberty to discuss them in this open forum for reason's given in the paragraphs above.
Ideas flowed. Opinions were given. A decision was reached.

I left Emily and Jon to make copies of the mission while I jumped into the Battlestar to collect lunch from Little Caesars.

"Six of your delicious, mouth watering pizzas please," I asked the cashier. She smiled. I noticed she had gold fillings on her back teeth. Curious an American would have gold fillings. Gold fillings were more an East European practice.

"Spasibo," she replied. At that moment she knew she'd blown her cover. She had just used the Russian word for Thank you.

"You mean 'thank you' don't you?" I replied reaching for the phaser I always keep strapped to my ankle. She jumped over the counter, pushed me to the floor and escaped into the windy wintry morning. I felt obliged to pursue but stopped when I heard a banging sound. The KAOS agent had the store manager and cashier tied up in the walk in cooler.

12:00 Noon
Lunch was served in Discovery. While the staff feasted on pizza, chips and a delicious assortment of beverages (Sprite, Root Beer and Diet Coke) each simulator made a short presentation outlining their new summer story. The excitement in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.

12:30 P.M.
The official meeting ended. The staff had the option to stay and continue to work on their own time or leave. Most stayed, realizing that once the creative juices start to flow, stopping them abruptly could be dangerous - leading to dementia, dizziness and slurred speech.

Nicole and Zac reviewing the Magellan's new summer story
Stolen Honor (Working Title)

Megan, Wyatt and Miranda reviewing the Phoenix's new summer story
Rules of Succession

Christine, Adam, Devin and Josh reviewing the Odyssey's new summer story
Star Crossed

Matt, Ben, Rachel and Stacy reviewing the Galileo's new summer story
The Galileo Incident (Working Title)

Stacy hiding her computer screen from my camera. The Galileo staff are very protective of their work. Our staff share a competitive streak - each working hard to outdo the other in the summer camp ratings.

Emily and Jon reviewing background information on the
Voyager's new summer story
The Hunt for Horace

Your Space News Updates.

2012-01-16T09:03:00.005-07:00

Space Junk News - The Fall of Phobos-Grunt

Phobos-Grunt in assembly phase.

It's the end of another sad tale of Russia's attempts to investigate the planet Mars. Phobos-Grunt was launched on November 9, 2011 on a mission to explore Mars' moon Phobos and bring back samples to Earth. Instead, rocket failures on the probe left it in a perilous orbit around the Earth. Repeated attempts to correct the problem from Russian mission control were useless.

The orbit of Phobos-Grunt was unstable. Scientists hurried to predict where the probe would eventually crash back to Earth. Last night the answer was discovered as the craft entered the atmosphere and crashed to the surface somewhere in the Southern Pacific, about 1200 kilometers from Wellington Island. Chile is the owner of the island. No reports of the crash or any damage have been reported. There were worries that the toxic fuels on board the probe and some of the heavier instruments would survive enough of the burn-up to pose a threat to anyone near the crash site.

According to NASA records, this is the most recent of 17 failures by the Russians to explore Mars. They seem to have better success probing Venus. I think Mars hates them. Actually, it just shows how incredibly complicated and difficult it really is to send probes to other planets. We often take these explorations for granted.

ISS during Expedition 27. That's shuttle Endeavor docked at the top.

Meanwhile, up in space the ISS crew performed a maneuver to change the station's orbit slightly. They had two good reasons. Firstly, they needed to prepare for an upcoming rendezvous with a supply craft delivery of cargo. Second, and of slightly more urgency, they needed to dodge some junk.

Back in 2009, one of the Iridium satellites collided with a derelict Russian satellite. The resulting fragments scattered around the Earth. This particular fragment, about the size of a grapefruit, would pass uncomfortably close to the ISS. By performing the rendezvous maneuver now, the ISS has completely dodged the space junk.

Brother Alex Departs for Penn's Land. Another Troubadour Leaves the Troope.

2012-01-15T12:32:00.011-07:00

Brother Alex Goes Forth to Serve.

The nun's chorus echoed throughout the chapel. All rose from bended knee and prayer. Master Alex, now Brother Alex, had donned the robes of the monk and pilgrim. He turned from the alter to face the congregation; and with the Bishop's blessing, walked from the alter toward the heavy oak doors and into the January day.

Our band of Troubadours gathered around the ox cart to bid our fellow Troubadour a final adieu. Brother Alex warmly shook each hand and offered words of encouragement and comfort.

"You shall do fine. My parting may be noticed, but only momentarily, like a feather drifting to the Earth. Master Matthew was an able disciple and I trust you in his great care." Brother Alex put his hand on Master Matthew's shoulder as if bestowing his powers upon him.

Master Matthew spoke. "I shall do my best to fill your place, but may I speak for all and repeat that you will be missed."

"Then that sorrow in departure is a testament to the friends and good fellows I leave behind. And now I must bid adieu. It is a long journey to Penn's Land and there is much work to do." Alex jumped into the cart. His brown woolen robes looked odd and uncomfortable upon his body. He sat in the straw, and with cross in hand, offered a friar's blessing to his fellow Troubadours.

"A final gift to you," I stepping from the gathering when his blessing was complete and placed a parchment into his hand. "May this prayer keep you in His care when the days are at their darkest. Be safe Brother, for the world outside these gates can be as dangerous as they are marvelous."

"I shall. And now Goodbye." Brother Alex tapped the shoulder of the carts man. The cart lurched forward, it's wheels rattled on the cobblestone as it turned and then disappeared through the castle's gate. Brother Alex unrolled the parchment and read.

Disturb us, Lord, when
We are too pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore.

Disturb us, Lord, when
with the abundance of things we possess
We have lost our thirst
For the waters of life;
Having fallen in love with life,
We have ceased to dream of eternity
And in our efforts to build a new earth,
We have allowed our vision
Of the new Heaven to dim.

Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,
To venture on wilder seas
Where storms will show Your mastery;
Where losing sight of land,
We shall find the stars.

We ask you to push back
The horizons of our hopes;
And to push back the future
In strength, courage, hope, and love.

This we ask in the name of our Captain,
Who is Jesus Christ.

Sir Francis Drake (1577)

Brother Alex rolled the parchment and carefully put it into his knapsack. He stretched out upon the straw and looked into the deep blue of God's sky.

"There be a blanket beneath the staw if needed Brother," the carts man said as he shifted his weight on the bench. It would be a long trek to the river.

"I thank you, but the day is warm." There was a pause. Brother Alex sat up and watched a group of children playing near a grouping of thatched huts beside the road. He remembered his time on stage bringing story and music to hundreds of children like them from one of the of the Kingdom to the other.

"It is a good day for a journey, is it not?" Brother Alex spoke with contentment.

"That it is Brother. That it is," the cartsman replied.

On Wednesday, Alex Anderson enters the MTC in Provo to train to serve as an LDS missionary in Pennsylvania. Alex started at the Space Center as a young teenager, following in his older brother's footsteps. He quickly found his niche in the Programming Guild. From there he ventured into Flight Director. He became the Phoenix Set Director when Megan Warner left to serve an LDS mission in South Korea.

Alex's handiwork can be found on the computer screens in the Magellan, Phoenix, Galileo and Odyssey. He was a dedicated and devoted member of our staff. We all wish him the best as he serves his church on this two year mission.

Mr. W. and the rest of "The Troubadours".

My Name Revealed! The Shocking Truth Behind that Name!

2012-01-13T23:54:00.009-07:00

The Victor Pose is Catching

Bracken Funk

Jon did what in the loft?

Bracken did what on deck 2?

Kyle spent what on the Galileo?

Alex did what to the school network?

Beverly did what to the sickbay?

Hello Troops,
Thank you Bracken for the picture and five lines of commentary (above). He labeled it "The Victor Pose". While hinting at cleverness and sparking with imagination, I must take offense at Bracken's unwarranted revelation. I've been exposed as a Victor.

Victor is nearly a dead name in the United States. Think about it. How many Victors do you know? Several, If you lived in Russia or Latin America. Well, thanks to Bracken, you all know one of the few left alive in the United States. Mind you, I'm not ashamed of my name; it just seems to date me to the mid 1950's.

My mother named me after a movie star called Victor Mature (Google it if you must). I confess to sharing several of Victor Mature's attributes (it has been mentioned that I ooze in acting talent like a blister about to pop), yet I still wait for Hollywood's call. Let me state here and now that when that call comes, I promise to take many of you little people with me. I just hope Hollywood doesn't wait too long. I'm past the age where a respectable agent would cast me as a dashing young hero; mind you, it wouldn't take much make up and plastic surgery to make it nearly so. What I could do is play someone in the throws of a mid life crisis. I do 'crisis' well with all the experience I've had running the Space Center.

Speaking of Crisis....... it has been a remarkably quiet second week of January. I'm almost ready to state that our luck has changed. Fortuna seems to be more occupied with dumping several feet of snow on avalanched Alaska than tormenting us at the Space Center.

I couldn't let this Friday the 13th pass without some kind of misfortune. For the first time in living memory I dropped a full gallon of 1% milk on the floor this morning as I put the food and drink away for the Overnight Camp. It exploded in the cafeteria's wash room. A tidal wave of milk poured out and covered the floor. Milk spittle covered the walls and my black Nikes. It was a mess. What was your Friday the 13th Story? Can you top that?

It is time for bed. The campers are all asleep as well as the staff. I sit alone, typing away, on guard duty at our Little Camp in the Big Dark Woods.

Mr. V. Williamson

How Many Other Things Are We Missing?

2012-01-12T18:09:00.006-07:00

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule. 4 minutes later: The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. 6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. 10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children.

Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly. 45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. 1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: *In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? *Do we stop to appreciate it? *Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context? One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made. How many other things are we missing?

The Week from Heck. We Will Not Yield!

2012-01-07T14:42:00.009-07:00

Fortuna Reviews the latest reports from the Fates as they unleash Mischief's Mayhem
on the Mortals of Pleasant Grove

"I grow bored." Fortuna sighed as she surveyed the deep blue sky. She stood up from her marble throne high upon Olympus. "What mortals are there whose luck must change?"

"How may we entertain my lady?" spoke one of her minions, an hunchbacked Imp with a twisted face and an elongated sliver of a nose. Spittle dripped from the side of his muddy red mouth. He waited for an answer. Fortuna rubbed her chin, sniffed the air then motioned the Imp to step back several paces. The lilac air fouled on his appearance.

"Surprise me," she said as she motioned for wine. The Imp clapped for wine to be served, then hobbled to the balcony to ponder her command.

"Shall I beckon Poseidon? A favor is owed to you my Lady. Our Lord Poseidon despairs to be in your debt." The Imp held out his hand to summon Lord Poseidon, God of the Seas.

Fortuna tapped her forehead. "Where is Athena?" The Imp lowered his arm and thought for a moment - pleased with his Lady's scheming.

"Athena is away my Lady. Shall we request our Lord Poseidon send a monstrous wave to wipe Athens away, that blemish upon the land is only here because of Athena's patronage? Would this not bring you great delight and spirit away your melancholy?"

Fortuna thought again. A minute later her cheeks expanded to form a sinister grin. Her pearly teeth sparkled in the midday sun. "Let us be more creative in our work. What of the mortals in that most Pleasant of Groves?"

"Oh yes my Lady, Pleasant Grove." The Imp jumped up and down. Juices from his mouth stretched to the floor forming an unbroken yellow bridge. His bones popped on each impact. "Why torment Athena when the vilest of nature's creations wistfully live their lives without regard to your graciousness in that Pleasant Grove?"

"Agreed." Fortuna held her staff heavenward. Dark swirling clouds filled the sky as she lowered her staff toward the west. A terrible wind blew from the valleys.. Lightning sliced through the tempest. The roar of thunder shook the Temple.
"Release the Fates!" she shouted. The Imp fought the wind to get to the edge of the balcony. His gray thin hair whipped around his face.

"Fates of Time and Fortune, Our Lady calls BE GONE to the westward land of Pleasant Grove."

Morris Mullen experienced the Fates as they flew over Chicago toward Pleasant Grove.
This misfortune gave him a migraine and an excuse to leave work early,
An unintended consequence.

The village of Pleasant Grove sat peacefully at the foot of Mt. Timpanagoes, completely unaware of the events unfolding on the top of Olympus so far away. It was Tuesday - the first day back to school for the students and teachers of Central School. The Space Center would soon be alive with the sound of children's voices. The sun shone bright. The air was clean and crisp. Everyone hoped the return from the holidays and the start of 2012 would be uneventful. All had high hopes for a good new year.

The Fates arrived with the morning sun, announced by the smell of mildewed wet washcloths. They swirled as a circling flock of crows over the village school plotting against the unsuspecting mortals below. At exactly the stroke of 9:45 A.M. they cast their first spell. Their spells continued unrelenting and without regards to the young or the old or the healthy or unwell for the rest of the week.

The Discovery room's mixer broke just before the start of the first field trip after returning from Christmas Vacation. The surge protector sparked. Fortuna was pleased. Aleta, Jon and Megan stepped in. Within a few minutes a replacement mixer was in place. Fortuna was not pleased.
The Phoenix's Tactical computer crashed mid flight Wednesday evening. With it went went all of the Phoenix's tactical computer stacks. The Phoenix had nothing to display on its main viewer. Fortuna was happy. Alex, Matt and Megan stepped in. The Galileo's spare Mac Mini was put into service. Many of the Phoenix's stacks were found on the Space Center's server and on several staff computers. Fortuna was not pleased.
The Magellan lost one of its entryway step's deck plating. Fortuna was pleased, hoping some mortal would trip on the loose deck plate resulting in a loss of blood. Jon reattached the deck plate. Fortuna was not pleased. Luckily there were no injuries.
The Magellan's sound system crashed before its Tuesday evening mission. Fortuna was pleased. Megan and Jon found a way to switch inputs to an open channel to restore the system. The mission proceeded as usual. Fortuna was unhappy. The Fates had to do better.
Half way through that same Magellan mission, the simulator's video system failed. The staff could only display the tactical screen - no video. On our tech's recommendations, Mr. Williamson purchased of two new switchers at a cost of $125.00. Neither of them corrected the problem. Fortuna was pleased. Mr. Williamson felt obliged to refund most of the group's money because of the technical errors. Fortuna was ecstatic! On Wednesday Alex and Jon made their final report to Mr. Williamson. "We need a new $600 switcher," Alex said. "Have we tried everything else?" Mr. Williamson asked, not wanting to use the nuclear solution unless it was absolutely necessary. "Well, we didn't try swapping the cable." Alex answered. Alex and Jon found a new cable. The Magellan's video system was repaired. Fortuna was not pleased. Mr. Williamson was, although spending over one hundred dollars on new switchers when the problem was a $20.00 cable gave him a night's worth of indigestion.
On Tuesday Stacy discovered that many of the Galileo's newly modified programming stacks were erased when the Galileo's new Cocoa programs were loaded onto the computers. Fortuna was pleased. Matt Ricks was not happy. Fortuna won one.
On Wednesday, Mr. Williamson realized he hadn't staffed a Magellan mission due to start in 15 minutes. The Magellan needed a staff of 10 to operate correctly. Fortuna prepared to add another point to her favor. Mr. Williamson got on the phone and arranged staffing thanks to the Space Center's awesome staff and volunteers who were willing to come in on a moment's notice to ensure the best possible experience for our patrons. Fortuna returned to her throne disgusted.
Megan's laser pointer sparked during one of her planetarium shows. The pointer's replacement batteries had been inserted incorrectly. The Imp took credit for that idea. Fortuna shrugged unimpressed, realizing that inconvenience was easily fixed.

The school's main water line broke on Wednesday. Water flooded the school's basement. The Space Center's wood shop had nearly two inches on the floor. Fortuna applauded the Fate's creativity. Fortuna marked two in her favor. Jon Parker stepped forward and took it upon himself to remove the two to three inches of water covering the Space Center's wood shop. The water wasn't clean, so Jon had to wear protective gear - rubber galoshes and rubber gloves. The air mask and face shield, while not necessary, made the event more serious.
Thursday, the school's cafeteria and one classroom flooded from the same water line. Four school district plumbers worked through the afternoon to track down the problem. The blockage was cleared at 3:00 P.M. Fortuna prepared to take a bow. Jon and other members of the staff stepped forward to deprive her of her victory. Jon worked most of Thursday cleaning up the water from the Space Center's basement wood shop. On Saturday the job was finished thanks to help from Spenser Dauwalder's father and his water pump. Fortuna was upset by this disasters turn of events. Jon's arms and shoulders were sore, yet there were no complaints. He is a true warrior against Immortal oppression.
The school's fire alarm system broke on Wednesday. The repairmen interrupted our missions with a few test fire alarms. Fortuna brushed this off as armature. The Fates rallied.
On Thursday the school's entire heating system failed. It was 48 degrees in the classrooms and Space Center. Fortuna was impressed. The Fates had redeemed themselves. The problem was corrected late in the day. A breaker needed to be reset.
One of the Magellan's backlit bridge signs failed just before the start of a mission. Mr. Williamson sent Christine to Walmart to purchase a new bulb. The light still wouldn't work. Mr. Williamson sent Jon to ACE Hardware to buy a new light fixture. The problem was solved. Fortuna gave a "ho hum...."
The Galileo's DMX system broke. The DMX system controls the ship's internal lights from the control area.
The school had no hot water on Friday. The water heating system broke.
A student vomited in the hallway.
A student brought a dead rabbit in a zip lock bag to school on Friday for show and tell. Last year that same student brought a dead puppy.

All of that in four days of school! Regardless of being on the receiving end of such bad luck, I must applaud Fortuna and her Fates for their impressive work. I pause to wonder which volunteer or staff did the deed that summoned Fortuna's attention. Was it me? Did I not sacrifice several pieces of delicious Christmas chocolate in her honor? Was this not enough?

On Saturday Wyatt queried the culprit could be "M" The Destroyer of Worlds, in a bid to unseat Fortuna. "M" denied the charge.

Will Fortuna's Fates continue their assualt this week? Has she had her way with us? Will she grow bored and move on to greener pastures and more deserving mortals? Will Jon regain the use of his arm and shoulder after hauling gallons and gallons of water up and down the basement stairs? He claims permanent damage and requests to go on Space Center welfare assistance for the rest of his life. His request was denied with a sternly worded, "Get Back to Work," from Mr. Williamson.

Although in his defense, Mr. Williamson would like all to know he rewarded Jon's extra effort to dry out the shop by buying him a large Dr. Pepper from Harts on Saturday. Jon took the gift knowing it was the best he was going to get from the Bossman.

"Jon, now that you've been rewarded with this LARGE Dr. Pepper - at not cost to you I might add - would you be willing to stay after the Overnight Camp to work with the electrician. He's installing a new spot light in Discovery and a couple new outlets in the Voyager's Crew Quarters."

Mr. Williamson's statement was worded as a request, spoken without taking his gaze off the LARGE Dr. Pepper in Jon's hand. Mr. Williamson's expectant look was painfully obvious to all. Jon could have declined, claiming exhaustion as a valid excuse. I'm please to say that he didn't. Mr. Williamson thanked him with a few more "Get out of Jail Free" cards. The staff and volunteers applauded Jon's taking another one for the team, then promptly got the heck out of Dodge before Mr. Williamson could think of something else that needed doing.

Stay tuned to The Troubadour to find out.

Back in the Saddle Again....

2012-01-07T00:09:00.003-07:00

Hello Troops,
Back in the Saddle Again is a favorite song of mine. It was my 'bring the dead crew to life' song I used when I used to tell Overnight missions. I'm playing it again this Friday night / Saturday morning because we are back to work at the Space Center. I'm at my desk at 12:19 A.M, in the midst of 2012's first Overnight Camp.

"So this is how real people live!" I kept saying to myself on the last two Friday nights and Saturdays. It was magnificent having two Friday nights off in a row; dangerous though, I could get to like having Friday nights off, with the added bonus of a two day weekend. Oh well. Two day weekends are luxuries not meant for those of us who have to work for a living.

So much has happened this last week. Fortuna had her way with us. I'll post more on that topic either tomorrow or Sunday.

For now I bid you "Good night". I'm ready for bed.

Mr. W.

Your Space News Updates.

2012-01-06T14:09:00.001-07:00

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Meanwhile, out in space...

ISS astronauts do the interview thing.

As the world turns...

Up in the International Space Station, six astronauts and cosmonauts continue to work in zero gravity, performing maintenance and science experiments in their orbital home. While space-faring nations busy themselves with rocket launches, space politics, and capsule testing, the ISS Expedition 30 crew keeps working on the frontier of space adventure.

Comet Lovejoy as seen from the ISS.

Commander Dan Burbank was in the observation cupola at the right moment on December 22. Carefully aiming his camera, he managed to take a beautiful shot of Comet Lovejoy as it appears just above the Earth's atmosphere. Actually many millions of miles away, the comet's tail seems to float leisurely above our planet. This picture will undoubtedly become one of the iconic memorable moments of ISS history.

Astronaut Shannon Walker works on the SAME.

When the crew of Expedition 30 isn't studying the Earth, they are busy maintaining the station's life support systems, working on experiments, or exercising to keep up their health. The SAME (Smoke Aerosol Measurement Experiment) experiment is located in the Microgravity Sciences Glovebox. Using the SAME helps our scientists develop new ways to detect the difference between smoke and dust particles. This technology will help our engineers build effective detectors for spacecraft and aircraft in the future.

SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule is being prepared for a launch to the ISS.

During today's interview with Space.com and Fox News Radio, the astronauts mentioned they were looking forward to the upcoming visit of the Dragon cargo resupply spacecraft. Built by SpaceX, the Dragon will give the ISS program a new way to return valuable equipment and materials back to Earth-bound scientists. The Dragon launch is set for February 7.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Twin GRAIL probes orbit the Moon

Second GRAIL probe above lunar surface.

Launched last September, the GRAIL lunar probes have finally arrived at the Moon and successfully entered orbit. GRAIL-A fired its thruster on Sunday, and 24 hours later, GRAIL-B joined its partner to circle the Moon. Over the next coupe of months, the two spacecraft will use minute bursts of thrust to align themselves into a stable orbit of 55 kilometers above the surface.

Once in their stable orbit, the two probes will maintain a communications link with each other, and measure the disturbances in altitude and separation of spacecraft to help probe the gravity field of the Moon, helping scientists to understand more about the Moon's interior.

Students in 5th through 8th grades are participating in this exploration. Each probe includes a GRAIL MoonKAM (Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students). The cameras will receive requests from students across the country, and the returned images will be studied by students in their science classes.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Quadrantid Meteor Shower Tonight!

Yes, more rocks from space. Duck and Cover!

Tonight marks the appearance of the Quadrantid meteor shower. For some time, it was not known what the source was for this small but sometimes spectacular show of rocky debris burning up in the atmosphere. Eventually it was determined that the meteors might be remnants of a rocky fragment of "2003 EH-1," a rocky Near-Earth-Orbit object which in turn may be broken off from comet C/1490 Y1. The breakup may have occurred only 500 years ago, so the Quadrantids are a fairly new meteor shower.

The meteors will most likely appear coming from the constellation of Bootes, near Polaris, at about 2:20 am January 4 (Wednesday morning) EST. It's supposedly a short-event shower, which means tit may peak quickly at about 60-80 streaks per hour. This indicates the debris lies in a narrow band as the Earth passes through. Checking weather forecasts indicate hazy skies and very cold tonight.

Here at the SpaceRubble Command Bunker, work has started this week after the holiday vacation so it's doubtful I'll be willing to witness this shower. It may depend as well on the fickle weather here in Utah. Still, the relatively brief intensity of this shower is interesting and some fireballs have been seen in past showers, so it may be worth it. Working against this is also the freezing temperatures, so if you decide to brave the danger, dress warm and be prepared to duck!

50 YA: Getting ready for Glenn's flight

Glenn in the cockpit of an F-106 trainer.

NASA passed the near year of 1962 preparing for the first flight of an American in orbit of the Earth. Astronaut and Marine John Glenn continued his training in aircraft, simulators, and laboratories as the Mercury capsule he would fly was mated to the Atlas rocket at Cape Canaveral. The flight of the mission was designated MA-6, and was scheduled for January 23rd 1962. The Atlas rocket for the flight had been designated as Atlas 109D, and the capsule was Mercury capsule number 13 (ominous?) which had been built at McDonnell Aircraft's space craft assembly plant in St. Louis, Missouri.

Training with Glenn were astronauts Scott Carpenter, who would be Glenn's backup pilot, and astronauts Deke Slayton and Wally Schirra who were training for the second Mercury-Atlas spaceflight. Glenn's flight would be launched from Launch Complex 14.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Russians ditch problem stage, launch GlobalStars

GlobalStar navigation satellites in production.

After last week's launch failure, Russia has replaced its malfunctioning third stage on the Soyuz rocket with ArianneSpace's Fregat orbital stage. On Wednesday Russia launched 6 GlobalStar navigational position satellites into orbit successfully. This is the third set of 6 launched for the system, replacing an old and failing system. The happy launch also brings relief to Russian space managers, although they still have to investigate the cause of the Russian third stage failures.

China also added to the vast assembly of satellites in orbit with the launch of a "Compass" GPS satellite. Ten of the system's satellites are already in orbit, and six more are scheduled. Their goal is to compete with the USA's GPS system.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

China plans large space program for 2012

Chinese Taikonaut in orbit of Earth. Credit: CCTV.

China continues to make ambitious plans for its space program development. There are plans to expand the Tiangong-1 space station and send a human crew to visit. There are also plans to exceed 2011's number of space launches. You can see a video of their space plans at Parabolic Arc's website : http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/12/28/video-chinas-ambitious-human-spaceflight-program/

Last year, China beat the USA in the number of space launches, 19 to 18. Each country suffered one launch failure. This was the first year China has exceeded the number of USA launches. Their space launch program has definitely improved over the old days of failures and explosions on the launch pads.

I still don't hear any mention of thanks to the USA for the technology they have improperly obtained through spying and computer espionage. I doubt we ever will.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Santa visits ISS, can't rescue Russian rocket

Santa docks at the ISS.

The secret is out: Santa has no problem dealing with world-wide travel. We knew he was able to bend time and space to deliver gifts to billions around the world in one evening, but now we have proof that the secret is in his advanced technology sled. Images are now available showing Santa docking with the International Space Station and receiving a refueling of some sort of top-secret power source. This also explains how the world was convinced to work together to build the ISS and keep it manned even during difficult times.

Santa maneuvers over the ISS after refueling.

The images come courtesy NASA and the Canadian Space Agency and a bit of computer animation magic. You can find the complete animation at Parabolic Arc: http://www.parabolicarc.com/2011/12/24/video-nasa-falls-behind-santa-claus-in-human-spaceflight/

Soyuz rockets are used both for human and satellite launches.

I'm afraid it's coal for Christmas from Santa for the Russians. On Friday, Russia suffered yet another rocket failure, this time a Soyuz rocket third stage. The communications satellite failed to achieve orbit., and apparently has crashed somewhere in Siberia. This is the fifth failure in a year and a half for the Russians, and has many space leaders concerned. The major concern from the USA is that the Soyuz rocket is also used to launch astronauts and cosmonauts to the ISS.

TMA-03M 290 miles above Africa, approaching the ISS.

The satellite launch failure was tempered by the successful docking on Friday of additional crew to the ISS. Thankfully no problems with THIS Soyuz. The additional Expedition 30 crew will bring the crew total to six on the station, and full operations will begin immediately. THe crew had been limited to three temporarily, due to delays in the Russian launches caused by previous Russian rocket failures.

Without the Shuttle program, the US is totally reliant on rides to ISS with our Russian partners, who promptly began overcharging for seats on the capsule. With the dangers now inherent in Soyuz launches, I imagine our space insurance rates will be increasing as well. One can only imagine the true thoughts of our brave astronauts who have to ride the Soyuz at these times.

The Phoenix's Faulty Cloaking Device Causes a Stir in Russia

2011-12-31T18:26:00.004-07:00

Megan with her Staff on the Space Center's Last Mission of 2011
Annika, Hayley, Megan and Connor

Hello Troops,

Leave it to Megan and her staff to give me grief on the last day of 2011. The Space Center's last flight of 2011 (a Phoenix mission) had trouble with the Phoenix's cloaking device as the ship made reentry into the atmosphere. They rather unskillfully maneuvered across Russia, the Bering Sea, Alaska and Canada before making a rough landing at Central. Did Megan or anyone on her staff report this to me? Of course not - I am always the last to know when things go wrong.

The crew's failure to correctly balance the power in the cloaking device resulted in a spotting over eastern Russia. This sighting was videoed and uploaded to YouTube. The video immediately caught the attention of the Comptroller of the Imaginarium's Office of Unwelcomed Attentions (IOUA). The Comptroller called me this morning demanding an explanation. I stood there, phone in hand, mumbling something about a failure to communicate. I was reminded that all Imaginary missions fall under the IOUA's jurisdiction. He further reminded me that such imaginations could lead to the discovery of the Imaginarium.

"Humans must never know where the true source of their dreams and imaginations," he said.

"I am aware of that," I replied.

The IOUA is secretly feeding misinformation about the sighting to worldwide news channels in an attempt to deflect people's imagination from the truth. Extra staff have been brought in to ensure that everyone who sees the video believes that what they are seeing is a comet of some kind skimming through the upper atmosphere.

"Do you know how expensive it is to cover this up!" he shouted. "Imagine the overtime, AND it's New Year's Eve! This is coming out of the Space Center's budget."

"I knew they were having trouble on reentry," Megan explained. "We did our best to help them but sometimes there isn't much you can do. They either get it right or they suffer the consequences. That crew didn't get it right and the Phoenix cloaking device malfunctioned creating a differential in temperatures, which in turn caused a rapid condensation within the cloaking sphere, which became visible to anyone who..."

"Happened to be looking up?" I completed her sentence.

"Yes," Megan sheepishly replied.

So, while the rest of you party tonight, I'll be putting in overtime at the Imaginarium working to conceil the blunder by the last staff of the Phoenix.

Thanks.....mumble mumble......

Mr. W.

Matt's R's Never to be Forgotten Christmas Cookie and Other Things from the Imaginarium

2011-12-29T19:25:00.006-07:00

Hello Troops,
Teachers receive gifts from students at Christmas time. These gifts span the spectrum from mugs with hot chocolate mix to multiple boxes of chocolate covered cherries (one year back in the day when I taught 6th grade, I drove away from Central School for Christmas Vacation with twelve boxes of chocolate covered cherries from my very thoughtful students), to nicely wrapped boxes of peanut brittle as seen above. Some student gifts to teachers are hand made trinkets and cards. Others bake things like cookies, or caramel popcorn balls (my one true weakness and highly addictive). Then there is the last category of gifts.

Matt R wandered into the Center the last day of missions before Christmas Vacation bringing a gift. Rarely do things leave me speechless. Matt's gift did. There, sitting on a paper plate, was something so indescribable I had to take a picture and let it speak for itself.

"It looks like a rainbow threw up on a plate," Brittney said. Brittney got a verbal high 5 for that description. Although my first impression was quite different from hers.

"Are these Unicorn steaks?" I asked. "Do you fry them, grill them, or bake them?"

"They're sugar cookies," Matt answered with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. "I made them in Home Economics."

I took the bow from the beautiful box of brittle (thanks Patrick) and placed it on the 'sugar cookies' thinking the bow would add dignity to the plate. You judge for yourself.

"So, this is what it has come to?" I questioned. "Twenty nine years of teaching and this one memory will stay with me to the end of my days. Thank you Matt. Thank you indeed."

We applauded his effort at mastering the baking arts. In my imagination I pictured Matt's poor Home Economics teacher looking at her student's creation and wondering if she'd wasted her life going into education.

"Give it a try," Matt suggested. I broke off a piece and brought it slowly to my nose. It carried the aroma of Play Dough. I put the piece into my mouth. It had the texture of cookie dough. I swallowed.

"Needs sugar." Then the after taste kicked in. How can I describe it? Imagine eating a cardboard box with a coating of a chemical fire retardant - and that is being kind.

"Matt, you are a brilliant computer programmer. You are well liked by everyone here at the Space Center. You've got a great sense of humor and a compassionate nature BUT you are no baker."

Truthfully, Matt gave us one of the best Space Center Christmas memories ever. His gift made it into The Troubadour and therefore forever enshrined in Space Center yore.

Good on ya Matt.

And to go with Matt's lovely gift, how about a box of Destroyed Alderaan. Brilliant in design and creativity.

And now, How about a few things from the Imaginarium?

I'm thinking I'd like to take this idea (above) and do something similar on the walls of our Control Rooms as a way of keeping track of how many crews we've taken down and how many times we've taken the bridge etc.

Now here's a child that appreciates a good Christmas gift. This kid will make a great
Space Center fan one day.

Imagination in advertising.

Humbling when you stop and think about it.

And finally, a series of painting I classify as brilliant done by a Russian artist. I don't know is name but admire his work. Each painting contains a face, yet it doesn't. The Space Center is all about imagination and creativity. Bravo!

The Space Center's first Decade in Pictures. 1990-2000

2011-12-25T13:08:00.009-07:00

Several of the staff and volunteers in the late 1990's visiting USU's Explorer Simulator built in the Engineering Building by Steve Wall. Do you know any of their names? How about a contest? Can you name everyone in this picture? Four Water Gardens Movie Tickets to the fist person to email a complete list of correct names.

Hello Troops,

And a very Merry Christmas to all!

Choosing to be the good son, I took my mother out this yesterday morning for a bit of last minute Christmas shopping. It's good to take one's elderly mother out for an airing occasionally. Getting her out of the house and shopping has a beneficial side effect - exercise. She spends hours a day playing Solitaire on her new iPad. That kind of inactivity at her age results in less blood flow to the extremities. Less blood flow to the extremities leads to a general loss of circulation. A loss of circulation leads to gangrene. Gangrene leads to noxious odors and amputation. Amputation leads to more inactivity, which continues the downwards spiral into the grave - all brought on by and iPad and an addiction to Solitaire.

Early morning Christmas Eve Shopping is perfect for people like me who put off their shopping until the last minute. WalMart was eerily empty at 7:30 A.M. I saw a few women, but mostly men. One man I overheard at the jewelery counter.

"I need something nice and quick. What do ya got?" The man looked like he'd just come off the graveyard shift at the steel mill. The sales assistant, who looked like she'd come over from the bakery department to help out, led him to a locked case where Walmart kept its good stuff ( Walmart's jewelry's selection starts with the plastic stuff in the claw machines near the entrances to 10K gold with diamond flakes and speckles in the locked cabinets).

It was good to get the shopping done and now its Christmas Day. Soon life will return to normal.

I rummaged through a box of old pictures yesterday after getting home from WalMart. In one old box of pictures I found the following photos of the Voyager and Odyssey taken between 1990 and 2000.

The left wing on the Voyager Bridge as it looked on the first day the Space Center opened for business in November 1990. The red stools were for the Wing Chiefs. This first incarnation of the Voyager didn't have enough stations for everyone, so one or two students sat on the stools and 'supervised' the others. They repeated the Captain's orders and made sure their 'wing' carried them out. I programmed the first Voyager in Hypercard. The controls were laughable by today's standards but they did the job and got us open.

Each Wing had its own set of controls on every computer assigned to that wing. For example, you see the left wing on the picture above.

"Warp 4," the Captain would order.
"Warp 4," the Wing Chief would repeat. All four persons on the left wing would have to push the warp 4 button within a second of each other for the ship to respond. It sounds corny today but somehow it worked back then.
"Everyone on warp 4?" the Chief would ask.
"Yes Sir," all four would reply when they were ready for the final command.
"One, Two Three, Push." On "Push" all four would click on the button marked "Warp 4" at the same time. Ah, those were the days.....

Once again, the Voyager on opening day. You're look at today's Damage Control. Behind Damage Control is today's Record's Station. On the left is today's Security Station. You see the Phototron sitting in today's "Bridge Sick Bay". Back then it was the Voyager's Science Station. Students did experiments in the Science Station during missions. The whole thing read great on paper, but didn't work in reality. The kids assigned to Science kept abandoning their station to see what was happening. They felt they were 'stuck' in the boring part of the ship while everyone else got to 'have fun' with the main story line.

I didn't have enough computers for every station (as seen by the lack of a computer at the Record's Station). I don't remember exactly what I had the students do at that station back then. Most like kept written records. Notice the little twirly toy on the wall where today's speaker sits? Back then the Speakers sat higher on the wall. The Voyager's original speakers are still in use today. You'll find them in the Galley and the Bridge Sick Bay.

The Voyager's original Captain's Station was down at today's Telephone and Long Range Communications Station. I changed that after the first few missions and moved the captain up to where he sits today. This photo was taken shortly after that move. The Voyager's original Captain's Chair can be seen in the photo above. The little box on the Captain's right was a Radio Shack home intercom system. It was the way we spoke to the Captain in those days.

This was how the Voyager's Control Room looked on opening day. We started with five or six staff to run a mission. Each had their own specific job. For example, the person who sat at the little red black and white TV looked for mission visual shots on the small library of visuals on the VCR tapes. I would tell that person what I needed for the story. He found the scene on the tapes, handed the correct tape to the person working the two VCRs. That person would insert the tape, cue the scene and have it ready to play when needed. It was very cumbersome.

Those were the days when I made up missions on the fly. Forget detailed scripts and pre made visuals. I was the only Flight Director. Needless to say the stress of running missions nearly drove me to drink! I was working 12 hour days back then (running field trips, then private mission every night to raise extra cash for the Center, then a full 24 hours on the weekend for the Overnight Camps). The Overnight Camps were rough on all of us. Back then they started at 5:00 P.M. Friday evenings. We fed them supper (Sound's Easy Pizza). We stopped for bed at Midnight. Everyone was up again the following morning at 6:30 A.M. The Overnight Camps ended at 11:00 A.M. All of that for $25.00 per person!

Did I bite off more than I could chew? Yep, which is why I'm insane today :)

Now we move ahead in time to the end of the 1990's. Notice the changes to the Bridge? The Federation Emblems are on the wall covering the Voyager's original artwork. Both the Telephone and Long Range Stations have computers. That's an incoming message printer behind the Telephone Station.

The Record's and Science Stations at the end of the 1990's. Notice the Science Room was redesigned and the Phototron moved.

You're looking at the Voyager's Engineering Station at the end of the 1990's (where today's Bridge Sick Bay is located). On the left is the isolinear chip station. On the right are the anti-matter cooling rods. The Engineer slid the cooling rods back and forth a set number of inches every time the ship changed speed.

The Captain's Station before the Voyage was remodeled in 2000. The Captain had a computer of his own. Notice back then the Captain sat at a desk. He could still move around if he wanted, but rarely did for field trips. The First Office did most of the running around back then.

A Field Trip's Captain and First Officer. 1999

Traveling at Warp Speed in the late 1990's. The Front of the Voyager.

The Voyager's Security Station in the late 1990's. Ah, the good ole days. Back then it was so easy for our Orion Pirates to shoot the two Security Guards from the loft. See how they were trapped by the desk. They had one way in and one way out (the opening to the right on the picture). They were forbidden to hop over the desk to make a quick escape. The Voyager's Security Guards quickly learned to keep one person on patrol while one worked both computers. Being the one stuck at the desk was the early Voyager's true expendable Red Shirt :)

Me at Flight Control. November 21, 1995.

The Voyager's Control Room, 1999. (above and below)

The Voyager's Last Day

This picture was taken the last day of July 2000. It was the last day of the last summer camp of 2000. The staff gathered for a toast to the Grand Old Lady. That very next day everything seen in the picture above was removed. The Voyager you see today was built starting August 1, 2000.
I truly miss this old Voyager. She was a wonderful ship to fly.

Cheers Voyager!

The Odyssey in its Early Days

Brothers Dave and Steve Wall designed and built the USS SEEKER (the Odyssey). they called it the SEEKER when it was first built. I referred to it as the ISES. They didn't like ISES and I didn't like SEEKER. We had a disagreement. After a year or so I decided we would scrap both names and renamed the ship "Odyssey". And the rest is history.

Dave Wall is pictured above all tangled up in VCR tape. He and his brother built the Odyssey. He was the Odyssey's first Flight and Set Director. Notice how the entrance to the ship has changed? It was a two door entrance. The outer door slid open. The inner hatch opened inwards.

Back then my office was called "The Briefing Room". We didn't have the Discovery Room so all mission briefings and classroom field trip teaching was done in the Briefing Room.

The Odyssey's mid section in the 1990's.

The Odyssey's Front in the 1990's.

The Space Center's history is well documented from 2000 on thanks to our YahooGroup and "The Troubadour". Little is written about the Center between 1990 and 2000. Please contact me if you have pictures or writings of the early Space Center. I'd like copies for our history.

Mr. Williamson

Expedition 30 B-Team launches to the International Space Station

2011-12-21T11:47:00.001-07:00

Soyuz rocket lifts off from Baikonur.

At 6:16 am MST this morning, the Russian TMA-03M spacecraft was blasted into orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket on its journey to the International Space Station. The 3-man crew on board will join the ISS Expedition 30 A-team that is patiently waiting for the rest of their crew complement. Commanded by Astronaut Dan Burbank, flight engineers Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin will be joined on Friday by astronaut Don Petit and cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Andre Kulpers.

Docking is expected to occurr on Friday at about 8:22 am MST, with the hatches opening at about 11 am. MST. The TMA-03m craft will dock at the station's Rassvet module (Russian).

ISS Mission Control in Houston monitors the launch.

ISS crew watches the video feed of the launch while in orbit. The large interior space of the ISS modules is very evident. Another astronaut can be seen in the connecting module farther back. The crew has been busy decorating ISS with a Christmas theme, though not seen in this screenshot. We'll see more of the Christmas spirit during docking procedures and the welcome aboard ceremony on Friday.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Battle Field Promotions and Brittney's Last Mission Recorded for Posterity.

2011-12-20T09:51:00.025-07:00

"crackle. hiss. static...... static.......crackle"
[coming in soft, then louder] This is the BBC World Service.

London Calling.....
Today the forces of KAOS swept across the northern frontier breaking through the Imaginarium's defenses in several sectors. Imagination is in full retreat before Reason's Black Guard. The enemy grows in strength and momentum - hour by hour and day by day.

New Home Guard recruts await their medicals and orders.
The Minister of Defense explained, "Extreme times require extreme measures."

The Imaginarium's Home Guard has been mobilized. New recruits are gathering at the induction centers waiting for their medicals and orders. Many are still in their teens. The Ministry of Defense explains that extreme action is required if the enemy is to be stopped.

We have a reporter at the Induction Center. Our connection isn't without its problems so you may have to sit closer to your wireless to hear properly.

Margaret are you there? This is London calling.

[A woman's voice comes in over a field of static]
London, I'm here at the Imaginarium's Center Street Induction Center. I'm standing here in a hallway waiting for the doors to open and the selection process to begin.

[faint explosions are heard in the background].

Judging by the sounds of those explosions we must assume KAOS is getting closer. I believe all our listeners understand that if the Imaginarium falls so goes much of the world's joy.
Fighting to keep that from happening are these young people I'm standing with today. I'd like you to meet one of them. Her name is Emilie. Emilie, please come closer and let me ask you a question. Don't let this microphone scare you. Speak directly into it.

Emilie, you received your orders to report yesterday. What are your feelings at this moment?

"I'm ready. We're young but that won't stop us. There will be nothing left of Imagination by Christmas if we don't do something right now."

[shouts of "Here Here!" are heard from others. Then a powerful explosion. Uninterrupted static follows. Then complete signal loss]

It appears we've lost the signal from the Imaginarium. We will attempt to regain contact.

In other news, we have recently learned of new promotions and assignments. Field Marshall Parker presented the Voyager Award to Lt. Tanner.

Retired Field Marshall Brittney presented the Magellan Award to Lt. Tanner.

Supreme Commander Williamson presented a Year Service Pin to Private Morgan. Private Morgan will be promoted to the rank of Lt. She has been transferred to the Grand Army of the North to work with Field Marshall Casey Voeks.

[Pri. Morgan's voice] "Do I look like I'm afraid of KAOS? We've been fighting them since I can remember. I'm ready for this. Imagination will hold its own against Ignorance and apathy. I'm willing to put it on the line!"

Colonel Josh was promoted to Odyssey General by Field Marshall Grosland. With that promotion came a new uniform of navy blue. The Field Marshall then sharply saluted her new young general with the Odyssey's two armed salute. General Josh will be commanding the Odyssey Division under the Field Marshall. The Odyssey Division sees more fighting than any of the Imaginarium's other Divisions.

In other news, Andrew M. and Tanner C. were recently promoted to the rank of Supervisor Colonel by Marshalls Parker and VandeBoss. They will be assigned to the Voyager and Magellan Divisions. Both spontaneously peppered the audience with "Hurray's" accented with upstretched arms. Their celebratory gestures, while frowned upon by the Supreme Commander as an 'unnecessary display of emotion', were welcomed by the assembly.

With their promotions came new uniforms of royal blue. With the Royal Blue uniform comes authority over Black Shirt recruits. That authority was immediately seen in the faces of Andrew and Tanner. Both held their noses at a constant 45 degrees as they walked by the ranks of black shirts to return to their seats.

General Anderson presented Private Anderson with the Phoenix Award. She advances to the rank of Corporal.

This Phoenix Award was also given to Corporal Logan. Corporal Logan will not be assigned to the front just yet. He battles a nervous condition which beings his skin out in a rash and causes his index fingers to spams when facing stress (as seen in the photo above).

Because of his unbridled enthusiasm, Logan may be exempted and allowed to return to the fighting with his division with the condition that he not be issued a weapon if he is still suffering the index finger spasms.

The Supreme Commander was pleased to present the Ten Year Service Pin to Field Marshall Casey Voeks. Marshall Voeks commands the Grand Army of the North. He and several of his lieutenants visited Headquarters over the weekend for advanced training, a few hot meals and a little rest and relaxation. They took the Saturday afternoon train back to the northern front.

It is important to remember that we all must do our part, no matter how small, in this war against Ignorance. To end this broadcast I'd like you to hear the recorded words of a Mr. Matt Ricks. We found him cleaning the floors of the Induction Center. While unable to serve directly on the front lines due to his perfect score on the Enlistment Intelligence Survey, Matt still finds ways to help.

[Matt's voice] "I do what I can in my own very limited way to support the troops on the front lines. There are many people just like me who provide the support, ammunition and intelligence required to fight a modern war against these dark forces arrayed against us.

Is my contribution with the Intelligence Division any greater than the contribution made by the custodians who clean this building? I say no. To illustrate that point, I make it my policy to help with the cleaning whenever possible. I believe this sets the proper example to my other gifted friends. A bit of spit and polish never hurt anyone. If I can do it, then so can all the others with superior IQ's. Let's win this war and bring our troops home."

This has been a special bullitin from the World Service. Next on the wireless - dancing from the Apollo with the music of Conrad Philips and the Two Tones.

This is London.......

Brittney's Last Overnight Mission.

Brittney VandeBoss attends BYU. One day while dining at the Cougar Eat, Brittney heard rumors that the grass grew greener on the other side of the fence. She couldn't sleep for several nights, tossing and turning, haunted by the thought that working at the Space Center might not be the climax of her professional career. That is when she decided to mount a daring (some would say fool hearty) expedition over said fence to investigate the validity of those rumors.

With sled packed and gear checked and double checked, Brittney has ventured out on her own to find her destiny.

The Official Change of the Magellan Set Directorship.

This is a picture showing friendly chit chat between Brittney (the then Magellan Set Director) and Zac H. (the soon to be Magellan Set Director). Notice the microphone in her hand. She rolled the microphone over and over in her hand, almost hesitant to turn control of the Magellan over to this younger whipper snapper. Remember, at the Space Center Set Directorship is passed from old director to new director by the passing of the ship's microphone.

I stood with baited breath (refer to the picture above) , wondering if Brittney would actually go through with the hand off. Would she really go looking for greener grass, or would she come to realize that the Space Center was the pinnacle of everything anyone could ever possibly dream of professionally?

This is the picture of the actual moment the Magellan's microphone changing hands, and with it, Brittney's reign as Il Duce of the Magellan came to an end. She had made her bed and was going to sleep in it. The deed was done. The die was cast.
Zac was the new Magellan Set Director. He giggled with anticipation as his powers set in.

Zac Giggling with Anticipation as his Powers Set In. Brittney is lowering her
head in reverence to the new director.

Brittney did the deed. She'd given up the Magellan.
Remembering how other Space Center employees and volunteers had ventured over the fence to seek their fortune on uncharted Kentucky Bluegrass only to never to return again, I thought it best to have the ending of her last Overnight Camp Mission recorded for posterity.

Please forgive the filming. While quick with the microphone and wit, young Zac does struggle with even the simplest of electronic devices (hence the sideways filming at the end).

Have a great day!
Mr. W.

The Wilbur's Night Out, and Other Things from the Imaginarium.

2011-12-19T08:55:00.013-07:00

The Wilbur and Blooms just learned the Space Center's Phoenix and Voyager Simulators are open during the holiday vacation. They've dropped their kids off for a 5 hour mission and are on the road to enjoy a meal at Pleasant Grove's Sammy's Cafe. After enjoying the Monday Grilled Cheese for a $1.00 special, they will be off to a Picture Show. The Space Center is a blessing indeed to stressed parents during the holidays.

The Space Center's Phoenix and Voyager simulators are open on a limited schedule during the holiday vacation. Call the Center at 801.785.8713 to make your private booking or go to the party section of our web site.

Do you see what's wrong with this picture? Isn't it obvious? These children are running amok through the streets of our town. This is what happens when children's minds are released for the holiday from the rigors of school. Young brains need to be challenged; their imaginations must be exercised. If not, well..... you can see the results for yourselves. This crosswalk sign will soon be down, then where will they go? Perhaps your mail box or garden flamingos will be on the receiving end of their mischief (and heaven help your Gnomes). There are reports that every blow up Christmas Lawn decoration on Center Street disappeared last night. It is hooliganism at its worst.

What must be done to restore law and order? May we offer one solution? Loving, caring parents will book a private party at the Space Center for their children.

The choice is yours, listen to their incessant whining or get them out of the house.

Have you wondered what is it about the Space Center that appeals to students? This picture sums it up very well. During the couple hours of a private mission, students join Starfleet and venture into the unknown to save Earth from both villains and the universe's natural dangers. It is a place where they are in charge. They give the orders and adults follow their commands. It is a place where actions have consequences and the rewards go to those who exercise quick wit and problem solving.

And Now, from the Imaginarium.

The Nirvana of Holiday Gifts for the Chocolate lover in your home.

We can laugh at ourselves at the Space Center.

One of the more frequent suggests campers write on our post camp surveys is - "Get Better costumes".

We've heard and are working hard to comply. Our old costuming department was fired and replaced with people that truly know what they are doing (above).

What do you think of our new Star Wars costumes from our new Costuming Guild? You've got Yoda, Jabba, Lea, R2D2, C3PO, and Darth Vader pictured.

There should be no more complaints about costumes.

"That was Easy".

And Now, A Public Service Announcement from the Imaganarium

Who Says Cigarettes Are Bad For You?
She's 42 and Still Feeling Great!

Its a yearly problem, what to get the Space Center staff for Christmas. Well, this year's solution has been found!

The Space Center runs on Macs. Everything about the place is Apple. We live Apple, breath Apple and dream Apple. Now, Finally an Apple product within our budget!!

Thank you Apple!

Merry Christmas Staff and Volunteers!

Mr. Williamson

The Making of Legend.

2011-12-16T23:55:00.009-07:00

Once upon a time there lived a wise old master of stories in a modest home which clung precariously to a hillside overlooking the tidy and easily forgotten village of Pleasant Grove.

Every Friday evening this wise old story teller found himself tending forty five children in a modest red brick schoolhouse which sat at the center of the village near the library and pub (using the word's most generous definition). The children came from many of the county's villages to hear stories told by his apprentices and his apprentices, apprentices.

The Master lived a good life and sought never to be a bother to anyone. His tastes were simple. In exchange for his tales, he asked for one warm meal a day and a room with a view. If there was more, he considered himself quite lucky indeed.

One week in the middle of December, the Master's path crossed the path of the vengeful and jealous Fortuna, Goddess of Fortunes. These rare encounters were usually tempestuous at best and disastrous at worst. This December crossing was the offspring of both.

Please sit and rest while I tell this tale of a Master of Story and the Goddess of Fortune. It is the making of legend.......

Less Money for Commercial Space Development

2011-12-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Orion capsule drop-tests into water.

Editorial Comment
by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

Once again, Congress cuts the wrong budget.

No doubt most readers are aware of the difficult economic times. Job losses are at an agonizing high level, and businesses are so worried about the current and future impact of business-strangling government regulations that they won't invest in hiring or new products. For space enthusiasts, we agonize over the poor planning of the White House over the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the lack of an American manned spacecraft. We go hat-in-hand to the Russians, who promptly raised the price of a seat on their venerable Soyuz spaceship, now the only path to carry humans to the International Space Station.

Soyuz spaceship approaches the ISS.

Supporters of the space program have known for a long time that one of the best investments of American tax dollars has been NASA. The spin-off technology derived from human and robotic space exploration has transformed the world over the last 50 years. Private businesses developing new products from this technology have produced millions, if not billions, of jobs worldwide and especially here in America. So it should be a no-brainer to our leaders in Washington as to which budget to keep, and if possible, expand. Apparently Not.

For several years NASA has been budgeting money to invest in companies who are also investing their own money in creating the first man-rated commercial-(as opposed to NASA-) made spaceships to reach low orbit and the ISS. The poor planning of the Bush and Obama administrations has resulted in a gap of time where America does not lead the world in manned spaceflight. This is unacceptable to the pride of our country.

This year, NASA had planned to invest $850 million spread amongst four companies in an effort to advance the development of new human-rated spaceships, aimed at getting a new system by 2015 or 2016. At the same time, NASA has been ordered by Congress to revive the Obama-cancelled Orion capsule design, even though a rocket has not yet been designed for it (Ares-1 was also cancelled, but not revived).

Although Congress praised the efforts of the commercial companies and urged them to hurry, Congress has instead cut the budget. NASA will receive only a budget $1 billion less than it needs, and in fact is $648 million smaller than last year. Therefore, NASA has announced it will only have $406 million to share amongst the competitors. The result is that the programs will be slowed down, and we will have to wait even longer to close the human spaceflight gap.

SpaceX's Dragon supply capsule will reach ISS in February 2012.

The worst part of this frustration is the waste of money by the Obama administration. WHile screaming in front of the cameras about the importance of creating jobs and investing in technologies for tomorrow, they have spent billions of dollars on failing solar-power companies which are now going into bankruptcy. The failed Solyndra company alone received over $500 million dollars, all sucked down a hole of a collapsing company. What's offensive to me, and anyone following this scandal, is that it is known that the White House knew the companies were failing and STILL SPENT THE MONEY.

Imagine what that wasted money could have done if instead invested in the companies that are attempting to build new rockets and capsules for astronauts to get to low orbit. Imagine how much shorter the spacecraft gap would be if the companies had the funds and support necessary to speed development. Imagine the jobs created as these companies ramp up production and sell seats to space. Well, it's gonna take longer now.

Funny thing, though. NASA has not cut the budget for the continued development of its own Orion capsule. Of course, Orion doesn't yet even have a rocket to get up into space. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

A Welcome Back to the Space Center's University Student Staff and Volunteers.

2011-12-15T07:42:00.016-07:00

And from their dark lairs they emerge. Emily, Brittney, Nicole, Mason, Christine, Alex, Brent, Spenser, Bracken, Julia Anna and Stacy (and that one I'm bound to forget).

One by one they creep toward the light of day. Some, nearly blinded by months robbed of sunlight, stumble to and fro toward the smell of Autumn and the sounds of holiday cheer.

Just as Springtime comes with the release of Persephone, so comes holiday cheer to families worldwide when the Woeful Gods of Academia begrudgingly set their captives free. This short respite in the world of the living reminds these tormented souls that life waits for those who master the art of leaping through the hoops which form the barrier between worlds.

Divert thy gaze as they ascend, for their unnatural appearance rivals Medusa's.
Wait a short while before that loving embrace. Let the Sun and Autumn's crisp air displace the prison pallor and bring color to their skin and form to their faces.

Then embrace and keep them near, for their time is like a winter's day, gone all too soon. Academia will again sound its horn, and heed the call they must. Back into the dark and across the Styx, to roam the musty fields and marshes in a quest for life's meaning.

Hello Troops,
The Space Center's university students are happy their semester is over and finals put to bed. They get to experience the joy that comes from filling in the last multiple choice answer on their last final exam and walking away from the testing center to find the world a much happier place.

They may claim they are not just "Another Brick in the Wall" but they are. Let them not deceive themselves. They are a very small cog in the great machine of post high school education. They have been poked and prodded and grilled and flayed and then spat out for a fortnight, only to return to start the process all over again.

But, for a brief moment, let them leave their campuses with heads held high thinking they have 'stuck' it to the Man. They've earned their moment of Victory! They've earned the right to Be A Boss!

Welcome back to the real world! Enjoy your holiday vacations.

Mr. W.

50 Years Ago Today: Titan 1 Test Series Concluded

2011-12-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Titan 1A at launch.

Fifty Years ago the Air Force concluded its series of launches of the Titan 1 rocket from the Atlantic Test Range at Cape Canaveral. There had been 40 launches, out of which 4 had been failures. The Titan 1 was an important development in the design of multi-stage InterContinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) for America's strategic rocket forces. The launches had taken place from launch complexes LC15, LC16, LC19, and LC20.

Titan-1 had a range of 5500 miles. As an ICBM, it could carry a nuclear weapon of 3.75 megatons of TNT. It became operational in our Strategic Missile Defense System in 1962 and was active until 1964. It was the first of our ICBMs to be launched from underground silos hidden in the western USA. There were difficulties with the first silo designs, needing an elevator to lift the rocket for launch, too long a time for fueling, and the command necessity of grouping them in threes, possibly making them vulnerable to a nuclear attack. During deployment, there were about 60 missiles available for launch at any given time. In 1965, as the new Titan 2 and Minuteman 1 missiles came on line, the Titan 1's were retired.

For NASA, the tests enabled engineers to prepare for the successful Titan 2 missiles, which would be used to launch astronauts later in the Gemini series.

There were 33 Titan 1s given to museums, Air Force bases, and government installations as memorials. You can see one at the Cape Canaveral US Air Force Museum in Florida, on one of the bus tours that you can board from the Kennedy Space Center. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of it when I was there earlier this year.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Helping Those in Need this Holiday Season

2011-12-14T07:42:00.006-07:00

All Things Considered, my favorite radio program on NPR, recently played this beautiful and haunting Franz Schubert song, "Hurdy-Gurdy Man". A Hurdy-Gurdy Man was someone (either a street vendor or someone seeking charity) who played a stringed instrument to attract attention to his wares or to get charity. On the show, "Hurdy-Gurdy Man" was recommended by a son remembering his father trudging 10-miles through cold and snow to a menial job to put food on the table.

This is the song sung in German with an English translation.

There are many this Holiday season who are unfortunate, many through no fault of their own. This recession has taken a terrible tole on many families. In this season of extra giving, it is well to remember them and donate either our time, food or money to worthy charities.

If you are searching for a good charity, may I recommend "Covenant House"? It is my favorite charity for holiday giving and does much good for runaway teens trying to survive in America's large cities.

Mr. W.

50 Years Ago Today: Discoverer 36 Launch Success

2011-12-13T17:57:00.001-07:00

Thor-Agena rocket at Vandenberg AFB.

Fifty Years ago on December 12, 1961, the U.S. Air Force Space Division launched Discoverer 36 from a launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The orbit of the 300+ pound capsule reached as high as 280 miles. The main experiments included testing space equipment, researching radiation in space, and detecting nuclear explosions. All the experiments were successful.

On this flight, the Air Force allowed a hitch-hiker. A 10 pound satellite named OSCAR (Orbital Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) was lifted aloft on the rocket to test beaming signals to HAM radio operators back on Earth. This was also a success. Even today, HAM radio operators often have opportunities through NASA programs to use amateur radios to contact astronauts on space missions such as the International Space Station.

Discoverer 36 would re-enter the Earth's atmosphere four days later after 64 orbits. The rocket itself burned up on March 8, 1962. The mission was one of the most successful launches of the Discoverer series.

Posted by Mark Daymont

And From the Imaginarium. Holiday Chuckles

2011-12-13T08:34:00.003-07:00

Spell Checkers have always been unforgiving.

Hello From the Imaginarium!

The Kepler Space Telescope recently discovered an Earth like planet roughly 600 light years away. It may well be the first stop on our deep space exploration once we invent the Warp Drive Engine. I wonder what the inhabitants of Kepler 22-b will think of us when we arrive?

Yep, it is just as I thought.

And finally, the Christmas Card I'd actually keep after the Christmas Clean Up. This is another example of using one's imagination to create something that is One of a Kind.

Toddlers?
I recognize the antics of several of our staff and volunteers in this picture :)

Now do something creative today. Exercise your imagination.

Mr. W.

Our Fellow Troubadours Detained and Lady Brittney's Shocking News.

2011-12-11T15:07:00.019-07:00

The Cathedral's bells rang over the moonlit castle and village. A procession of monks followed the Abbot's torch as they walked slowly down the lane to evening Mass. I drew the shutters closed. The night's air was cold and crisp, laden with the comforting smell of wood and fire. The sound of wheel on cobblestone drew my attention to the opposite lane below. A woodsman returned from the forest. His cart strained under the weight of newly cut firewood. His day was ended, his duty's done.

Our band of Troubadours gathered for their evening's lessons. Some took up quill and parchment, and by candlelight, continued their compositions for the nobleman's theater. Lady Emily and Master Wyatt sat to warm themselves by the fire. Our youngest fellows sat before them with instruments in hand.

"Lady Emily, what sayeth thee about my pleasing new melody?" Master Wyatt plucked at his mandolin's strings as he waited for a favorable response. "Tis the song I played for all this morn. The melody came to me during the night. A fortunate gift form the angels in God's heaven."

"I thought the melody showed promise," Master David said whilst painting a scene for a new work destine for summer's telling.

"And the Lady speaks...." Master Wyatt turned to Lady Emily.

Lady Emily looked up from her harp, "And should my verdict disappoint? How shall you be then?" Our band of Troubadours fell silent. Master Wyatt was not known to embrace criticism amicably.

"Then say nay, and witness thy tongue tear my crestfallen heart from its moorings and onto the cold stone below!"

Lady Emily thought for a moment to consider the gruesomeness of his description. "And should my verdict be agreeable?" she said in a softer tone.

"Then say it so, and see the departed sun appear anew to bid the dark of night adieu." Master Wyatt's fingers parodied the rays from the sun around his smiling lips.

Lady Emily momentarily returned to her thoughts before speaking. "I speak the truth when I say your melody has found good company with my thoughts." Her fingers moved back and forth across the harp's strings, recreating Master Wyatt's newest ballad. The pleasing sound of a well crafted harp filled the hushed room.

"Dear Lady, you do favor the melody so. I believe it prefers your company to mine." Wyatt turned to the younger members of the troope sitting with instruments in hand, patiently waiting for their lessons to begin. "Do you not agree?" he thought to wait for a response, then continued before anyone could speak. "Granted your ears are not trained to fathom the sound of wing on air or hand upon cheek. But still, do you not feel your spirits sore at its playing?"

"The Lady's harp speaks for itself. The tune, never finer played," spoke young Connor. Master Wyatt jumped to his feet. Young Connor had transgressed the boundary between student and master. The boy retreated. "Did you not say it so yourself just a moment ago?" Connor spoke quickly to not offend. His back straight and muscles tensed - ready for flight.

Master Wyatt's countenance softened. He stretched forth his arms, and with billowing voice shouted. "Let the sun return, for the Lady's tune is pleasing." The young Troubadours applauded. Master Wyatt accepted their praise.

Lady Emily motioned for Master Wyatt to return to his mandolin. "Sit now and ease your mind, for I truly confess that Beauty is the definition of your tune. And now to the business at hand. Our pupils wait."

There was a sound in the hall. The great oak door burst open. In stepped the Count's trusted Herald. The look upon his face spoke of the bad news to follow.

"I have news of your fellow Troubadours Casey, Bronson, and Jack. A herald from King Wesley of the Northlands reports they are detained. Their return is no longer guaranteed."

The Herald's news was interrupted by shouts from the assembled troope.

"What treachery is this?" questioned Master Adam as he reached for his dagger.

Master Devin's response was quick to follow. "Our response is sure. We take up arms against King Wesley of the Northlands!"

Several stood with arms raised to join the holy cause. The herald cleared his throat and waved his hand beckoning all to silence. "The news is worse. Lady Morgan is detained as well.

"To the defense of Lady Morgan!" Master Zac jumped from his desk. His parchments scattered to the floor. "Where is my sword?"

"Taken from you by the Count for spearing his favored cat three months past," Lady Stacy's reminder drew laughter from the somber crowd.

"Said cat suffered from demonic possession and thrust itself upon the tip of my sword. That I am sure." Master Zac reached out to his fellows for support. "How can I bear responsibility?"

The Herald raised his hand to speak. "The Count believes King Wesley detains them in the North Lands for the sole purpose of creating a theater to rival ours. The Count and Countess will speak more on the matter during the evening meal. I bid you adieu."

The door shut. Threats against the Northlanders engaged every tongue. Not one was silent, each attempted to overspeak the others in his or her company.

"The news is worse." Lady Brittney rose to speak. "Pray indulge me this moment."
She waited for quiet to drive the last of the angry sounds into the stone walls.

"I will take my leave of this place after the Christmas performances. I shall find work in the Southlands where I reside. Good fellows, I pray you support me in this decision." The Lady bowed to all then sat with head down in prayer.

The shock of such news, all at the same time, caused many an eye to tear. A feather could have swept us from our feet. The door opened again.

"The evening meal is prepared. Please join the Count and Countess." A brightly dressed footman bowed, turned and walked away leaving the door open for all to follow.

"There is much to discuss," I spoke as the troope stood to exit. "We shall talk of these things again after our meal. Make haste, do not keep the Count waiting."

Note:
The story above carries two items of Space Center news. Casey Voeks has accepted a position as Valiant Set Director for iWorlds in Park City. He has moved to Park City. Bronson, Morgan and Jack (among other Space Center Park City volunteers) will be working with Casey to bring the Space Center experience to the people of the "Northlands". We wish our friends the best as they work long hours to make this a success!

Brittney Vandeboss, the Magellan's former Set Director, will be leaving full time employment at the Space Center. The Magellan's Directorship was given to Zac H.
Brittney lives in Provo and is attending BYU.
Brittney is looking for employment on campus. She has been with us 6 years and is entitled to a rest. Brittney will remain an employee, working as a substitute when needed. We wish Brittney all the best as she moves on with her education.

Mr. W.

Luna and the Celestial Time

2011-12-09T23:52:00.008-07:00

Hello Troops,
The Earth passes between the Sun and the Moon tomorrow morning making for a beautiful Lunar eclipse. The timing couldn't be more perfect, and for that I must thank the Celestial clockkeeper.

The eclipse will reach its peak at 7:34 A.M. tomorrow. We wake our campers at 7:10 A.M. They eat mass quantities of donuts, Gogurts, fruit etc and are ready to leave the cafeteria at 7:35 A.M. The timing is perfection. We finish eating, walk the younglings outside, let them gaze at the darkening moon then usher them straight back into the school and into the simulators to finish their missions. We couldn't have planed it better.

It is a good Overnight Camp. The campers are well behaved and for that we are always grateful. The only sound I hear comes from the staff bed down in the Odyssey. They are telling tales of simulated heroism and fantasy courage in the face of Universal Armageddon. It has been the same for 21 years, staff telling newer staff the stories of their trials and tribulations in the simulators. This person to person story telling becomes the oral history of the Center, passed from one generation of staff to another.

I've got a few Christmas Ideas from the Wonderland Emporium two blocks from the Imaginarium. I clipped these ads from the newspaper and thought to pass them along to you. We all have someone on our holiday shopping list impossible to shop for. Perhaps something advertised here will relieve your burden.

Mickey Fired! And The Space Center's New Autosmile Braces.

2011-12-07T16:22:00.010-07:00

Hello Troops,
The DuMouse clan sat anxiously waiting for the weekly Friday evening MouseNetwork replay of Steamboat Willy, Mickey's first on screen performance. The DuMouses live between the walls of a wonderfully restored Victorian home on the corner of Fifth and Elm in Wonderland. A human family named Dumont purchased the home ten years ago.

"Quiet," shouted Mrs. DuMouse, "the show is about to start." She searched the sea of little mouse eyes for her youngest. "Wally, get the cheese out of the ice box. Let's have a treat."

"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special bulletin." The announcer's voice was somber, reflective of the news he was about to read. The Mouse family froze. They knew whatever it was had to be serious for the MouseNetwork to interrupt a playing of Steamboat Willy.
"This just in, Mickey Mouse was fired as Disneyland's Goodwill Ambassador. Apparently several campers attending a mission at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center in Pleasant Grove were overheard telling the director that the Space Education Center was 'better than Disneyland'." The announcer paused to choke back his emotions. "A Disney informant not wanting to be identified said that Mickey was warned his job was on the line if anything like that was said again."

The picture on the screen switched from the news reader to a picture of Mickey, outside of the Magic Kingdom.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen!" gasped Mrs. DuMouse.
"Say it isn't so Mama!" Dora DuMouse sobbed.
"I'm afraid its true. Poor Mickey, reduced to begging on the street." Mrs. DuMouse's countenance grew dark - her eyes sinister. "Curse that Space Education Center," she mumbled under her breath. "They'll get theirs someday."

Troops,
I realize not everyone who comes to the Space Center's agrees, but two people told me yesterday that the Space Center was better than Disneyland. As many of you know, I'm one of the world's greatest Disney fans, so hearing that causes my chest to swell with such pride it nearly busts my buttons. I don't necessarily agree with the comment, but I'm happy that there are many who sincerely believe it.

The Space Education Center is my 2nd Happiest Place on Earth! The Disney Parks will always be my number 1, but thank you to all of you that believe differently. You're all awesome.

The Autosmile Brace

I found these awesome Autosmile Braces while Christmas shopping online and decided to purchase a set to be used by the Space Center's staff. Finally someone was creative enough to realize that not everyone can look happy all the time when coming to work - hence the problem we have at the Space Center.

There are days forcing the corners of my mouth upwards to reveal a convincing smile requires hydraulic power my cheek muscles cannot muster. On days like that, usually caused directly or indirectly by the Dementress, I must rely on others to stand as welcoming and warm in my stead. Lorraine is one such person. She had her smile tattooed onto her face several years ago just for the Space Center. I admire her dedication, but couldn't bring myself to do the same until last week.

After working a very difficult mission with a captain who rarely left her chair and spoke with such a mousy voice no one could hear anything she said, my natural frown sagged into something entirely unnatural in appearance. I caught a glimpse of myself in the Phototon on the bridge. It was shocking.

"Your countenance has ventured into a menagerie of the macabre and the grotesque." Lorraine said as she pulled me aside to deliver the terrible news moments before we loaded the next field trip crew.

I looked at her tattooed smile. Mind you, up close you can see the artist's flaws, but from a few steps back, it looks entirely natural. "Alright, I'm going to do it. Make an appointment. I'll have the procedure."

Lorraine smiled. That's when I was reminded of another major flaw in a smile tattoo. "Lorraine, remember not to smile for real. The two tattooed corners of your mouth nearly close at the top right there under your nose. It almost makes a perfect circle."

"I forgot," she replied.

Thank goodness I discovered the Autosmile Braces before leaving for the tattoo parlor. A Space Center landmark has been saved. My natural frown can continue to instill fear anytime I wish (necessary when you're the boss. The staff need to see me when I'm not a happy camper).

Staff and volunteers, the Autosmile Braces will be kept just inside the Voyager's Stage loading door. Pick one up as needed for those tough days. And please remember to disinfect when finished BEFORE you hang them back on the hook.

Remember, we always have a smile for our guests, whether natural, unnatural, or mechanically produced :)

Mr. W.

Openings for This Weekend's Overnight Camp

2011-12-06T15:28:00.002-07:00

Opening for This Weekend's Overnight Camp!

Date: December 9-10.
Time: 7:00 P.M. Friday evening to 10:00 A.M. Saturday Morning.
Price: $43.00 per person. (Discount for Blog Readers. Call for the Discount)
Ages: 10 to 14

Call for a reservation: 801.785.8713

The Dementress. A Space Center Tale

2011-12-04T15:25:00.007-07:00

In her natural habitat. A Form Never Before Seen by Mortal Eyes.
Exposed Today in "The Troubadour".

The Dementress
A Space Center Tale

And by her touch all joys disperse
and sorrow, by its nature leaps
to flood the vacant hollow left bare
in her passing.
The wretched's heart beats again
with a darkness akin to the depth of night.

Beware. She prowls hall and ship
for victims new and unaware.
The Dementress slithers nearer, nearer
her hand doth reach; One touch, not two.

Alias, The deed is done.
Her joy increaseth,
leaving in its wake
a melancholy enchantment,
to inhale another's final vapors of content.

Troops,
We have The Red Blemish. We have "M, The Destroyer of Worlds". Now who is this, who prowls the halls of our Space Center? Who is this Dementress? She was there for the last Overnight Camp. She walked beside you.

She knows I know. She knows I watch. She knows to be careful. She will be exposed :)

Mr. W.

P.S. Yes I've discovered another one of our staff or volunteers with supernatural powers. Can you guess who?

And finally, an example of the pure magic of imagination from 1951. Enjoy the brilliance of early live TV.

A Small Lesson Taught during an Overnight Camp.

2011-12-03T15:40:00.003-07:00

The two young boys left the Odyssey sobbing. The Flight Director tried to calm them. It wasn't working. I was at my desk preparing the camp's Rank Advancement Certificates.

"Come here and sit down." The boys followed my directions and sat in two of the four gray desks kept in front of my ridiculously long wooden desk.

"Remember what I said at the start of the camp?" I questioned. "I said that if you started getting scared you should tell us so we can let you out of the ship."

"I told him," one boy said pointing to the volunteer playing the ship's doctor.

"And I told you." The volunteer looked at the Flight Director.

"You didn't say he wanted out of the ship, you just said he was getting scared."

"Go back to the flight," I ordered. The two walked back to the Odyssey leaving me at my desk with two crying 5th grade boys.

I explained the alien intruder was gone and that part of the mission was over. It calmed one boy. "I'm ready to go back," he said as he wiped the last tears from his red eyes with a shirt sleeve. He found his way back into the Odyssey through the revolving door. The other wasn't so easily consoled.

"I want to go home." He repeated the demand to counter every reason I gave him to stay and 'tough it out'. At the end, I surrendered the battle and handed him the phone.

I couldn't hear the boy's five minute conversation with his mother. He stopped crying half way through the call.
"My moms going to come see me before I go to bed," he said when he handed me back the phone. It was very cold outside and nearly 11:00 P.M. I felt sorry for this devoted mom, willing to drive twenty minutes each way just so her boy could see her for reassurance before going to bed.

I felt I needed to say something.

"I feel sorry for your mom." I used my pitiful voice. He looked confused at my statement. "Think about what you asked her to do just for you. You want her to leave your warm house and drive all the way here and back just so you can see her for a few minutes before you go to bed."

He stared at the desktop, not wanting to look me face to face. "You're ten years old and a big boy now. I think you should think about your mom for a moment and what you could do to make her night better. Think about how proud your mom would be of you if you called her and told not to come all the way over here in the cold. Don't you think that would be a nice thing to do for your mom?" I paused for dramatic effect, then continued. "I know I wouldn't want my mom to drive out to see me in the middle of the night if it wasn't an emergency. Is this an emergency? What do you think?"

The boy sat still. "I just want to see her before I go to bed," he mumbled.

"I understand, but the phone is right here. Isn't talking to her on the phone almost as good? I sure feel sorry for your mom." I put the phone in its cradle. "The phone is here if you want to use it. You decide. I've got to go back to my work."
I started typing. He sat motionless. I waited for his next move hoping inside he would 'man up' and not have his mom drive out here just to console him. I did my best to help him grow up a little and learn to be more self reliant. I wondered if the lesson had taken root.

"Can I used the phone," he whispered. I felt hope stir inside me. He dialed his mom's cell phone. She answered.
"Mom, you don't have to come out. I'm OK. I just wanted to talk to you."

I stopped typing and looked with a sense of pride at this ten year old boy. He was thinking of someone else instead of himself. There were a few more tears before the call ended. He handed me the phone.

"You're a brave boy. Your mom's got to be very proud of you," I said as I ruffled his hair. He smiled.

He made one more call before going to bed. There were more tears but he held firm. He was going to stay and she didn't need to come see him. He made it through the night without another problem and survived the camp to the end.

Three other boys woke me up at different times throughout the night. Each had homesick stomachs. Each wanted to go home. I talked each boy through his fear. At the end, not one of our 45 ten and eleven year old's went home. It was a good night and another small victory for this old camp director.

Have a Great Weekend,

Mr. W.

Space Center to Open During Christmas Vacation

2011-12-02T08:41:00.001-07:00

Hello Troops,
The Space Center will be open during the Christmas Vacation. Please visit the Space Center's web site to book your holiday party.
Spacecamputah.org

50 Years Ago Today: Enos the Chimp Goes to Space.

2011-11-30T16:06:00.001-07:00

MA-5 lifts off from Cape Canaveral.

Fifty years ago, NASA launched its last test of a Mercury-Atlas rocket before placing a human in orbit. MA-5 blasted off from Launch Complex 14 at 8 am MST on November 29, 1961. Engineers had been preparing this flight for 40 weeks. It seems that as new technology continued to improve, the mission of MA-5 kept changing. Finally it was decided to test the capsule with a live occupant. But instead of an astronaut, a chimpanzee was placed aboard.

Enos in his space couch.

Until the flight of MA-5, the most famous space chimp was Sam, who had flown in a test of the Mercury-Redstone rocket before Alan Shepard flew his mission. This time the task fell to Enos, which means "man" in the Hebrew language. Five hours before liftoff, Enos was secured into his spacesuit-couch and placed in the capsule. The launch went well and Enos was placed into orbit.

However, once in orbit, things "went south". The attitude control system malfunctioned. The auto correction thrusters were engaged 9 times to keep the craft in proper attitude before retrofire. The environmental control system also malfunctioned, and the capsule began heating up inside. Enos' body temperature reached 100.5 degrees F and mission controllers worried about the health of the chimp. Then the environmental system corrected itself and normal temperature was restored. Because the thruster problem was using up fuel, it was determined to bring back the capsule after the 2nd orbit. The capsule splashed down in the Pacific off the coast of California. After search planes spotted the craft bobbing on the waters, the destroyer USS Stormes retrieved the capsule and extracted Enos the Space Chimp.

With the success of MA-5, the qualifications had been met for the launch of humans aboard the Atlas rocket, and preparations began for the launch of the first American to orbit the Earth. As for Enos, the brave animal passed away about a year later after contracting a form of dysentery.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Open Phoenix Mission for Wednesday

2011-11-28T17:52:00.002-07:00

Hello All,
The Phoenix will run a 2.5 hour Private Mission on Wednesday, November 30th. You can sign up to attend individually or with a friend or two. Call the Space Center for a reservation. 801.785.8713. The cost is $13.00 per person. Money is collected at the door Wednesday night. This is open to anyone between the ages of 10 and 16.

2011-11-27T14:39:00.006-07:00

Foreign Affairs: Russian Curse vs. Chinese Success

Phobos-Grunt being prepared for launch.

Russia continues to suffer under a curse. The Phobos-Grunt satellite, launched on November 9, remains in Earth orbit suffering a profound silence. The Zenit rocket carrying Phobos-Grunt had placed the exploration robot in a temporary orbit before heading out towards Mars and the Martian moon Phobos. However, the necessary signals to send the craft outward from Earth did not ignite the engines and the craft went silent. Russian and international scientists have struggled intensely to repair communications in the last couple of weeks. Suddenly, a signal got through a few days before Thanksgiving, and there was some hope communications could be restored as telemetry got through on our holiday. Thanks should be given to technicians at the European Space Agency station near Perth in Australia. Sadly, this success was not repeated and the robotic explorer remains silent now.

Phobos-Grunt launches on a Zenit rocket.

Recently Russia has had some mishaps with the Soyuz rocket series, prompting a temporary grounding of spaceflights to the ISS while engineers worked to solve the problem. With the success of recent launches to ISS, the problem seemed solved, but now the Phobos- Grunt satellite remains stranded in orbit, with the fear that it could crash back to Earth with a significant supply of toxic fuel on board.

This was Russia's 4th attempt to reach Mars. It had not launched an interplanetary probe in 15 years. The other three launches to Mars also met with failure. In 1988, Russia sent Phobos 1 and Phobos 2 to reach the planet. Phobos 1 failed soon after launch. Phobos 2 reached MArtian orbit, only to go suddenly silent and was never heard from again. In 1996, the launch of a Mars probe went wrong and the satellite crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Are the Russians cursed when it comes to reaching Mars? Actually it goes to prove how difficult an interplanetary probe mission really is, and how amazing the American results have been.

Meanwhile, China keeps launching satellites with uneventful regularity.

Long March 2D blasts off from China.

So far this year, China has made 15 satellite launches, and only one was a failure. China usually uses the Long March 2D rocket. Years ago China would have suffered more failures, but since their "acquisition" of American rocket and satellite technology from Loreal and other American space firms, they have had a much higher success rate. While some of the technology was improperly transfered to China as a result of Clinton administration "deals", some has been determined to be lost to China as a result of Chinese computer hacking and corporate spying.

This week China launched 2 satellites from the Jinquan Satellite Launch Center, testing new technologies and observing environmental situations in China.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Saturday

MSL On its Way to Mars!

Atlas V liftoff from Launch Complex 41.

At 8:02 a.m. MST, NASA ignited the engines of the Atlas V rocket carrying the MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) on its way to Mars. The launch has proceeded very well so far, with the separation of the nose cone fairings. The second stage Centaur rocket is expected to fire at about 8:45 a.m. (Update: Stage firing and spacecraft separation confirmed - MSL is on its way to MARS!).

MSL rover in the lab with scientists.

The MSL rover (named Curiosity) is the largest that has been sent to Mars. Its wide variety of sensors and controls will enable it to explore terrain unaccessible to prior rovers such as Spirit, Opportunity and Pathfinder. Scheduled to land on Mars in August 2012, Curiosity is expected to run a mission length of 23-24 months. Those of you who have been watching Mars rovers so far understand that the craft may last MUCH longer than that.

You can download a PDF fact sheet from NASA at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/fact_sheets/mars-science-laboratory.pdf

Posted by Mark Daymont

The Child Who Survived

2011-11-26T16:23:00.017-07:00

Hello Troops,
Strange not to be at the Space Center on a Saturday. I feel like I should be doing something or talking to someone. The room is too quiet. There are no explosions or sirens or children laughing, screaming or applauding. I'm not surrounded by scores of young people moving to and from the simulators, some taking a moment or two to talk while others ask for the M and M drawer as they fill their prescription bottles. It's 4:23 P.M. according to the clock I should be wandering through the school dispensing Meadow Gold Ice Cream Sandwiches. The halls should echo with Rogers automatic floor cleaner, the one that resembles an ice rink's Zamboni. Twenty one years of conditioning brings an uneasiness when routine is disrupted.

Don't worry about me. I'll weather this disturbance in the Force. My chores are never done. It's all part of being an adult, even in a land of Imagination where kids reign supreme.

Canyon Lake Elementary School. Rapid City South Dakota

Childhood goes by so quickly. Wasn't it just a couple long years ago I was a fifth grader at Canyon Lake Elementary School? We moved mid year from South Canyon to Canyon Lake. It was tough changing schools, but I had a talent for making friends quickly. It was that year I went on my favorite elementary school field trip to KOTA, Rapid City's local television station. Instead of Alice's looking glass, I had stepped through the television screen and met the people whose black and white pixels lit my small living room every evening. I saw the large cameras and the wooden sets used for the news and the children's Saturday morning shows. That simple rural TV studio was magic for a ten year old.

There I am, Top Row. 1968.
I like to think I Survived.

A kindly woman with heavily lacquered hair called us over to a large table next to a room filled with panels of dials, switches and knobs. A couple dozen 8 by 10 black and white photographs of KOTA's Saturday morning cartoon characters covered the table top. She told us we could take one photograph of our favorite cartoon character.

"How nice, let's all say thank you to the nice lady." My teacher spoke perfect Teacher Talk .

Teacher Talk notwithstanding, we didn't hear a word she said. It was our Walmart Black Friday moment, circa 1968. We rushed forward, ignoring the teacher's shouting for order. Everyone pushed and shoved to get to the table first, none more so than me. There at the center of the table lay a picture of my cartoon hero, Johnny Quest. I pushed Derek Leonard down. Tom Patnoe shoved and I shoved back with all the shove a ten year old could muster. Five empty hands strained toward the prize. Only one came back fulfilled. Johnny Quest was mine.

I have many fond school memories from my childhood. For most children today, the Space Education Center is their best remembered field trip. We bring magic into their lives. It is a responsibility we take seriously. It is a duty that motivates me, and I hope everyone on our staff, to go above and beyond. We will continue to honor a commitment to quality and do our part to ensure more children will survive into adulthood.

Mr. Williamson

P.S.
Many have asked about the title pictures seen on this blog. Many of them come from my collection of old black and white pictures of kids, adults and seniors living in times gone by. I organized a few of my favorites showing kids from times passed. Today they are either in the winter of life or gone. It is a reminder of how quickly life passes. Enjoy your childhood. Cherish the memories and let your childhood survive into adulthood.

Here's Hoping All Had a Great Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T17:24:00.003-07:00

Hello Troops,
The day after Thanksgiving and all was quiet in the house, except for the sound of rumbling stomachs and the gurgling sound of Mr. Williamson guzzling a bottle of Pepto Bismol. It was quite the feast at my niece's home, attended by family far and near. A full detailed description of my Thanksgiving Day can read on my Genealogy blog by clicking these words.
(Before reading, know that exaggeration is my one true weakness :)

I stopped by the Space Center to put out the working list for next week. I was amazed at what Jon Parker and Megan Warner accomplished on Wednesday. They repainted the Voyager's Captain's Quarters. Before they could paint, they had to do extensive sheet rock repairs. The loft looks brand new. This is going above and beyond the call of duty and so typical of what our Space Center staff do for the students and teachers that attend every day.

Not wanting the Phoenix to feel left out, Megan turned her attention to repainting the Phoenix's doors and desks. She put the finishing touches to the door just as Miranda's test mission arrived this morning at 10:00 A.M.

Just when I thought I couldn't be more amazed, I found Stacy, Rachel, Ben and Matt in Discovery enjoying a delicious breakfast while working on the Galileo's new summer mission!

These people surely make me look good. They are all awesome.

Now, how about an update from Mark Daymont's Space Rubble Blog?

50 Year Anniversary: Ranger 2 flubs, USAF tests Titan

Atlas-Agena launch.

Fifty years ago, launches continued from the Cape Canaveral pads. NASA launched Ranger 2 on an Atlas-Agena rocket combination on November 18, 1961. Ranger's 2 mission was to test the electronics of experiments that would later be sent to study other planets, and to also send back information on space radiation and magnetic fields. Scientists hoped to discover clues about a possible trail of hydrogen gas following behind the Earth as it orbited the Sun.

Ranger 2 at NASA Glen Research Center.

The Atlas rocket successfully placed Ranger 2 in orbit around the Earth, but disaster followed. The Agena second stage failed to ignite, due to a malfunctioning gyro. Ranger 2 was unable to be placed in the orbit necessary for the tests, and after separation it was stranded in an orbit that brought it closer and closer to Earth's atmosphere. It burned up two days later.

Titan 1 ICBM launch.

On November 21, 1961, a Titan 1a ICBM missile test was conducted by the USAF from its Canaveral site. This missile launched a special nose cone that would later be used in anti-missile missile tests with the Nike-Zeus system.

The next day, the military launched a mysterious satellite from Point Arguello in California. The rocket used was the Atlas-Agena combo. I still have not found out anything about this mysterious launch. It is recorded as the first "unannounced" rocket launch of a satellite.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Expedition 29 Lands Safely and The New Mobile Launcher

2011-11-22T15:50:00.002-07:00

Commander Mike Fossum happy to be on the ground. Not used to gravity after 5 months in Zero-G!

After 167 days in orbit and on the ISS, US astronaut Mike Fossum, Japanese astronaut Satosji Furukawa and Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov returned to Earth in their Soyuz capsule. They landed in a snowy field in the steppes of Kazakhstan.

The landing site. Auto headlights illuminate the landing area. Dark splash on right is where the Soyuz touched down, and the capsule is a bit to the left of that spot.

The giant Crawler takes the ML out to Pad 39B.

In a scene reminiscent of the glory days of the Saturn V launches to the Moon, a giant launch tower is again seen moving to the pads. NASA engineers have moved the huge 355 foot tall tower to Launch Complex 39B to test how the new structure responds to the stresses of moving on the large Transport Crawler.

The ML tower was originally constructed for use with the Aries 1 rocket, which was cancelled three years ago by the Obama administration. Three years after its cancellation, the project is again alive thanks to Congressional intervention. During the last year, Congress has passed laws requiring NASA to design and build a new heavy-lift rocket to replace the lifting capacity of the cancelled Space Shuttle program. The new rocket is designated (for now) as the SLS, standing for Space Launch System. There's a creative, catchy name for you, eh? Despite my sarcastic response to the name, the new system will provide the United States with a rocket capable of lifting large satellites and spacecraft into orbit and beyond to the Moon and the asteroids.

Currently the ML tower stands at a total height or 400 feet while on the tremendous transporter. The trip from the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) to Pad 39B takes about 14 hours and travels 4.2 miles. The tower weighs in at a wopping 6.5 million pounds. It currently does not yet have the swinging arm bridges that will allow engineers to access parts of future rockets along its length.

Pad 39B is also going through changes. The old towers that serviced many shuttle flights have been torn down, and new structures are building in its stead in preparation for the new ML series of towers. In fact, the base of the ML will need enlargement for exhaust, as it was originally designed to work with the thinner Aries rocket. The new SLS will be wider at the base and include side-mounted Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs, like the shuttle had).

My hope is that the shuttle towers will be broken into small pieces for sale to space collectors like myself. I currently own a piece of the gantry from Launch Complex 26, from which the historic Explorer 1 satellite (America's first successful space satellite) launched atop a Jupiter rocket in 1958. I would love to add a remnant of the space shuttle era to my collection.

Launch of Ares 1-x in 2008. This was the test rocket for the cancelled Ares series of rockets, launched from Pad 39B to test the marriage of the SRB as a first stage with a second stage test structure. The temporary tower used at the pad will be replaced with the ML Tower structures.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Monday, the First Day of a Short Week and Our Weekend Staff Celebration

2011-11-21T05:10:00.012-07:00

Hello Troops,
The older staff got together at my home Saturday night for ham, rolls, Lorraine's best potato casserole, cupcakes and cookies. The ham came with the compliments of the Space Center's T Shirt supplier. Adam hustled Metta and Megan at pool, walking away with a substantial amount of money and IOU's, Lorraine, Mark, Dave, Melissa and I sat in the living room talking old people's talk. The conversation included such riveting topics as aches, pains, taxes, medicare, weather, laxatives, politics and the Space Center of course. Wyatt (The Red Blemish) made the ultimate sacrifice and walked away from the kitchen table where the cool older teen staff were and joined us in the living room to save us from the mire of self pity. Wyatt is unashamedly a KnowItAll when it comes to Classic Star Trek. Moments after his arrival we were in a rousing discussion of which episode was the best. There were obnoxiously loud interruptions of laughter from the kitchen. One vocal blast from Rachel (whose tone filled the higher notes on the scale) and Ben (who's vocal tones filled the lower notes on the scale) rattled the windows. Years of ceiling dust came fluttering down into our hair, food and clothing. I'm told Aleta was the cause of our partial hearing loss. She was tossing innuendo's like hotcakes.

My ringing ears, paired with serious fatigue caused by little sleep during the Overnight Camp, brought the event celebrating the Center's 21st birthday and the awarding of ten year service pins to Megan and Stacy to a close at 9:00 P.M. Ben volunteered to take the leftovers. I agreed. Moments later I caught him rifling through the refrigerator and pantry looking for anything else he thought could use a good home in a good stomach.

I'm sure a few of my curiously disturbed neighbors - you know the kind who only leave their front windows to use the restroom - were wondering if those odd South Dakota Williamsons were sponsoring an Occupy Pleasant Grove gathering based on the laughter and shouting coming from my driveway. It's good the outside
After Party only lingered another 20 minutes or so. I was just about to go outside in full riot gear (rain coat and bicycle helmet) to disperse the gathering with my garden hose and small canister of pepper spray kept in my car for emergencies. I think everyone got too cold, jumped in their cars, and drove to Wendy's for the unlimited child's sized Frosties.

Yes, it is a short week. Thanksgiving is a few days away and that means football, turkey and copious amounts of pie served with a house full of insane family (South Dakota certified insane. They don't come any insaner). The Space Center will be running at full steam - closing at 9:00 P.M. Tuesday night.

I'm thinking about offer special half price Black Friday missions starting at midnight Friday. Any staff willing to come in? (joking).

How about a few interesting items to start the week off right?

Mr. W.

Remember me always saying, "Real American Money, None of that Phony Canadian Stuff."?
Well, our northern friends have been busy imagining and produced something worthy of our imagineering respect. Here we are folks with Canada's plastic money.....

What's Christmas without a few awesome feats of Imagination on film? A British
Christmas ad worthy of applause. Imaginarium TV at its best.

Make way for Belgium's Goose Army. Again I say, What Imagination!

A Roundup Of Interesting Tidbits.

2011-11-20T05:57:00.007-07:00

Is The End of this World Close at Hand?

An exceptionally strong magnetic storm would have deadly effects

"We don't know how the Earth (or humanity) might meet its end or when that will happen. Pondering and predicting the event has usually been a job for the world's great religions: all of them have some idea about how humans will meet their maker.."
Read the Entire Article

Nigel Farage. You Gotta Admire His Style

Moving on. May I share with you a video of one of my favorite persons in the world? His name is Nigel Farage. He is a member of the European Parliament from Great Britain and no lover of the European Union. Listen to his remarks made in Parliament on November 16th.
I've always said, "Stand up, stand out and be counted." Well Nigel is a good example of that.

Flying Time Lapse, Flying Over the Earth From Space

Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.

Time lapse sequences of photographs taken by Ron Garan, Satoshi Furukawa and the crew of expeditions 28 & 29 onboard the International Space Station from August to October, 2011, who shot these pictures at an altitude of around 350 km.

Shooting locations in order of appearance:

1. Aurora Borealis Pass over the United States at Night
2. Aurora Borealis and eastern United States at Night
3. Aurora Australis from Madagascar to southwest of Australia
4. Aurora Australis south of Australia
5. Northwest coast of United States to Central South America at Night
6. Aurora Australis from the Southern to the Northern Pacific Ocean
7. Halfway around the World
8. Night Pass over Central Africa and the Middle East
9. Evening Pass over the Sahara Desert and the Middle East
10. Pass over Canada and Central United States at Night
11. Pass over Southern California to Hudson Bay
12. Islands in the Philippine Sea at Night
13. Pass over Eastern Asia to Philippine Sea and Guam
14. Views of the Mideast at Night
15. Night Pass over Mediterranean Sea
16. Aurora Borealis and the United States at Night
17. Aurora Australis over Indian Ocean
18. Eastern Europe to Southeastern Asia at Night

Reforming Education. Why Schools Must Change

"We're Going to Be Friends" The White Strips. Kids Signing. Tremendous. A Good Way to end this post.

Two Space Station Updates

2011-11-19T13:59:00.003-07:00

Soyuz rocket blasting off in snowstorm.

Two international dockings this week made the news. Our first story is the return of human spaceflight to Russian space Operations, as a successful Soyuz launch was made to the ISS. On board the TMA-22 Soyuz spacecraft were two cosmonauts and an astronaut of Expedition 29. Even though the launch occurred during a snowstorm, the spacecraft successfully made it to the ISS and docked to the Russian Poisk module on Wednesday.

Expedition 29 all together now.

Cosmonauts Anton Shkaplerov, Anatoly Ivanishin and astronaut Dan Burbank join the rest of the Expedition 29 team for a six month stay aboard the station. Burbank is in the middle of the front crewmembers in the photo. Station Commander Mike Fossum (middle in back row), astronaut Satoshi Furukawa (left back row) and cosmonaut Sergei Volkov (right back row) will return to Earth next week. Another group of three astronauts will launch to the station in December.

Meanwhile, the Chinese have been continuing their tests with their Tiangong-1 space module which acts as a remote-control station for practice purposes.

Tiangon-1 (left) and Shenzou-8 (right)

Chinese ground controllers have been practicing undocking and redocking the Shenzou-8 spacecraft. No Taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) are on either craft. Notice the Shenzou-8 (right side of picture) looks remarkably like a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. Why start from scratch when you can borrow (?) from something that has worked well for decades. The Chinese are actually doing very well and making good progress in their goal to establish an inhabited space station and then press on to the Moon. Certainly they have benefited from the American and Russian technology. Sure would be nice if they paid for the use of those patents, though.

Recovering the landed Shenzou-8.

Like the Russian Soyuz, the Chinese Shenzou spacecraft land in an open wilderness for recovery. In this case, Inner Mongolia. It had undocked from Tiangong-1 on Wednesday and returned to Earth on Wednesday. It is expected that Taikonauts will be on either the next flight to the station or for certain the third flight up.

Mark Daymont,
Space Center Educator

HopeKids and the Space Center

2011-11-18T08:35:00.003-07:00

Hello Troops,
The following is an email received recently from a parent of one of the Hopekids who attended the special missions we ran for them two weeks ago.

I want to thank the staff and volunteers who made the evening a success. Honestly, do you know of any place on Earth where so much human awesomeness exists in such a concentrated space? The astronauts in the International Space Station must see this place glowing on pure 100% creative fuel when all the ships are running as they orbit the Earth.

I'm proud to be associated with such fine people past and present.

Mr. W.

Dear Space Center,
Hi! I just wanted to send you a little note to thank you for letting my son and Hopekids come enjoy space camp. My 10 year old son, Austin, has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy which is 100% fatal with no treatment or cure. He wants to be an astronaut when he grows up. He absolutely loved coming to this activity and has talked about it for days. Hopekids is a really special organization to us, especially since Austin stopped walking 1 year ago. He can no longer go to friends homes to play and finds himself trying to keep up with friends. Hopekids gives us the gift of being together and participating in activities that Austin can participate in and gets him out of the house. We love Hopekids and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for supporting us. Our live are definitely enriched through everyday angels like you!

Thanks again,

Karalee
(Austin's Mom)

Rough Seas Ahead

2011-11-16T07:39:00.005-07:00

Hello Troops,
This is day two of two busy days at the Space Center. Double field trips yesterday and today mean four classes will keep us engaged until 6:00 P.M. Private missions start after the last school bus leaves. Some of us will emerge from the this grueling herculean task unscathed. Others, chained to their stations until the last bus disappears into the dark of night, will leave the Center bruised, unwashed, dishevelled and smelling heavily of human child and musty Voyager uniforms.

Our school's principal spent time and effort scrubbing the school's faculty room for today's principal's meeting with the Alpine School District's Superintendent. She left this note on the Space Center's white board: "NO ONE GOES INTO THE FACULTY ROOM FOR ANY REASON. I CLEANED IT FOR A MEETING". Knowing I suffer from selective memory syndrome, she told the night custodian to find me after my last mission and tell me not to let anyone use the faculty room.

Thirty minutes later....... The bus driver for the 2:00 P.M. field trip walked into the office.
"Do you have a microwave. I'm starving."

It was 5:30 P.M. She had another thirty minutes to wait before our field trip ended, then a 45 minute drive taking the students back to their school in Salt Lake City. The microwave was in the faculty room. I hesitated, remembering the principal's note on the white board behind me.

"Sure," I replied. I wasn't going to say no. How could using the microwave mess up the faculty room?

She didn't cook a Lean Cuisine or a Hot Pocket. She burned a bag of popcorn! The faculty room stunk to high heaven of burned popcorn. The school's hallways smelled of burned popcorn. We went into disaster clean up mode. I set up fans and left instructions for our night custodian to wash the tables and walls with the strongest disinfectant legally sold.

Now I get to return to school and smell the results. My fingers are crossed. If that smell isn't gone I'll be in deep trouble. Yes, even Mr. Williamson has a boss and I think I'm in for it today. I'll be cleaning toilets and raking leaves for the next two weeks.

Perhaps its time for a few things from the Imaginarium:

The Berlin Subway? If not, it should be.

Who says you can't improve on an existing design. The Rocking Chair reinvented.

Live Live Differently.

I know the feeling. We deal with small humans daily.

Again, Imagination and perfection in design.

The Space Center Twenty One Years Ago.

2011-11-13T13:58:00.010-07:00

Hello Troops,
Last week marked the 21st birthday of our Space Education Center. To commemorate the event I'm posting pictures taken a week before the Space Center opened on November 8, 1990.

We start with the Space Center's Office, also known to us old timers as its original name "The Briefing Room".

This is looking toward the front of the room. Principal Stan Harward is standing in the room's doorway. On the right are the original classroom coat hangers and cubbies for student's belongings (the Phoenix sits there today). The cubbies were removed a few years later and staff bunks were built in their place. The big screen TV is roughly where the Phoenix's main viewer sits today. You can see the white board, still on the wall in its exact same place after 21 years. The tables and chairs are used today in Discovery. The Briefing Room was first used for the classroom session of the field trip.

The Staff Board was at the front of the Briefing Room. We had nine volunteers when the Center opened in 1990. I was the only person on the payroll. The first picture is of Jeff Schoonover. Today Jeff is the principal of Provo High School. His children attend Central School. Kyle Sanderson's pictures comes next. He is a math teacher and Asst. Football Coach at Pleasant Grove High. Jake Mattson is next. He lives in Las Vegas with his wife and four children. Burke Craghead is next followed by Tony Grover. Tony is a lawyer in Salt Lake City with two children. I can't make out or remember who the person is at the end.

Recognize the sink? Its not there anymore. How about the drawers? Yep, this is the where the Odyssey's Control Room sits today. The Gift Shop used to sit right here.

The Briefing Room looking toward the Voyager's entrance.

The back of the Briefing Room before the Odyssey. My desk is next to the filing cabinets. The mural was done on butcher paper by our Young Astronaut Club. To the far left you'll see the doorway to the library, today's home of you know who! Notice my less than comfy desk chair.

This was the bulletin board behind my desk at the back of the room. That bulletin board covered the hole in the wall that today leads to the Odyssey's Engineering Section.

And now, we move on into the Voyager Mission Simulator (as it was called then).

The short doorway was still a hazard as it is today. Notice there is no Captain's Loft. That was added a few years later.

Now a turn into the unfinished Voyager Control Room.

Then down to the Crew Quarters. Same red counter top

And up the spiral staircase to the Voyager's Bridge. This is the original furniture. We opened without raised platforms for the Captain's, Security and Record's stations. They were added only after I discovered the students sitting at those positions couldn't see the Tactical Screen. The box in the picture sits where today's Engineering Station is located. The box was the home of the original Robotic Arm (an idea I tried to import from the Challenger Centers).

In this photograph you see the Captain's desk in the distance. In the foreground right is Security. Foreground left is Records. You'll also easily find the left and right wings.

This is the front of the Bridge before the main viewer and TV were installed. The original two emblems of the Space Center are still there today, hidden by the two large black and gold Federation Emblems.

We descend down from the Bridge looking back at the Security Station.

And finally a right turn will take us back to the Briefing Room.

A Few Items of Space Center News and Commentary.

2011-11-11T22:07:00.014-07:00

Before we get started with today's post, I'd like to draw your attention to a gift left on my desk Friday morning from my union. My life at a glance!

Hello Troops,

Yesterday's warmth is making a speedy easterly exit up and over the mountains, leaving us venerable to the whims of an approaching cold front. I'm glad I wore my jacket as I made the outside rounds checking for unlocked doors.

Earlier Friday evening our conscientious neighbors fouled the air with backyard leaf burning Druid ritual fires. Their chanting doesn't bother us, nor their peculiar robes. What is bothersome is the smoke from their fires, drawn into the school through our air conditioner's air handlers. I'm seriously tempted to call in the Christian Brothers to squash the heretics.

The school's air conditioners stop compressing air to conserve electricity when the outside temperature drops below 54 degrees. Dampeners automatically open, drawing cold outside air into the school for cooling. We breath our neighborhood's sooty mixture all day. There is no escape. I'm consistently asked if I just returned from a camping trip when people smell my clothes. I understand the logic behind this cooling system, but cooling by bringing in outside air is a poor system for places like Pleasant Grove where half our homes are heated by buffalo chips and high sulfur coal.

We had a few reasons to shake hands and celebrate over the past few weeks.

I'm shaking Nathan's hand and congratulating him for receiving his One Year Pin. Nathan was unaware of significance of the Honor, hence the look of confusion.
"You've been with us one year!" I explained.
"Have I?" Nathan queried.
"You have," I answered.
"Have I?"
"Yes, you have."
"Have I really?"
"Nathan, you've been here one year so stand still so I can pin this on."
"What is it?"
"Its your Year Pin."
"Is it?"
"Yes it is."
"Oh is it?"
"Yes Nathan. IT is!"

Good Grief.

I'm shaking Christine Grosland's hand after successfully pinning a 5 Year Pin on her collar.

"Any words of wisdom you'd like to share with everyone?" I asked. Christine looked confused. Then a calmness overcame her as she pulled something from the very essence of her consciousness.

"Do not touch the sides of the door because you might be electrocuted. And, ah.... we're out of left thumbs in our box of spare parts. I think we have plenty of right thumbs........"

"You're good Christine. Sit down."

This is me pinning Rachel's 5 Year Service Pin onto her collar. We were both so overcome with emotion that a bit of something unpleasant escaped. Such things are a common occurrence for me whenever I climb stairs or stand up quickly. I attribute it to my advanced age.

It is difficult to identify the culprit. Of course I was blamed, but now that I examine the picture I'm starting to wonder. Let's just say it was the shortest pinning in Space Center history.
(Sorry Rachel, the pictures was just too good. Rachel is an awesome sport. I hope..)

This is Stacy receiving her 10 Year Service Pin. People tell me I have an electric personality. I've never believed them, until now. I think it was the combination of a thunder storm, my hand in contact with a metal pin in close proximity to Stacy's collar bone and a sudden lightening strike that generated the voltage.

Stacy has nearly recovered. She still slurs a few words, but other than that, she's 80% of her former self.

I'm offering my hand to Megan after awarding her 10 Year Service Pin. My gesture was immediately refused.

"How long have you owned that hand?" she asked.

"53 years," I answered.

"Have you sanitized recently?"

"It's been an hour or so."

"OH THE HUMANITY!" Jorden shouted from the back of the room where he stood with his back firmly planted against the wall. Everyone at the Space Center gives Jorden a wide berth, knowing his fear of germs and viruses. Jorden unzipped his black fanny pack and pulled out his face mask and hand sanitizer. In seconds he successfully removed his can of Lysol spray from a custom made holster and sterilized the air around him.

Megan smiled, waved me off, took a bow and returned to her seat.

Megan and Stacy wanted a picture together celebrating 10 Years at the Space Center.

Megan and Stacy started at the Space Center when they were very young. They loved playing aliens and perfected the 'alien face' our volunteers still use to this day.

This is Dave Daymont shaking Nathan's hand. Nathan recently completed his Phoenix passes.
"Did I?" Nathan asked.
"Yes you did." Dave responded.
"Did I really?"
"Yes, Nathan. You really got your Phoenix pin?"
"Oh did I?"
"You did."
"When did I do that?"
"Today, during the camp."
"Did I?"
"Yes you did."
"Did I really."

This is Dave Daymont shaking Nicole's hand. Nicole was awarded a Phoenix Pin. Nicole has the strongest grip of anyone working at the Space Center, and only releases after the first bone breaks.

Dave knew her award day was coming. In anticipation of the event, Dave spent the last few evenings studying the proper technique for administering the Vulcan Death Grip. He planed on administering the shoulder pinch right before the pain from her grip became unbearable. This picture was taken just before Nicole bore down. Dave applied the grip. Nicole loosened the tourniquet. The stand off lasted more than five minutes before I called it a draw.

This is Devin congratulating Logan for earning his Odyssey Pin. That is not a look of joy in Logan's eyes.
Devin is standing right next to him.
Devin looks a bit off center, if you know what I mean.
Devin has his hand on Logan's lanyard. The lanyard hangs around Logan's neck.
Devin chases loose chickens around Alpine.
Enough said.

Finally, I'm giving Jack his year pin. Jack is afraid of pins and needles. I believe it stems from a horrible accident involving a pet cat and a pair of knitting needles.

I successfully attached his pin to his lanyard only after taking him through a series of breathing exercises. Just before I reached for his lanyard I ordered him to shut his eyes. This picture was snapped shortly before he passed out.

Alex Anderson, Called to Go Forth

2011-11-10T08:08:00.005-07:00

Hello Troops,

Today, the all knowing, all wise, venerated, yet embarrassingly humble Alex Anderson announces his mission call.
Thanks Alex for submitting this announcement in true Troubadour style.

Master Alex Goes Forth

"And so, the knights of the Federation of Shires defeated the evil Empire of Romulus, and peace was restored to the land." With quick bow, Master Alex sat himself down, his story told. Before him in the great hall of the castle were his audience, troubadours and peasants alike. The younger members of the troupe applauded, a few whistled. Some of the older, more experienced storytellers nodded their heads in approval, although some of the elements of the story were unorthodox.

For several weeks now, the air has chilled in the shire, but withheld snow. The fields surrounding the castle has long since turned gray and dull by the cold. Trees were bare; leaves had long since lost their satisfying crunch. The morning frost lasted long into the day, chilling everything it touched. The huge pile of coats and scarves by the doors of the castle was evidence of that; few dared to remain outside for long periods of time.

Yet the castle itself held a wealth of warmth and merriment. The general mood of the hall was warm and bright, despite the cold outside. A fire cracked pleasantly in the corner as the occupants of the hall talked loudly to one another. Mistress’ Emily and Brittney resumed their animated talking once the story had been told.

"Master Alex," said Master Ricks, sitting to his right, "Thy story was well-told. Yet, your props could do with some repair. They are fraying with age." A smirk passed over his face.

"Thank you, Master Ricks," Master Alex replied, "But, troth, my concern was not with the props, but with my memory, which in my absence could have left me." Master Alex had been studying at the University in the more populous city for several months, and only now returned to retell his favorite story. "And don’t forget, young prop-maker, that the props that I use were created by my own hands."

"Yes," said Master Ricks, "and only for your hands were they tooled! Others have tried to use them, and fail!" The pair laughed together. This was true. It was also true that, despite only being a part of the troupe for a few short seasons, Master Ricks had become very proficient in the sacred and guarded art of prop-making. His own handiwork could already be seen on the stages of the troupe.

"Master Alex! Master Alex!" came a voice from the crowd.

"Yes, Master Joseph."

"Master Alex, I did truly enjoy your story!"

"Thank you Master Joseph, but as I recall you have helped me tell it before."

"I know, but it did still entrap my attention. When will it be told again?"

There was a pause before he answered.

"I cannot tell this story again, Master Joseph. For I must take my leave of this shire again."

"What?" yelled Master Joseph. Those sitting near craned their heads to see the commotion. "Where are you going?"

At that, Master Alex pulled from beneath the table a small, brown bundle. It was a simple, modest piece of clothing. The robes of a traveling monk.

"My course lies East, toward the rising sun, to a distant land called Pittsburgshire. I leave in less than threescore and ten days."

Silence fell over the crowd. Through the giant windows on the walls of the hall, tiny flakes of snow had begun to fall.

A BIG Near Miss!

2011-11-09T06:46:00.002-07:00

Radar image of 2005 YU55.

It's time for watching the skies again, as a large asteroid passed pretty close to the Earth. Asteroid 2005 YU55 zoomed past our planet at about 4:28 p.m. Mountain Time yesterday. By Pretty Close I mean Pretty Close. Many close calls are actually several times the distance between the Earth and Moon, this one came closer to the Earth than the Moon!

Scientists have been closely tracking this asteroid with radar-imaging telescopes to precisely verify its trajectory and speed. We were quite safe, as its orbit around the Sun has already been established. This gave researchers a chance to observe a close up asteroid and learn more about the dangers that could be posed to the Earth by these close misses.

You see, this wasn't some little po-dunk bus-sized little rock, this one was as big as an aircraft carrier! Yes, it would have survived going through the atmosphere and smacked us good, but it missed (phew!)

The last time a rock this size passed this close to the Earth (about 200,000 miles away) was in 1976. That pass by was undetected until scientists caught it going away (lucky us). The next approach of an object this big won't be until about 2028.

2005 YU55 will continue circling the Sun, passing by the Earth, Venus and Mars.

Down here in the Bunker we were glad that our scientists got such a close opportunity to study and analyze the enemy's weapons. Should this have hit the Earth, the damage would have been quite appreciable, creating a crater larger than that found at Meteor Crater in Arizona. Celebrate the Near-Miss with a toast to the Near-Earth-Observations Program at JPL and NASA. The more we learn about these objects, the safer we can be in the War against the Comet Empire and their Allies, the Asteroids.

Posted by Mark Daymont

Thoughts on the Space Center's 21st Anniversary.

2011-11-06T10:18:00.007-07:00

The Best Way I Know to Visualize My Life Directing the Space Center Over the Last 21 Years.

Hello Troops,
Twenty one years have come and gone since the Space Center opened its doors for the first time. The Space Center will quietly mark this milestone on November 8th. I remember November 8, 1990 very well. I was nervous. I had doubts. I questioned whether I knew what I was doing. Others had thoughts concerning my sanity. We held an open house that evening. Hundreds toured the infant Voyager. Many asked what it was all about. I said something about math and science but deep down had no idea where exactly the dart would land.

The idea of having a permanent simulator built at the school started with my Young Astronaut Club and a trip to Japan we won to attend the first International Young Astronauts Convention. While there I met a Catholic nun who worked at a school with a small shuttle simulator. I was intrigued and wanted one for my Young Astronaut Club at Central. Suddenly the dream took on its own life. I wanted a simulator of my own, a futuristic ship called Pegasus, named after the classroom ship I used to teach my space science lessons since 1983. The Pegasus was to be built where the Odyssey is now. After many grants and countless rejections with few approvals, I raised enough money to build a much bigger ship, the Voyager. It would be built into a new addition I would build at Central Elementary. So many people were drawn into the project. Great amounts of money and manpower were spent. It had to succeed, but I didn't know what `it' was. Failure wasn't an option. I didn't sleep well those first years. My health suffered. My poor heart never completely recovered. The anxiety attacks, I'm happy to say, lasted three years and ended.

I had a building, a futuristic simulator, but hadn't settled on how I would used it to teach. At first I envisioned a science lab on board a futuristic spaceship. That idea never took hold. I experiment with a scientific mission to Mars. Our field trip classes flew to Mars at warp speed using laughably simple HyperCard controls I programmed. Once there, we used a NASA Mars laser disc for special effects. We flew around the planet learning about its climate and features. Back then I stood on the bridge next to the Tactical screen. My 6th grade staff (2 kids) sat in the
control room listening and waiting for clues on when to play and pause. It was primitive at best when compared to what we do now.

I felt something was missing after a few Mars mission field trips . The students showed little excitement. They were motionless bodies sitting at the computers listening to me. I was the person in command giving the captain orders on where to go and what to do. It wasn't working.

I thought back to my days in the classroom, running exciting episodic missions on a Star Trek like ship over several months every school hear. I ran these simulations in conjunction with my space science units. I sat behind my desk with an overhead projector, boom box, and plastic transparencies. My students sat at their desks running the starship with poster board controls. Then the idea came - recreate the magic. Take what I had already proven successful and put it into the new Voyager. I took a few of my "Star Trek" videos and, using two of the school's VCR's, I edited a new ending to my Mars mission. A Romulan Warbird arrived while the students orbited Mars demanding the students surrender the planet to the Romulan Empire. It was a crazy idea but crazy ideas built the Center. I guess being willing to act on insane impulses is a character trait I should wear with pride.

The idea of adding the Romulan scene at the end of the mission worked well. The kids got excited to see the Romulan ship. The little battle thrown into the end of the Mars mission was successful. It convinced me that my idea of taking a class on an EdVenture into space would work with the general public like it did with my captive class.

I sat down and wrote another mission called "Epsilon". It was a story of a planet in the
Klingon Neutral Zone. Half the planet was under Federation control and the other was under Klingon control. The treaty, allowing joint control of the planet, was soon to be reviewed. The planet would be awarded to the government that demonstrated it could best care for the
planet's population.

The story had the Voyager entering the Neutral Zone bringing a new kind of wheat to the planet. This new wheat was genetically engineered to grow well in the planet's harsh climate. The Voyager had a few close calls on the way to the planet and a few others while in orbit. At the end of the mission our field trips left the Voyager excited and wanting to return. I knew I had found the formula for success. The rest, as they say, is history.

Nearly 300,000 students have attended the Space Center since November 8, 1990.
Imagine the length of a 300,000 student line! We've done well.

Here we are 21 years later. Our one ship is now five. Our stories are much more complicated. Our simulators are ten times more sophisticated. Our work force has exploded. I happy I've been blessed to work with so many fine people. I enjoy keeping my hand on the helm of the Voyager. I've never lost my love for directing missions.

The years have taken their toll. I'm getting older and gray, but the magic is still there. Someone once asked me If I would ever leave the Center and move on to greener pastures. I've thought about it over the years. I knew I could get a higher paying job somewhere else that required half the hours I was working weekly at the Space Center, but the rewards, both mentally and emotionally, would pale in comparison to working at something I created.

Sometimes, when everyone is gone, I walk up the steps to the Voyager's Bridge and sit in the Captain's chair under the dim lights. I look at the walls. I imagine the voices of 280,000 children swirling around the room - locked forever in the very sheet rock of the ship. I look at the left wing and see the original staff training crews before the days of training tapes and mp3 players. I see Jacob Bartlett over in the corner asleep when he should be doing his job as a bridge staff. I hear Russell Smith downstairs playing the blind doctor. I watch a much younger Mr. Schuler coming up the stairs in full Star Trek uniform. I hear a child's voice shout, "Admiral on the Bridge!" I still see that silly mask popping up over the loft and scaring Security. I hear Lorraine downstairs in the crew quarters working with the spill over field trip kid. I hear the screams, the laughing, and the quiet that came from sadness when the Paklid Blossom died in a fiery crash into a planet so many years ago. The memories are good. They are an elixir for the soul. I think I'll stay awhile longer if you'll forgive my selfishness.

I think about the future. Will what we do today be as obsolete as the VCR player in the future? Some day video game technology may become so evolved that children will do missions at home - connected to some kind of virtual reality machine. The computer will play the Flight Director, telling the story and reacting to the kid's decisions. The students will sit wearing goggles showing them the bridge of some futuristic ship. Gloves will give them the feel of working the controls. Our simulators will become relics of the past.

That day may come. But until it does, we will keep our hands on the helm. We will tell our stories until the last mission is told and the Voyager's lights dim for the last time. Perhaps the Voyager will still be around decades from now as a museum today's campers will visit with their grandchildren. The sounds of our voices heard against the background music will accentuate their grandparent's stories of their field trips to this magical place.

Thank you everyone for Twenty-one years. Volunteers, thank you for volunteering hours of your time each month. Staff, thank you for working at a place with low pay and unpredictable hours. Together, we are creating lasting memories in the hearts and minds of our students.

Sincerely,
Mr. Williamson

Dockings in space

2011-11-04T16:34:00.000-06:00

Steady... steady... careful now...

On Wednesday morning November 2, Progress 45, a robotic cargo delivery spacecraft, approached the International Space Station and successfully docked to the Russian PIRS module. Supplies included food, fuel, oxygen, water, and electronic supplies. I'm sure what the astronauts of Expedition 29 were REALLY waiting for were the 2 Apple iPads that were stored on board!

THis docking brings a sigh of relief from Russian space program managers, who were no doubt worried to death after the failure of the last Progress mission. That crash resulted in a delay of the Progress missions. Looks like the bugs have been worked out... for now.

Steady... steady... careful now...

Celebrations in China this week as a major milestone has been achieved for the Chinese SPace Program. Earlier this year, China launched the Tiangong-1 science module, basically a mini-space station. Tee T-1 will be used for practice in rendezvous and docking practice, and later next year Chinese Astronauts will actually dock with the spacecraft. In this event, a Shenzhou-8 Space ship robotically docked with the T-1 module. China is continuing to make strides forward in their development. No doubt this is due to all the scientific help we have either given them or they have stolen. I do not make that claim lightly.

Posted by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

This Busy Wednesday

2011-11-02T06:56:00.006-06:00

Hello Troops,
He had the best Halloween costume. It was the day he got to dress for the job he wanted not the job he had.

I'm about to leave home for a busy day at the Space Center. It's a double field trip day! Four classes will attend, two for the normal time 9:30 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. and two for the after hours time 2:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. I admire teachers that go the extra mile for their students and bring them to the after hours field trip. It's is a compliment to the work we do.

Our Revolution Programming Class will be held this evening at 6:30 along with a few private missions stretching our day to closing at 9:00 P.M.

So, without further delay, I'll wrap up and venture out for my walk to school on a cold November morning. See you in the trenches...

Mr. W.

P.S. And a few items from the Imaginarium.

A Reference to "The Mickey Mouse Club" one of my favorite TV shows as a kid.

The first man to bring us "Angry Birds" (I'll be pleasantly surprised if any of our younger readers gets this).

"Where Oh Where Has My Little Dog Gone?"

Weekend Launches

2011-11-01T15:20:00.001-06:00

NPP assembly in the clean room.

On early Friday Morning, NASA launched the NPP, the NPOESS Preparatory Project, into orbit aboard a Delta II rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. This satellite will be the first in a new series of Earth-observing probes that will help us monitor what is really happening with the climate.

Progress 45 lifts off to the ISS.

After a delay for investigating the causes of a Progress crash a couple of months ago, Russia has given the green light and launched the next cargo mission to the ISS. Progress 45 blasted off from Kazakhstan on Sunday for a 3 day trip to the station. As usual, the pod contains fuel, oxygen, water, spare parts and supplies for the Expedition 29 crewmembers.

Last Saturday, the crew of Expedition 29 jettisoned the Progress 42 cargo pod, and ground controllers sent it to burn up in the atmosphere, taking a load of station garbage with it. Progress 45 will dock in its place on Wednesday.

Posted by Mark Daymont

The Space Center Breakfast and Halloween. An Odd Sunday Assortment

2011-10-30T14:22:00.012-06:00

Hello Troops,
I start with a random thought. Our calendar says that Sunday is the start of a new week. We all know the real truth, Sunday is really the last day of the week making Monday the start of a new week. I've got to go with my gut on this one folks. Ending with a Sunday and starting the week with a Monday makes sense. It feels right. So, which Roman Emperor eons ago made Sunday the start of the week? May he rot in his grave for this mental blemish on the world's calendar.

Next Sunday America returns to Standard Time. You get to move your clocks back one hour. For those of you who relish unconsciousness, you'll get your heart's desire with one extra hour of sleep. Switching to Standard Time is more of a nightmare for me. For the next several weeks I'll wake up at 4:00 P.M. instead of 5:00. I'll be back to normal come Christmas.

Mischief was played at the Space Center this weekend. Our new Magellan front piece backlit sign was damaged. One of the lights went out as well. This set piece was only a little over a week old.

The Voyager lost a couple switches from the engineering panel in Decontamination. This is a pain because losing switches requires editing the Engineering Reports printed for the Bridge Engineer during our Voyager missions.

I'm blaming the damage on a KAOS agent who I believe penetrated our defenses during the Overnight Camp disguised as overdressed 5th grader from Central Elementary.

Alfred Whomple. KAOS agent wanted for Mischief.

The photo above is from one of the Center's surveillance camera's capturing the face of Alfred Womple, a known KAOS infiltrator who knew very well the camera was on and pointing directly at him. Alfred was sitting on the steps of the gym right before the camp started wearing the true face of guilt.

What KAOS doesn't understand is that we know what they're up to. We know where they are headquartered (below) and will marshal our forces against them.

I know that if I say the word, hundreds if not thousands of our faithful Space Center fans and readers of The Troubadour will take up arms and march against KAOS, making the Occupy Wall Street movement look like a picnic with Grandma.

Space Center Kitchen Staff on Strike

Space Center Kitchen Staff Walk Out in Protest at Verbal Tongue Lashing from a Disgruntled Camper.

Every week at least three people in an Overnight Camp of 45 complain about the breakfast we serve on their camp survey form. They object to the donuts. They find the Gogurts unpalatable. Their delicate digestive systems have difficulty in processing the high fiber of the fresh fruit. Some of their harshest criticism is reserved for the Sunny Delight artificially flavored and colored Orange (in name only) juice.

An Unidentified Vocal Critic of the Space Center's Overnight Camp Breakfast. The verbal abuse he unleashed on our Kitchen Staff resulted in their walk out. He insisted on repeated helpings of better food and juice, threatening to expose the Center to the world for what it really was - Cheap on Food.
"How can I concentrate on defending the galaxy from the scourge of the Orion Pirates without something more substantial than this crap!" he said with such force the campers around him were baptised in spittle.

In our defense, I'd like to point out that the camps and private missions are the Space Center's only source of income. We do not receive a yearly budget from the school district. We could spend more money on breakfast but I think you know how we would offset the increase in the food budget..... Spot on - I'd have to raise prices.

Right now we charge $43.00 per person for an Overnight Camp. That's a steal when compared to the price other places charge for overnight camps. I could raise it to $50.00 a person and serve a full English Breakfast sure to delight our culinary critics; however not a good idea for the thousands that attend our camps looking for fun missions at a reasonable price, not exquisite Michelin Star cuisine.

The Dream Breakfast of Some of our Campers.

I'm working with a mediator from the Imaginarium's Office of Labor to bring our cafeteria staff back by this coming camp on Friday. If unlucky, we will be serving bread and water. It will be a dark day at the Space Center if it comes to that. There is however one single course of action left if negotiations fail. Aleta Clegg, our summer cafeteria manager and cook, office manager, curriculum writer and director of our Digitarium Planetarium may be willing to cross the picket lines and fix breakfast for our school year Overnight Campers. She isn't intimidated by our school year kitchen staff, nor is she frightened by their threats.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think the Space Center would make an excellent TV reality show.

A Plea from Pleasant Grove's Police Department.

Pleasant Grove's Police Department knows how upset our town's children get when given something healthy in their trick or treat bags on Halloween. Last year five Pleasant Grove children were arrested for torching the car of a person who rewarded their heartfelt and enthusiastic "TRICK OR TREAT" with small boxes of raisins. The children were stupid enough to capture their TRICK on film.

"There are other ways to express outrage," the police chief said while making the rounds at the town's elementary schools. "Have you considered smashing pumpkins on driveways or soaping windows?"

"What would you do if someone gave you a toothbrush?" asked one Central Elementary School Sixth Grader.

The Chief thought long and hard then raised his forefinger. "That's unforgivable. You all call me if you get a toothbrush in your Halloween bag and I'll be down in a flash with my Tazer!"

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween!

Mr. W.

PS Thanks Bracken for the picture

50 Years Ago Today: First Saturn 1 launch

2011-10-27T14:57:00.001-06:00

Saturn SA-1 launch from LC-34 at Cape Canaveral.

Posted by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator
From his blog: Spacerubble.blogspot.com

Fifty years ago, NASA achieved one of its major milestones in the Apollo program. From Launch Complex 34 at Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first rocket in the Saturn family blasted off. The basic first stage consisted of several Redstone rockets linked together, with a second and third stage assembly filled with water to test weight requirements.

Saturn 1 first stage during assembly.

The basic design of the rocket was under the direction of Werner Von Braun, who had succeeded in launching America's first satellite Explorer 1 on his Jupiter rocket back in 1958. The Saturn 1 used six times the fuel that the Jupiter had used in that flight. The nose cone of the Saturn SA-1 flight was a Jupiter nose cone.

Von Braun and Engineers with Saturn assembly.

LC-34 was constructed with Apollo in mind. A large concrete pad and rocket stand were built on the north end of the Cape Canaveral complex. The pieces for the Saturn 1 arrived in August. The main first stage arrived by barge. During the trip, the barge managed to hit one of the low bridges in the area. Still, assembly went well and fuel began loading on October 26th.

First stage being positioned at LC-34.

One sad note: LC-34 would be the site in 1966 of the Apollo 1 fire, in which three astronauts would perish. THe tower structures on LC34 were enormous compared to Atlas and Gemini structures, due to the height and size of the new rocket.

Saturn SA-1 ready for launch.

By morning of October 27, 1961 all was ready for the launch. There had only been a delay of about one hour. At about 11:06 am (my estimation from UTC) the vehicle lifted off and flew 206 miles downrange over the Atlantic. It reached an altitude of 86 miles before descending. All mission objectives were met.

Von Braun in the firing room bunker, observing the launch through a periscope for safety.

Remaining Concrete structure at Pad LC-34. Picture taken by SpaceRubble Commander.

Today, From the Imaginarium.

2011-10-27T06:50:00.005-06:00

Hello Troops,
If you're reading this then you've been granted another day to make a difference. Today I want to:

Make some money. That's always a good thing, especially if I want the Space Center to stay open.
Make about 60 kids shout, scream, jump up and down, think, learn, stress out, imagine.
Enjoy a bit of television.
Write.
Laugh.
Be sarcastic, a favorite pastime.
Have a descent meal.
Survive to bed time.
Get a good night's sleep.
Learn something.
Have a good political discussion.

OK, I'll get started on that list while you work your way through today's bits of imaginative inspirations found here in the Imaginarium.

Mr. W.

We all know they're bananas, so why not make your shoppers take a second look? Be imaginative. Why spend millions on droopy ads when a bit of in store humor and pizazz will bring in the customers. This store would get my business hands down.

I'm still searching. Anyone found an odd shaped bit labeled "Sanity"? If so, please return. I could use it.

Confectionery Perfection for the Overly Stressed. A perfect name for a business.
"Stressed Desserts". On the other hand..... hummmm.
I'm getting a mental picture of a display counter occupied by pies, cakes and pastries that are well past their 'Sell By' dates.
Stressed Desserts
Your Home for 'Yesterday's Best' Delights

Two fun doorways. All it takes is a bit of imagination.

Finally, a taste of winter yesterday and today. I'm not sure I'm ready for what's coming.

"The Good Son" the Untold Story of Captain Ernest Weatherly

2011-10-26T06:40:00.010-06:00

Wyatt Lenhart as the Young Captain Ernest Weatherly on the
Olive Moon of Panthea

"Commander, sensors just picked up two phasers blasts on the surface." Science Officer Burrow said looking away from his computer screen. Across the bridge of the USS Maxwell sat the ship's first office, Commander Barnes.

"Put me through to the Captain." Commander Barnes stood up and took two steps toward the ship's main viewer. Three seconds later the familiar beeping of an open line sounded. "Captain Weatherly, we picked up two phaser blasts. Is everything OK down there?"

There was a pause. "You know Barnes, they shouldn't have done that to me. I warned them. They didn't listen. What was I suppose to do?"

Commander Barnes looked into the face of his science officer. They both knew what the Captain was talking about. "Get the doctor up here right away," he ordered.

"Oh we are way beyond that Barnes." Captain Ernest Weatherly's voice was calm, almost melancholy.

"Captain, what did you do?" Barnes questioned.

"We've had an accident down here. I've got two dead security officers at my feet."

"Captain, WHAT DID YOU DO?" Barnes voice transitioned from measured to stern.

"Something I should have done years ago." There was a pause, then Weatherly continued. "Have Burrow check his sensors. Look just over the moon's horizon. See anything?"

Lt. Burrow glanced at his screen. He tapped and enlarged the image with his forefinger and thumb. Four pulsing lights appeared on the screen. Tactical identification information scrolled over and beneath each image. "Four Orion Pirate ships coming this way Sir," Burrow responded.

"Do you believe in God Barnes?" the Captain paused as if he wanted an answer but continued before one was given. "I do, but playing it right all the time is just too difficult. Playing with the Devil..... now that's a whole different ball game with mighty fine rewards."

"Battle Stations!" Commander Barnes pulled up a holographic tactical screen to coordinate the attack sequences. He heard the Captain laughing at his response to the incoming ships.

"You don't need to worry about the Orion ships Barnes. They're coming for me, not you." Weatherly tapped a code into his communicator before continuing. "There's something attached to the Magnetic Field Generator around the ship's anti matter. That's what you need to worry about."

"He's going to deactivate the magnetic field!" Burrow rushed into the turbolift for Main Engineering.

"Tick tock goes the clock," Weatherly mumbled as he held up his communicator and pushed 'transmit'. The sky over the Olive Moon of Panthea briefly lit with a second sun.

Weatherly's communicator beeped. "Mad Dog, all is according to schedule," a female voice spoke with a heavy Romulan accent.

"Beam me up," Mad Dog ordered.

Coming this summer from Eclipse Pictures.
"The Good Son"
The true untold story of Mad Dog, the Orion Pirates and the Olive Moon of Panthea.

50 Years Ago: MIDAS, Discoverer 33, and Polaris Testing

2011-10-25T15:30:00.001-06:00

Agena stage being loaded onto an Atlas rocket.

Fifty Years ago the US Air Force was attempting to place satellites in orbit that could warn us if an enemy country launched ballistic missiles at the USA. Named MIDAS (MIssile Defense Alarm System) the project would eventually launch nine satellites between 1960 and 1966. The sensors were primitive compared to later versions and often failed to detect launches. But the mission launched October 21, 1961 was successful. An Atlas-Agena rocket placed the MIDAS 4 sub-satellites into a polar orbit from the Pacific Missile Range.

Thor-Agena on the pad at Vandenberg AF Base in California.

On October 23, the USAF launched another Discoverer mission. Discoverer 33 failed to achieve polar orbit. The rocket shut down too early in the flight, and the spy satellite failed to separate and was lost into the Pacific.

Titan 1a.

On October 24, while scientists tracked the movement of the MIDAS sub-satellites in orbit over Earth, the Air Force launched a Titan ICBM from Cape Canaveral AF station. The small test MIDAS satellites detected the launch and successfully sent signals to Earth. This development helped our scientists plan on creating better sensors for the MIDAS satellites.

Polaris A1 on the test pad at Cape Canaveral.

Meanwhile on October 23, 1961, tests continued on the newest types of ICBMs, which were submarine-launched. The nuclear submarine USS Ethan Allen successfully fired off a Polaris A2, which was basically an improved Polaris A1. Eventually this missile design would enter srvice before the year was out and was placed on 13 submarines until 1974. This launch stands as the first underwater launch of the Polaris missile, and the tests were successful.

SSBN 608, USS Ethan Allen under way.

The USS Ethan Allen was the first submarine to be designed as a Ballistic Launch Nuclear Submarine. The first sub to launch a Polaris missile was the USS George Washington back in 1960, but that sub was modified from an attack submarine. The Ethan Allen had just completed trials and was commissioned in August 1961, before preparing for the Polaris tests.

Posted by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

Occupy Pleasant Grove! Space Center Volunteers take to the Sidewalk.

2011-10-23T10:59:00.016-06:00

Occupy New York

This is New York under siege. An overly educated mob of young people have occupied a park near Wall Street demanding reforms to the nation's banking system and relief from their student loans.

"We're buried under tons of debt!" said one young man wearing tight jeans and an Abercrombie and Fitch T-shirt. He spoke between bites of a croissant smothered in cream cheese. "I majored in Oppressed Studies. What am I supposed to do now? I can't find work."

"What is Oppressed Studies?" I asked.

"You study the world's oppressed people."

"And you can't find work?"

"Nobody's hiring, and it isn't just me. That girl over by the bottled water can't find work either."

"What did she study?"

"Extinct languages."

"My, you'd think companies would be beating down your doors." I spoke sarcastically. He took another bite of his croissant, oblivious to my response.

Out little town of Pleasant Grove is not immune to world events. News of Occupy Wall Street reached us by telegraph. Up until recently our streets were quiet, that has changed.

Occupy Pleasant Grove

This photograph was taken a few Saturdays ago. The group calls itself "Occupy Pleasant Grove". They've taken up part time residence at the town's Central Elementary School and home of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center.

"We demand an end to the oppression of the 99% by the 1%!" shouted Morgan (last name withheld. Morgan fears reprisal from her friends and family in Park City). When asked why she wasn't protesting in her own town, Morgan replied that the residents of Park City WERE the 99%.

"I'm here with the simple, potato eating people of Pleasant Grove to show that some of us in the 99% really care," she explained.

"Here here!" exclaimed Matt, another weekend visitor from Logan.

Andrew, not wanting to be left from the discussion, chimed in. "We want peace, land and bread. We want a chicken in every pot."

"Here here!" exclaimed Matt. "Bravo and well said. By jove, I couldn't have said it any better."

"Quite," added Morgan.

"I'm in the Marching Band." Erin stepped forward. I had a difficult time hearing what she said. Her words were being formed around a Tootsie Pop. Chocolate I think, due to the copious amounts of brown dribble around her mouth.

"Here here!" exclaimed Matt.

"Erin, let's have you stand over here by the fire hydrant while we list our demands." Morgan took her by the hand and led her to the hydrant. "Now be a good girl."

I took out my camera for a snapshot to be added to this story. Erin rushed back.

"I cheer for liberty," Erin said taking a position.

"I do the thinking." Morgan jumped into a pose.

"I'll show oppressed people," Matt sat down on the sidewalk delivering his visual interpretation of what the movement stood for.

"I'm the muscle, in case the cops show up," Andrew flexed.

Mr. Williamson came out carrying two buckets of soapy water and brushes. "If you four are going to stand out here shouting socialist slogans at passing cars, you might as well do a little PR for the Space Center." He went back into the school and came out with a portable white board. He sat it on the side walk facing the street and wrote: "We wash cars for free until our demands are met".

They made $20.00 in tips, the Space Center got some good PR and several uninterested citizens of Pleasant Grove are driving around town with nice clean cars at no cost to them except for get an earful of demands ranging from more windmills and tulips to less homework and teacher sarcasm.

Occupy Pleasant Grove was seen later that afternoon at Sammy's in beautiful downtown Pleasant Grove. They were enjoying Sammy's famous Pie Shakes purchased with their tips. I joined them in a Berry Surprise.

"Are you enjoying the shakes?" I asked. They nodded, except for Matt. He stood by the door examining the workings of the Gum Ball Machine. "Now follow along with me, you worked and got tips. You took the tips and did what?"

"We bought these shakes," replied Morgan, the professed brains of the movement.

"So if you work you get......." I led them to the water and waited for them to drink.

"Money!" Andrew shouted.

"And what do we do with money?"

"Buy things," Erin answered. She started to smile. I could tell a light was coming on.

"We wouldn't have to work if they would just give us the shakes for free?" Matt returned to the table.

"Good Grief." I sank down in my chair. I could tell my generation had a lot to teach these youngsters. It was going to be a long discussion. I ordered a double, with a shot of pumpkin.

(Thanks to Morgan for posting this picture. Sorry Morgan, I couldn't resist. Some pictures just demand a back story. If you open the door with a picture like this, you'd better expect me to walk through :)
Mr. W.

The Latest News from the Space Center. You'd be a Fool Not to Read.

2011-10-21T12:57:00.014-06:00

Hello Troops,
It's Fall Vacation in Utah. The Starships are safely docked at Starbase and many crew members have beamed planet side for a bit of well earned rest and relaxation. A few of us remained on board to deal with maintenance and clerical duties. You see, Federation Starships need constant pampering, tweaking and good helpings of TLC.

I'm taking a bit of a rest from my work to put my feet up and stare out the main viewer. The Pacific is passing below us with what appears to be the coast of Chili off in the distance and growing larger. A good Diet Dew in hand would make it a perfect moment.

This is Dave. Dave is the Set Director of the USS Phoenix. Beside him stands his 2nd, Megan Warner. Dave is making a list of ship wide programming issues that need addressing when our programmers return from surfing in Hawaii and mountain climbing in the Andes. It's amazing how much distance one can cover in a few days of vacation when you have access to a transporter!

Dave appears frustrated. These programming issues have haunted the ship for some time. Just the other day the Phoenix's computers hiccuped as the crew battled with the dread Orion Pirates over the Olive Moon of Panthea.

"Fire Phasers!" the Captain shouted. The Tactical officer hit the 'fire' button. Straight flames of pure plasmatic energy were expected. Instead, the life pods jettisoned - empty of course. You can imagine how hard a crew will fight to stay alive and win a battle when they see their life pods drifting away into the darkness of space! The captain's next words, while entirely fitting for the occasion, are not printable in this post.

Then there was the time a young 7th grade crewman ordered a nice sausage lasagna from the food replicators. Instead he got a meatloaf surprise made of shredded slime devil liver, topped with marshmallow and finished with sprinkles of ground chicken talons. It ended up on the cafeteria wall.

Have no fear, the Phoenix will be right as rain in a day or two. Lt. Ricks is pretty good at spotting a temperamental line of code and coddling it into something readable.

While Dave and Megan worked on the Phoenix, Jon Parker was on the Magellan, two bays down along the Starbase's docking ring. I caught Jon sipping a 52 ounce Dr. Pepper. I asked him if he was aware of the mountain of sugar he was consuming.

"Sugar doesn't bother me," Jon answered. "My pancreas churns out insulin faster than your average human's. It's all in my superior breeding."

"Superior breeding?" I questioned.

"We Parkers are all soda addicts," Jon bragged unashamedly. "We don't worry because we've got these babies," he tapped the part of his chest covering the pancreas. A moment later something fell from his face. Jon quickly drew his hand over his mouth.

"Great Pancreas, Lousy teeth?" I said while pointing to the white object spotted with black on the carpet.

Jon nodded. "It's a small price to pay to maintain my long relationship with the Dr."

I changed the subject and asked him what he was doing working on the Magellan's armory.
"The phaser rifles don't store correctly. The shelves are to weak," he replied while examining the tooth.

Two weeks ago one of the rifles fell to the floor as Nicole distributed them to the crew. A beam of pure energy shot out of the closet. Nicole jumped out of the way leaving the laser a clear line of shot towards the head of an unsuspecting 5th grader who, like most ten year olds, wasn't paying attention. The hair on the left side of his head was instantly removed.

"It burns, It burns!" He ran screaming out of Discovery towards the school's restrooms leaving a thin contrail of smoke behind him. Nicole followed with one of the school's famous iced sponges in a baggy.

"A bit further down and he'd be minus one ear," she told me later.

The stench of scorched hair hung in the room for the rest of the week. It was nasty.

Take a look at this new addition to the front of the Magellan. This box sits directly under the Main Viewer at the front of the Bridge. Kyle Jones (our maintenance director) did a suburb job. Emily Paxman did the artwork. I gave suggestions, direction, and encouragement; but most importantly, I paid the bill :)

This is Kyle Jones. He stands proudly, awaiting your approval for his newest project - a stand for my laptop, complete with drawers and a cup holder!!!! Kyle you are too good. Who else, I ask you , has a cup holder on his desk? This alone increases my coolness factor by 10.

Be sure to ask me for a cup holder demonstration when you visit the Space Center. After my fascinating demonstration, you'll enjoy a five minute video on its construction. There is a small charge for this demonstration - a 32 ounce drink from Harts. Make it a Diet Dew with one squirt of Cherry; Not a half a squirt and definitely not a quarter of a squirt. Don't be creative, follow directions and make it one full squirt.

Nathan Young completed an Eagle Scout Project at our host school (Central Elementary) a couple weeks ago. I asked him to paint a map of the United States on our playground. Nathan gave Dr. Carter a curriculum to accompany the map afterwords.

This map will be a God send to our teachers who struggle year after year trying to convince our students that Utah is not the center of the United States or the largest and most important State in the Union. I know their pain. I'm a victim of State discrimination having immigrated to Utah thirty two years ago. I have yet to convince my Utah neighbors that the real social, cultural, economic and religious center of the nation is SOUTH DAKOTA.

"Is that in Canada?" I'm asked repeatedly.
"How many states are in the United States?" I answer.
"50," is the usual response.
"Can you name any of them?"
"Utah," is the answer given most often.
"And any others?"
"Nope, Ya only have ta know the most important. Them others don't matter."

You see my dilemma? I'm sure you kind readers who are also transplants to Utah understand.

You did a great job Nathan. Thank you!

And finally, an embarrassed and ashamed Miranda; caught with Rolos in one back pocket, a Babe Ruth in the other and a Sour Patch Kids in her right hand. Her pancreas isn't as efficient as Jon's. She staggers a bit when she's had "one too many" if you know what I mean. There's a reason I keep the candy locker locked. It's to help people like Miranda cope with their disability.

Volunteers are given one candy every time they come in to help with a mission, so I wondered where she got three candies. I walked out into the hall to ask around.

"She was begging," I was told by one of the new 7th grade volunteers who was unaware of our policy not to enable Miranda's addiction. "She got my Rolos and that kid's Babe Ruth and her Sour Patch Kids." He pointed to another new volunteer standing near the fish tank.

She begrudgingly surrendered the candy back to their rightful owners. I escorted her to the Phoenix Control Room.

"Dave, keep an eye on her." Dave nodded and pointed to the 2nd chair. She sat down in a huff and crossed her arms in defiance.

New volunteers, do not feed the wild life at the Space Center. That's an order!

Have a Great Weekend Troops!

Mr. W.

50 Year Anniversary -Test Launches Continued

2011-10-19T14:22:00.000-06:00

Launch of a military Atlas rocket.

From late September to mid October in 1961, there continued a number of tests from the Atlantic Missile Range at Cape Canaveral as the US Air Force worked to improve our strategic missiles. What an exciting time it must have been for the citizens living along the Florida Coast as launch after launch lifted off from the beaches out over the Atlantic Ocean. Besides the notable large rocket launches, there were also small sounding rockets and scientific payloads being tested.

On October 5, 1961 the USAF fired an Atlas ICBM with a dummy warhead over the Atlantic. Flying over 9,000 miles from its launch pad, a data capsule also loaded on top of the rocket safely landed in the waters and was recovered. Although this was a military launch, every use of an Atlas rocket was carefully analyzed for the impact it might have on the upcoming launch of an astronaut into orbit. Remember, the Atlas did not have too stellar a reputation among the Mercury 7 astronauts who had seen a number of these rockets explode.

On October 6, 1961, the USAF launched a Titan I rocket with the mission to test the Titan II guidance system.

Titan 1a.

This early testing of the Titan ICBM was primarily for development of our strategic rocket forces, but once again, the data gained by these tests would have their impact on the manned space program later in the Gemini Program.

Argo D4. Sounds like a Star Wars Droid to me.

Launches didn't only blast off from Cape Canaveral. From NASA's Wallops island facility, sounding rockets like the Argo lifted scientific experiments to learn the effect that electricity plays in the upper atmosphere.

On October 13th, The USAF launched another in its series of Discoverer secret missions. Discoverer 32 lifted off carrying the Agena stage (used as a satellite or stage to carry experiments). Its mission was to improve the space maneuvering capabilities of the Agena craft, test new materials for radiation shielding, and perform some surveillance experiments.

Agena stage.

Discoverer 32 lifted off from Vandenberg AF Base in California. After placing the Agena craft in space, controllers went through their tests and experiments without mishap. On this trip, the Thor rocket made its 100th successful launch!

Thor-Agena rocket at Vandenberg AF Base.

After one day of orbiting, the Agena spacecraft ejected a 300-pound capsule which re-entered the atmosphere, and was recovered off the coast of Hawaii. As it parachuted to the ground, a specially-prepared cargo plane snatched it in mid-air for a secret trip back to base.

Gotcha!

Once safely back at the USAF base, the data from the launch stored in the capsule was carefully examined. Only one thing went wrong on this flight. When the technicians examined the large roll of film used to picture our enemies' secret locations, they discovered that 96% of the pictures had been taken out of focus. And you thought YOU've taken bad pictures before...

Posted by Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator.

Our Short Week.

2011-10-19T07:20:00.008-06:00

Hello Troops,
A few items from the Imaginarium to start the last day of school for this week, except of course for our university readers. No Fall Vacation for you.

The Dogs on Business

Playing Dodgeball in Space

2011-10-18T08:40:00.001-06:00

Comet Elenin fading. Credit: Michael Mattiazzo

By Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator and Flight Director

While we wait for the eventual demise of German satellite ROSSAT between the 20th and the 23rd, Earth managed to avoid destruction from the "Doomsday Comet." According to some conspiracy theorists, Comet Elenin was expected to hit the Earth on Sunday the 16th. Well, it must not have been too many conspiracy theorists, because not even I had heard of this one.

Apparently, some of the conspirators believed that the name of the comet, Elenin, was code for ELE, or Extinction Level Event. This ties into something called the Nibiru or Planet X collision. Believers fear that a large planetary body or comet not currently known by astronomers (but known to the ancient astronomers) will come barreling out of the dark and collide with the Earth, or make a near miss, enough to cause tremendous geological damage and threaten the human species.

In actuality, Comet Elenin was discovered in December 2010 by Russian amateur Leonid Elenin. Already very faint, it was estimated to be a long-period comet of only a diameter of about 3-4 kilometers. After a large solar storm in August, the comet was seen to be breaking up and growing much fainter. As it swept around the Sun on September, the break up was figured to be complete and only a cloud of cometary debris was noted. See the top photo for a reduction in brightness.

So, on last Sunday, the remaining debris swept pass the Earth. Only it wasn't even close. It passed by at about the same distance as from Earth to Venus. Here in the SpaceRubble Bunker we didn't even notice.

And yet, I should make note that on my drive home from SLC Saturday night, I witnessed a small fireball meteor descending westward apparently over the Oquirr mountains. Curious timing, that...