Update on the Space Center Committee Meeting

Space Center Committee Meeting

Hello Troops,
The Alpine District School Space Center Committee met Monday afternoon.   The Alpine District Maintenance Director gave a report on simulator repairs and renovations.  The Space Center should be returned to functionality with a clean bill of health within the next few weeks.

Staffing and computer programming will be factors in determining when the Space Center will reopen for field trips.  The Space Center's staff was laid off in August.  Our programming and volunteer guilds were discontinued at the same time.  I'm hoping our highly trained flight directors and supervisors will be able to return.  Our most critical need is field trip staffing (9:30 A.M. to 1:40 P.M.).  Flight Directors and supervisors, please contact me as soon as possible if you are interested in returning to work.   Are you available to help with field trips?

Brent Anderson and Matt Ricks met with me last night to discuss the emergency reprogramming of the Magellan simulator for school field trips.  The Magellan's current controls are unnecessarily complicated for field trips.  There are no programming issues for the Phoenix and Galileo.

Teachers, please keep in touch through the blog and web site for field trip scheduling information.  Field trips will be limited to 6th grade only for the remainder of this year.

Volunteers, a decision is pending concerning after school and weekend private parties.  I know you are all ready and willing to return to volunteering.  Thank you for your patience.

Overnight camps are not possible due to fire code restrictions.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Mr. Williamson


Space and Science News and Views  

• Mars One, a nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands, intends to establish a human settlement on Mars in 2023.They need astronauts.  Anyone on planet Earth can apply if they meet the basic requirements. But obviously, the job isn’t for just anyone.  Read On
• Researchers have captured the first-ever video footage of a live giant squid.  Read On
• All the Essential Science Fiction and Fantasy Books That Are Coming in 2013.  Read On
•  A possible alien planet discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope is the most Earth-like world yet detected beyond our solar system, scientists say.   Read On.  

The Foundation of a Good Education

Space Center staff, volunteers and fans.  Here's an example of the course work all students should take for a good Liberal Arts education, regardless of major or interests (they can be met with High School APs or equivalent too).

Math and Science: Math through at least first year calc (BC calc), Statistics, Bio with lab, Physics with lab, Chem with lab, Geology intro

General: History of Western Thought (or Western Civ, or whatever it might be called), Art History Survey, Music History Survey, a political science course, Micro and Macro Economics, a Bible-based Christian Theology course, Intro to Accounting (if you can find something like that in a fancy college. If not, take over the summer at a local college. It will be a huge help to anything a person does in life, including volunteer jobs.)

History:  American History, European History

Literature: Shakespeare plus 2 other lit courses

This is a minimal foundation for "lifetime learning" and reading. A young person with this foundation ought to be able to discuss almost any subject that comes up - if maybe only superficially - and to know how to learn more about it efficiently when they want or need to do so. Note that these are minimal requirements. You ain't eddicated if you don't know this stuff.

The Imaginarium

Remember, Imagination is like a muscle; Use it or lose it.  The Imaginarium reminds you to use your imagination to make the ordinary, extraordinary. 

Imagination: A

 

Creative Science Posters.

Creativity: A

 Imagination Making Life Safer

 The Ordinary, Extraordinary.

Balcony swimming pool.

The Poster boy for Creativity and Imagination.

 

An engineer's sandwich order

Creativity: A
An egg white / yoke separator.

Cool all the way around.

Creative: A

Comfort: D

Awesome

I need one of these for Teachers

Having fun with imagination.

A history of two company's creative efforts.

 Not much of a people lover.

Product creativity.