Remembering the Voyager through Video and Pictures. A Cadet's Volunteering Story.

Hello Troops,

     Our Farpoint Cadets are having a great time working in the simulators at both the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center and The Discovery Space Center; both space education centers are located in Pleasant Grove.
     As leader of the Farpoint Cadets, it is my privilege to get to work with some of the finest, most intelligent, articulate and well mannered students of great character Utah has to offer.  Where else can an adult walk into a room of teens and pre-teens and be outclassed and outsmarted at every turn?
Currently, the cadets are using their talents to enrich the missions at the two space edventure center listed in the first paragraph.  In a little over one year, they will be able to direct their energy and talent at their home base: Farpoint Station at Renaissance Academy.
     Lindsey is one of our cadets.  She was kind enough to send the following story from a mission she worked recently.  I thought you'd enjoy reading the story yourself.

Mr. Williamson,
Here is a story from yesterday's mission I worked at Discovery.

        I guess you could say the day started out normal, I had just walked into the Galileo Room, where I found Dave Daymont. He was going to be flying the mission, but I had never flown with him, so I introduced myself as the crew from the last mission left.
         As we were chatting, Jon came over with a man in a suit. He introduced us, but I didn't catch his name. We all shook hands and the two went on their merry way to take a tour of Discovery. Dave turned to me and asked,
         "Do you know who that was?"
          I answered honestly, "Nope."
         "Don't you watch the news? That was Congressman Jason Chaffetz."
          The crew hadn't even arrived yet, and I had already met a government official. I could tell this was going to be a great mission.

          My next adventure was during the mission. Dave sent me on, and I began training, what I didn't know was that this crew knew me very well. As soon as they saw me they were ecstatic that their "Russian Lady" was back. And that is when it all made sense. Beforehand I had been their Russian doctor, Taisia. They were thrilled that I was back to train them.
         Throughout the briefing they asked if the "Russian Lady" was going to be there to help them. Dave had no idea who this "Russian Lady" was, so he told them that she was on a new assignment to a new ship. The crew wouldn't hear of it, saying that they had just seen her just ten minutes before. Eventually he told them that she was working in a different part of the ship. The crew was content, Dave was content, and we started a great mission.

Lindsey H. 

Do you have a favorite story from your time spent at the either of the two space edventure centers either as a volunteer or a camper?  If so, please do me a favor and send the story to me at the following email address:  spacecamputah@gmail.com.   You just might see your story right here on The Troubadour.

Remembering the USS Voyager.  The Finest Ship of the Fleet. 

     The USS Voyager was my first ship built in 1990.  For over a year, it was The Space Center.  There was no Odyssey or Magellan, or Galileo or Phoenix.  The Voyager was built by the Alpine School District Maintenance Department and Phillipoon Construction during the winter, spring and summer of 1990 and opened for business on November 8th of that same year.  I raised most of the money to build the Voyager from grants and donations.   The Alpine District stepped in when money ran tight and helped with the construction, electrical installation and the metal work (bannisters, spiral staircase, and bunk beds).  The Voyager was a school, community, business partnership.  It was a simulator loved by hundred's of thousands of people.
     The cost of bringing the Voyager up to today's building and safety standards was more than our budget could afford and the Voyager was permanently closed in October of 2012.  It will never reopen and will eventually be torn down when Central School is demolished sometime in the future.
     As the years go by, and space edventure simulations expand to new locations, the USS Voyager will always be remembered as the first ship, the mother ship.  The heart of this movement lies within her now silent walls.
     There were times at night, after everyone had gone home, when I'd sit in the Voyager's captain's chair and enjoy one on one imagination recharging time with MY ship.  I'd remember all the stories told in the past, and think of new mission ideas for the future. I'd listen to the engine soundtrack, look at the screens and marvel at what we had all accomplished as a team of dedicated space enthusiasts.  We lit fires in the imaginations of thousands and thousands of Utah's schoolchildren; we motivated them to dream big and know that the impossible can be achieved with imagination, linked to the motivation that comes through believing anything is possible with education and hard work.
     The Voyager lives on in memory, photographs and video.  Let's take a minute and experience the Voyager again in tonight's Troubadour.

A Space Center Staff Video, Made for the 2010 Leadership Camp  

 

Raw Footage from a Company's Team Building EdVenture on the Voyager     



The UEN (Utah Education Network) Highlighted the Space Center.  See the Voyager in all her Glory starting at 4:18 on the video and ending at 6:45



Photographs of the Voyager

Voyager Security learning the ropes

Carson training Right Wing

Spencer M. in the Voyager Control Room

The Voyager Captain in all his glory

Voyager Communications being trained by Bracken

Bradyn training Records / Science / Tactical

Voyager Engineer

Bracken Give his Final Briefing on the Bridge

Voyager Volunteers in the Galley and Crew Quarters.

The back of the Bridge

Security checking the Sensors Station

 The Voyager as it is Today

 This video is a walk through of the Voyager as it is today (begin at 3:33 ending at 7:50)




The Voyager Returns at Farpoint

The good news, Farpoint will be the home of the Voyager II, opening in the fall of 2014.  We will bring back the Voyager in all her glory, with all the necessary improvements to make it the finest simulator in the world.  The spirit of the Voyager will live on.

Mr. Williamson