Fall Vacation Space Camps Announced at the CMSEC. Open House at AF Hospital. Space and Science News. The Imaginarium.

News Flash!

If you missed attending the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center this summer, they are bringing back two exciting camps over fall vacation Oct. 16 and 17.

The USS Odyssey at the CMSEC

Register Today at SpaceCenter@alpineschools.org /camps

Farpoint Cadets Interested in Joining the Medical 

Department

Hey Cadets!
     This specifically concerns any of you that want to become a member of the Medical Group/want to enter the medical field. If any of you live in the American Fork area you have probably seen the massive amount of construction going on around American Fork Hospital. Well they have been building a new Emergency Room and Operating Room! (They're super cool and high-tech looking now). American Fork Hospital is hosting an open house for these departments on Tuesday from 4:00 - 8:00 P.M.  This is a great chance for anyone to come see the inside of the ER or OR. There will be staff there to answer questions as well as some super cool games and a LifeFlight Helicopter to explore. This really is a cool chance to get to see this stuff so I hope to see you guys there!

Jacqueline Lystrup
Farpoint Voyagers Medical Department

Space and Science News

Damaged Soyuz carries crew to ISS

Soyuz rocket lifts off from Baikonur.

     Reinforcements for Expedition 41 left Earth for a six month stay, blasting off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Saturday for a six-hour flight to the ISS. On board Soyuz TMA-14M were Soyuz commander Alexander Samokutyaev, cosmonaut Elena Serova, and NASA astronaut Barry Wilmore.  They will join Expedition 41 Commander Max Suraev (Russia), NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst from Germany.

Crew of Soyuz TMA-14M. L-R: Wilson, Samokutyaev, Serova.

     Wilson has flown in space before, on the space shuttle Atlantis on mission STS-129, delivering supplies to the ISS in 2009. Samokutyaev was previously a backup for Expedition 23/24, and served on the ISS on mission 27/28. Serova is the first Russian woman to crew on the ISS, and is on her first flight to the station.

One-Wing Soyuz approaching the ISS.

     After achieving orbit, and making burns for rendezvous with the ISS, one of the solar panel wing arrays failed to deploy. The right side array was still able to provide enough electrical power for the craft, which docked at the Russian-made Polsk module at a little over 8 pm Mountain time. The slight jarring of the docking maneuver may have been what the jammed panel needed, since it seems it opened on its own a little after docking. 

Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Arrives at ISS

View of Dragon on approach to the ISS, just before grappling with the robotic arm.

     SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft has arrived at the International Space Station and was caught by the robotic arm just a couple of hours ago at 4:52 a.m. Mountain time. This was the 4th Dragon mission to the ISS by SpaceX. The craft will be docked at the US Harmony module, where astronauts will unload its supplies and experiments and eventually load it with items needing return to NASA engineers on the ground. The Dragon is the only robotic cargo ship that safely returns to the Earth. The US Cygnus, European ATV, and Russian Progress vehicles all terminate their missions by burning up in the atmosphere. Dragon will spend 4 weeks docked to the station before ending its mission. On this trip, besides all the regular supplies of fuel, water, food, and small experiments, the Dragon also brought up an experimental 3D printer that astronauts will use to create certain parts  for maintenance while in orbit.

By Mark Daymont
Farpoint Educator
Spacerubble.blogspot.com

The Imaginarium

A Space Center Weekend Update. Imagineering the Vanguard. Jon's Self Banishment. Work Continues on Canyon Grove's Everest Simulator. Two New Farpoint Cadets. An Old Flight Director Returns.

Rachel Harken and Christine Grosland in the Phoenix.  Rachel leaves for her mission soon so these two friends and former Space Center flight directors spent a few hours doing a Phoenix mission for old times sake 

Hello Space EdVenture Fans and Fellow Troubadours!
     If it's Saturday you know my fellow imagineers and I were hard at work early this morning imagineering the new Vanguard simulator soon to be built at Renaissance Academy.  There is much to do and little time to do it.  It's all hands on deck.  It's time to put the shoulder to the wheel. It's time to put the pedal to the metal.  It's time to fire up all four burners. It's time to admit you have the point and move on.
     I took a few photos to share with you from the last two meetings.

     Over one hour was spent developing the first few basic computer controls for the simulator's helm station.   What you see above are the screens required to move the ship from dead stop to the moment before the wormhole JUMP.  We envision every hand movement on the screen.  If necessary we act out the process step by painstaking step until the dish is served to perfection. Alex was ready to jump off the table to simulate the ship's JUMP into wormhole space.  After an abbreviated discussion, the team voted against the demonstration citing the possibility of a broken ankle, or far worse, a broken neck.  Without discounting the entertainment value of such an outcome, we felt it best to err on the side of caution for the sake of our time restraints and Alex's indispensable programming skills.      

     Alex and Brent Anderson had a few disagreements on the physics of wormhole travel.  I'm happy to report the siblings are talking to each other and all is well as of this writing.  I believe Emily's arm is visible on the right.  She listened to the argument, interceded, and corrected them both.  Emily is good at two things, calming the waters when needed and summoning a tempest to drive a point home.  Also present were Mark Daymont, Dave Daymont, and Brandon Engles.

     You may admired the the morning's work but be warned, intentional leaking of this highly classified material will result in your public banishment from the International Brotherhood of Troubadours and two nights in the stockades (not to mention a week shoveling dilithium carbonite into the Vanguard's JUMP engine once the ship is launched and ready for its maiden voyage).  

     In the interest of intercosmos security, the drawing on the far left must be forgotten once you do what I've been unable to do since the picture was taken two weeks ago - figure it out!  I'm thinking it is a drawing of my proposed Vanguard alien engineer - a four legged octopus with limbs ablaze after saving the ship from a engine core fire.  

CMSEC Assistant Director,
Self Banished to the Hallway

     Jon Parker, CMSEC Assistant Director, self banished himself to the school's hallway two weeks ago citing loneliness as the primary reason for the shocking move.  "The Space Center's office is a lonely place," he explained.  When you were the boss the office was right in the middle of the action.  Now it's down the hall next to the faculty bathrooms.  Nobody comes down there except to ask a question or put down their hours." I nodded and summoned a sympathetic look.  He paused to appreciated the fact that I looked like I understood before continuing. "Right here [referring to his new hallway office directly over Uranus] I get to see people and feel like I'm one of the gang.  It's important for administrators like me to keep our fingers on the pulse of the little people."
     Be sure to say hello to Jon  next time you visit the CMSEC.  You'll find him at his hallway post ready and willing to swap stories and share an uplifting anecdote.    
   

Update on the UCS Everest at Canyon Grove Academy

     It was all go at Canyon Grove Academy last Saturday.  Skyler Carr and his team of DSim imagineers were hard at work putting the final touches on the newest ship in the every growing fleet of Space EdVentures simulators.

     Skyler was outside taking a breather after assembling a few more desks.  That distance between his head and the blade was a concern, but I didn't want to disturb his sleep.  You can sleep anywhere when you work the hours Skyler works.

      The Everest Control Room is also taking shape.

     And a new computer monitor at the entrance next to my office (the V shaped room to the right of the monitor).

Two New Farpoint Voyager Cadets Join the Ranks

     The Farpoint Voyagers Cadet Club welcomed two new cadets last Saturday. Both boys recently finished their mission observations and are qualified to volunteer at the CMSEC.  Please join me in welcoming Ben and Dalton to our club.  Both are eager to be involved and contribute to the overall success of both space centers.

This is Ben

This is Dalton

Jordan Foutin Returns to the CMSEC Space Center.

     Former Phoenix flight director Jordan Foutin returned to the CMSEC last week to take a flight directing and teaching position.  Jordan will be flight directing the Phoenix and teaching the field trip class with Mrs. Houston. Of course the Phoenix is only the start.  Jordan hopes to fly all the CMSEC simulators as soon as possible.
     Congratulations Jordan on your return.  We wish you a happy training and an awesome school year at the CMSEC.

The Imaginarium