A Visit to the Lion's Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy, Saratoga Springs. Retired Space Center Flight Directors Relive Glory Days in Outing to Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Imaginarium Theater.

                    The bridge of the Starship Artemis at The Lion's Gate Space Center

On June 30th I drove to the other side of Utah Lake to visit our sister space center at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs.  The Lions Gate Space Center at Lakeview is the second oldest Space EdVenture Center in Utah Valley. It opened about 5 years ago, right before The Space Place at Renaissance Academy opened.  It was the brain child of the school's director, Richard Veasey and InfiniD's management team of Casey Voeks and Skylar Carr.  The Troubadour blog covered the construction of the Lion's Gate Center. You can read those posts by doing a search using the search engine located in the blog's right sidebar.  Type "Lakeview" in the field. 

From the open room you enter the Artemis (Left) and the Apollo (right). The Control Rooms'entrance is in the middle door.

Daniel Kirkpatrick is the director of the Lion's Gate Center.  I met Daniel at the school shortly before a private party arrived for a 2.5 hour mission.  I've been to the center several times and was interested in recent changes to the sets and how they integrated both Thorium and DreamFlight Adventures software in the operation of their ships.

 

Right off of the Open Room is the Center's prop storage. The stairs lead up to the simulators' top section giving the staff a sneaky way into the ships from above.

The center is located right off the school's main gym - perfect for landing parties. However, the gym is rarely needed because the center has a large open room in front of the entrance to both starships, the Artemis and the Apollo.  The large room is used for away teams.  It is also used when they use their large inflatable planetarium for star shows. 

Daniel briefing the crew on their mission and giving out positions.

Uniform distribution. Every uniform has a patch signifying your job on the ship. 

Every job has its own logo.

The open room is used for mission briefings and distribution of uniforms. Crews arrive, are briefed on their mission, put on their uniforms, and enter their ship all from the open room.  Large revolving darkroom doors act as the airlock to the ships.  From their the crews enter decontamination area.  A sliding glass door separates Decon to the outer bridge hallway.  Another sliding glass door takes you from the hallway and into the bridge itself.  Each simulator has a brig right off the hallway as well.

I'll let the following pictures speak for the Artemis's bridge.  It is a beautiful set.  It's sister ship, the Apollo, is an exact replica located right beside the Artemis.  

The logos loop on the televisions near the simulators' entrances

The Brig (with hatch to get your actors out when needed)

Blast Cabinet. Great for hazardous substances and defusing bombs

Front Bridge

Back Bridge. The entrance is to the left. The captain sits in front of the ladder.

Two stations in the back.  The door on the right takes you to the school's gym.

The small medical station

Right off from the bridge is the computer scientist station. This use to be a science lab which

explains the sink.

I stayed through the training and the start of the mission to see how Daniel and team used both Thorium and Dreamflight software.  Thorium is used for videos.  Ship operations are all Dreamflight.  Dreamflight controls put the simulator in a gaming 3D environment where the crew actually control the ship.  This makes flight directing a bit easier so rarely does Daniel need a second chair.  I filmed Daniel in this roll as flight director. The video is below.  

Not having a formal training session was one thing that surprised me.  The crew enters the ship, takes their stations, and begin to work through a series of tasks before the mission starts.  While the crew works their pre-launch tasks, the two volunteers set up the landing party barriers in the Open Room. 

The Center uses pvc pipes assembled together and covered with black fabric to create mazes for the crew's away missions.  They have enough material to fill this large open area with a detailed maze if needed.  And it goes super quick.  The pipes fit together, the fabric attaches with velcro and in no time, you're ready.
  

I enjoyed watching Daniel fly the ship.  He has a convincing character with the perfect "Godfather" New York accent he uses as an antagonist.  Daniel and team run a fantastic program at Lakeview.  

Retired Space Center Flight Directors Relive Glory Days in Outing to Christa McAuliffe Space Center

The Phoenix Crew

Bracken Capt. Other old space center friends include BJ Warner, Haylee Warner,

and Megan Warner

The Galileo Crew and Staff. Silver Brylee, James, Christine, ?, Nathan, and Lindsey

Pleasant Grove, USA . July 1, 2023

The Nearly There Home for Retired Flight Directors and Supervisors organized a special outing for its esteemed residents, providing them with a chance to relive their space-faring days at the renowned Christa McAuliffe Space Center. The elderly care home, known for its expertise in post-dramatic stress syndrome, a close cousin ailment to post traumatic stress syndrome (a very common ailment which afflicts most retired flight directors and supervisors), ensured a memorable experience for the retired flight directors as they embarked on their daring space missions to battle galactic villains.

The Nearly There Home for Retired Flight Directors and Supervisors

The Nearly There Home for Retired Flight Directors and Supervisors is known for its specialized care for retired space center staff. Each bedroom is equipped with unique features catering to the residents' former careers. These included a bedside microphone, a voice distorter, a cassette player for music, and cardboard cutouts of school-age children serving as a flight crew.

The Phoenix Crew

Captain Bracken Funk led one team aboard the starship simulator Phoenix, while Commander Christine Smith commanded the other team on the starship simulator Galileo. Adapting swiftly to their roles, the retirees showcased their well-honed skills, surpassing expectations without requiring any medical staff assistance during the outing. To everyone's delight, the retired flight directors seamlessly adapted to their roles in the simulations, displaying their exceptional skills and expertise.

The Phoenix Crew

Notably, the outing proved to be a testament to the retirees' resilience and independence, as none of them required assistance from the staff during restroom breaks or while navigating the stairs.

The simulated space missions challenged both teams as they faced off against some of the most nefarious adversaries the galaxy had to offer. The retirees, fueled by their past expertise and the thrill of the adventure, navigated the challenges with finesse and determination. After an exhilarating five hours, the participants, now craving auxiliary oxygen and their evening porridge and toast, bid farewell to the cosmic battles and prepared for a well-deserved rest. Each falling asleep to Star Trek reruns playing on their televisions.

The Galileo Crew

The event was a resounding success, with all participants thoroughly enjoying the outing. The dedicated nurses, who were on standby in case of any medical emergencies such as heart attacks or strokes, were not required, as the retirees demonstrated their enduring spirit and determination.

The Space Center's Undead

The outing to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center provided the retired flight directors with a nostalgic and memorable experience, allowing them to relive their glory days and create new cherished memories. The event served as a reminder of the indomitable spirit that propelled these individuals to greatness during their careers in simulated exploration.

The dear old timers are safely loaded on the Home's bus and ready

to leave the Space Center

And to the staff who took such good care of them while they were ship bound, please know that you helped them find solace in their memories of their old cosmic triumphs.

Video Link 1. Video Link 2. Video Link 3. Video Link 4

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