Today, From the Imaginarium.

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

1. Make some money. That's always a good thing, especially if I want the Space Center to stay open.
2. Make about 60 kids shout, scream, jump up and down, think, learn, stress out, imagine.
3. Enjoy a bit of television.
4. Write.
5. Laugh.
6. Be sarcastic, a favorite pastime.
7. Have a descent meal.
8. Survive to bed time.
9. Get a good night's sleep.
10. Learn something.
    
11. 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

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

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