Putting dates with my photos was something I couldn't be bothered to do back in the day. I assumed I'd always remember when they were taken. Sadly, my laziness has come back to haunt me. I don't know exactly when the following pictures were taken; however, I can place them around the year 2000. I'll rely on you Troubadours to help with me with more exact dates. My email address is spacecamputah@gmail.com. HELP!
The Space Center at the Start of the New Millennium.
A Day in the Life of a Voyager Supervisor.
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| Josh Webb cleaning the black plastic at the Records/Science Station |
Remember, the Space Center is hosting the event of the year this Saturday starting at 3:00 P.M. We are celebrating the Space Center's 25th anniversary. Please come and join us for tours and demonstrations between 3:00 and 4:00 P.M. with a program to follow.
In the photo above We were getting ready for another mission aboard the USS Voyager. Supervisor Josh Webb wore the coveted green shirt, meaning he was someone not to mess with. Green Shirts knew they had reached the Somebody Special level in the Space Center's confused ladder to sainthood with the Great Oz himself (Mr. Williamson) occupying the most dizzying of heights.
Josh set the example when it came to prepping a simulator for action - which explains the photo above. Either that, or there were no black shirt volunteers around to do the cleaning for him. The Voyager's motto was "A Clean Ship is a Happy Ship".
The black plastic covering the computer screens needed constant attention.
Around the corner from the bunks was the Voyager's Galley and Sick Bay. The Sick Bay had sleeping for six. The small entrance was the cause of many a bumped head. The red table was another feature built and installed by the district maintenance department. The color scheme from the original USS Enterprise from the 1960's Star Trek series was the inspiration for the red tabletop. The stools were originals from the Voyager's opening in 1990.
The Voyager's Engineering Station on the bridge. This is the original chip station - the inspiration for all the isolinear chip stations used in simulators today. Red chips blocked power to damaged stations.Green chips meant the ship station pulling programs and power form that slot were rebooting. The clear chips represented fully functioning stations. The chip station was installed around 2000.
The Bridge Sickbay held sleeping for six. The ladder was designed to save money, look different, and be fully functional.
The Voyager's Brig was redesigned several times. This iteration is my doing and I take full blame.
The glow in the dark space themed carpet was a suggestion from a carpet salesman. I was sold on the idea until the staff saw the results. I don't think they've forgiven me yet to this day.
The Voyager's mission has started. Josh is at the IIFX station. Scott Slaugh, a new volunteer, watches and learns. We were still using videotape for mission effects. Bill Schuler's video editing bay was in the projection room. It wasn't unheard of for Bill to spend entire nights at the school editing a tape for an upcoming Voyager mission.
The captain, first officer, and ambassador are finished with their training tape.
Jake H. playing the doctor with one of the Voyager's security officers.
Security training a their station.
Ah, a frightened camper waits out a scary scene in the Voyager's Control Room. Stephen Porter is at IIFX. You can see some of me in the background sitting in my chair holding a microphone.
Admiral Schuler is dressed and ready to enter the Voyager in character. This was the main entrance to the ship through the school's stage.
Josh takes a power nap now that the mission is finished. The staff knew how to sleep anywhere at anytime.
The Galileo
James Porter was a Galileo Flight Director during his high school years. You see the pride and satisfaction in his eyes upon receiving his very own green shirt. He was now a fully vested member of the Space Center's upper crust. Little did he know back then that he would grow up and become director of the Space Center.
Tanner Edwards was one of our top volunteers back in the day. He enjoyed working the Galileo missions.
Here you see Tanner checking on the Galileo's main viewer. "Checking the oil" was the standard joke.
The Galileo was the brainchild of Kyle Herring. The boxlike crew quarters started as a small five person ship at Kyle's elementary school in Provo. I purchased the Galileo from Sunset View Elementary and brought it to Central School. Kyle came with the Galileo. He and Dan Adams built the nose section and the two side mounted warp nacelles.
Bryce Redd, a new volunteer, is seen ready to work as the Galileo 2nd chair for the overnight camp. The Galileo had the most compact control area of any ship.
The Magellan
The new entrance to the Magellan shortly after it was built. Before the transition hallway, crews entered the Magellan from the school's hallway. There was an air pressured sliding doorway in this hallway which gave us constant grief. You'll notice the ceiling panels are down, a sign that the door was under repair again.
The original Magellan Bridge. Volunteers are manning the stations. It must be an Honor's Night. The Magellan's IMac computers originally came in lime green, raspberry, and sherbet orange. Mr. Adams, Central's principal at the time, and I wanted a uniform look to the bridge so we spent one full day driving to nearly every elementary school in the district looking to swap our green and orange IMacs for raspberries. We were pleased with the day's work; district technology was not. What we didn't know at the time was that every new IMac's serial number was recorded on the district's inventory list according to schools. We begged for forgiveness.
Randy Jepperson in Magellan uniform testing one of the new IMacs.
The Odyssey
The captain of the USS Salt Lake City, a nuclear powered submarine, officially opened the Odyssey simulator for submarine simulations. The Odyssey had a two part entrance - a hinged door and a sliding door.
A darkroom door was eventually found and installed. This is what the Briefing Room looked like in the early 2000's. The gift shop sat where the Phoenix Control Room is today. The staff bunks are visible along the wall.
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| The Odyssey interior. |
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| The Odyssey's interior mission ready. |
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| The Odyssey's back engineering station. |
The Briefing Room was my office and classroom. Here is my pre-algebra class from back in the day.
Mr. Williamson
The Space Center's Acting Guild
The Space Center has an acting guild (department) directed by Lindsey, Tabitha, and Lissa. The guild's mandate is to teach the staff and volunteers how to act - pure and simple. The guild meets regularly at the Space Center.
Are you interested in becoming a Space Center volunteer and hanging out with some pretty cool people? Visit the Space Center's website (spacecenter.alpineschools.org) for more information.
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| Saturday's workshop |
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| Lissa and Isaac. Lissa is the friendly one. Isaac is hoping not to be noticed. |
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| A gathering from a few weeks back doing one of those "acting warm up" exercises I'm absolutely no good at. |
The Imaginarium
