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The Darmok Trials may be too intense for young Starfleet
Officers with fragile constitutions. Perhaps a prolonged visit
to the Misty Lakes of Miranda Prime in search of the Blooming Willow is more his speed |
The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center Releases Video Trailer for Summer Space Camp 2016
It's called The Darmok Trials. Summer campers at the CMSEC will endure the Darmok Trials if, and only if, they put themselves forward and accept what some are saying is the most challenging summer camp mission ever. Who has the courage, stamina, and mental alertness needed to overcome true heroic challenges? I believe the answer is YOU.
You can succeed in the Darmok Trials. But to do so you must first enroll in the Space Center's summer camp program. Sign up today and put yourself in the finest company as you tackle what only Starfleet's best can. Summer camps are available through June, July, and August. Visit the CMSEC's website to enlist.
The following quietly peek behind the YouTube curtain to watch you enjoy their work. Let's applaud modestly to thank them a job well done
Andrew McCord
Caitlyn Cutler
Josh Brown
Jon Parker
Natalie Anderson
Isaac Ostler
Stephen Porter
Jason Hills
Eric Geels
Bob Duclos
Erin Williams
Tyler Weight
Dianna Baldwin
Brian Baldwin
Brylee Perry
Marissa Ohran
and James Porter, CMSEC Director
Marissa Ohran, An Example of How Cream Rises to the Top.
Marissa Ohran is Space Center through and through. Her dedication to and love of the Magellan was recently rewarded by one of the highest honors the Space Center can bestow, permission to wear dress blues.
In the photo above you see Marissa proudly displaying her dress blues. Marissa has been working as a paid staff member for the CMSEC on field trips during this last school semester. She has been fantastic and will be leaving soon to serve an LDS mission, but we hope she'll get some good use with the new threads and store them safely for retrieval when she returns.
I want to thank Marissa for the kindness she has shown to our Voyager Club cadets and staff. She is a regular volunteer for the Long Duration Missions.
Congratulations Marissa!
Mr. W.
Scorpio Squadron Survives Round 4 of the LDM with Three Standing
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| I just can't seem to navigate my way around iPhoto's 'red eye' repair |
There was carnage on the bridge of the USS Magellan yesterday. Cadets were tossed from wall to wall, as they struggled almost singlehandedly to follow impossible orders from Starfleet Command. Turning and running was an option. But instead of taking the coward's way out they stood firm in a blinking contest with Destiny. The results of their half blink are seen in the photo above.
I'm pleased to report that three survived. One in reasonable shape. One without a voice thanks to a ballistic pencil, and one with two broken legs. The others suffer from concussions at the best, and internal bleeding or paralysis at the worst. Only time, and Round 5, will tell.
Space News
By Mark Daymont
Spacerubble.blogspot.com
ISS Crew Completes BEAM Expansion
The expansion of the BEAM test module over time. Credit: NASATV.
It took a little longer than expected, but the BEAM expandable habitat module has been finally extended and inflated. The BEAM (Bigelow Expandable Activity Module) arrived on the SpaceX Dragon flight which docked with the station back on April 8th. A week later, astronauts used the CanadArm robotic arm to remove the module from the Dragon and attach it to the US Harmony module airlock. A month later, it was time to begin the process of expanding the module. There were doubts at first that everything would go right, because the module was late getting to the station and had sit on Earth in its compacted form for longer than expected.
Location of BEAM and other docked spacecraft on the ISS. Credit: NASA.
Last week astronaut Jeff Williams began to slowly bleed air into the bladders that are located in the expandable skin. It was feared by engineers that if they had used the air reservoirs inside the BEAM to inflate the structure, the procedure would go too fast and cause damage. Williams used air from the station itself to fill the bladders slowly. Trouble showed up when indicators failed to show that the straps holding the module in its compact form had failed to release. The expansion was temporarily halted to investigate the situation and determine that yes, the strap had actually released. Williams and the ground engineers took deliberate time-outs to evaluate the situation after several slow sessions of introducing air into the bladders. Slowly, over tow days, as the structure expanded they became more confident and allowed the module to expand much faster.
Once the expansion was completed, Williams began to use the module air reserves to pressurize the interior of the module. When that is complete, there will be an 80-hour period of watching the sensors and indicators before the hatch is actually opened and astronauts will be allowed to enter.
