The Space Center's Resident Time Lord Crows Over a New Instrument. The Odyssey's Space Villain Wanted Posters. CMSEC Folk Art at Its Best. Two Squadron's Launch on the LDM. The Imaginarium.

Mason, the CMSEC's resident Time Lord, modeled his newest time tracker last Saturday. He understands my fascination with these instruments and their effect on several universal time lines.  I asked him once if I could turn one of the knobs. "Sure, if you want to risk the annihilation of trillions currently existing in a dangerously parallel universe. But go ahead." A pictured was decided to be the safest way to examine the instrument. You can lookie, but you canna touchee.  

During last Saturday's snoop for a scoop around the CMSEC I found several interesting bits of Space Center folk art decorating the USS Odyssey's control room. Natalie Anderson invited me to feature them on The Troubadour. Her motives were unclear. Perhaps the Odyssey's staff is interested in drumming up interest in their fine art with the end goal of selling them for a handsome profit. Or it may just be to prove without a doubt, that the Odyssey's villains are the mightiest, meanest, dastardly, villains of all the villains of all the missions that populate the mission shelves of the many space centers of Utah.  

Rotnart Basso: Appraised at $53

The less colorized wanted posters go for $12 each. Just imagine one above your living room's fireplace.

These clever Picasso's won't be parted with for less than $100 each 

The Q'ell Nanz wanted poster is worth a small fortune because of terrible crimes he committed on the outlying worlds

Skarr is the least valuable of the series. You can pick one up for a song and dance (as long as you're willing to perform live, on the Odyssey's bridge, for a birthday party gathering)

Natalie has a unique way of providing memory crutches for her flight directors.  If in doubt about a mission you're telling, a quick glance behind you on the control room wall will refresh your ailing memory.

The Odyssey's Cool New Screen Logo

It's all about the Odyssey today folks. Take a look at the simulators new logo. Were those chills you felt run up and down your spine? 

I like the new look of the Odyssey's home screens. I like the logo. OK, let's just face the fact that I think the Odyssey is a very cool ship. Just look at those lines and colors.  

Of course I miss the original Odyssey with it's sharp corners, levels, crawl spaces, and electrical character. Those skin piercing toughers gave the ship a distinct pungency of it's own. The new Odyssey has a flavor of its own. I would describe it as smooth and creamy on the palate. 

What the Teenage Staff at the CMSEC Do Between Missions. This Revelation Will Shock You!   

The Troubadour's roving camera captured images so rare, they are hardly believable. Many of our readers' will accuse me of photoshopping for a scoop.  I assure you that isn't the case. What you're about to see is real. And yes, you are forgiven if what you behold changes your perception of teenagers as a subspecies.  

This is Mason, the Space Center's resident Time Lord.  He has a few minutes between missions. Instead of flirting them away in some mindless conversation with a female Gallifreyan over a cup of hot chocolate on a frozen glacier of the last ice age, I found him repairing the padding grills over the Magellan's backlit panels. Mr. Porter, give that volunteer double sugar! So say we all!

Look at what I found in the Magellan's engineering hallway.  Supervisor Isaac was hard at work with two volunteers cleaning the simulator's isolinear rods and tools with clorox wipes! When asked if they were considered normal when not at the Space Center - they responded in the affirmative. One elaborated by saying, "Sure, you may find us lazy and unmotivated at home, but here...... that's a different story.  Mr. Porter always says 'A Clean Ship is a Happy Ship'."
"Amen to that," Isaac added. "Now less chit chat and more elbow grease. Those rods won't clean themselves."

Meet The Farpoint Space Education Center's 6th Grade Cobra and the 4th- 6th Grade Firebird Squadrons

The Sixth Grade Cobra Squadron

It's been another busy week at the Farpoint Space Education Center in Lehi, Utah.  Two of our squadrons launched on their first Long Duration Mission this week.  The Cobras, under the steady hand of Captain Sophia, did an outstanding job on their mission. They're great kids If I do say so myself. My bias may be showing considering they are my math and history students.

 The 4th - 6th Grade combined Firebird Squadron flew right after Saturday's programming class. They are proud to be Renaissance Academy strong. Alex DeBirk and Isaac Ostler directed the mission.  "Great squad considering they were two crew short!" Alex remarked when I walked into the Voyager's control room to collect them at the end of their first LDM.

Let's face it folks, the new USS Voyager is a wonder to staff and a wonder to fly. Renaissance Academy's 27 Farpoint cadet squadrons are lucky to attend a school so dedicated to the art and science of experiential education.

Mr. Williamson    

The Imaginarium

Life, the Universe, and Everything Staff Fly the Apollo at LASEC (Lakeview Academy Space Education Center). LASEC's New Uniforms. This Week on the USS Voyager. Theater Imaginarium.

     Life, the Universe, & Everything: The Marion K. “Doc” Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy originated at Brigham Young University and has grown and changed a lot over the last thirty years. LTUE is a three-day academic symposium on all aspects of science fiction and fantasy. Comprised of panels, presentations and papers on writing, art, literature, film, gaming and other facets of speculative fiction, LTUE is a place to learn all about life, the universe, and everything else you love. 
     The symposium is, most importantly, a gathering place for fans of our creative and innovative world to hang out and share their love of all things amazing, obscure, and even not-quite-real.
     This year's symposium was held February 15-17 at the Marriott Hotel in Provo. Telos Discovery Space Center had a booth in the vendor room.  During the convention, an invitation was extended to the LTUE staff to see and experience the new Apollo simulator at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs. 

 

The LTUE train to fly the Apollo

     Yesterday I stopped by to see the LTUE crew in action on the Apollo. Needless to say, they were very impressed by the school's two simulators: Apollo and Artemis.  Let's just say, an experiential simulator is a science fiction fan's temple of possibilities.   

Brandon Wright, director of the Lakeview Space Education Center goes over the captain's
responsibilities on the Apollo

The Apollo's science lab

Maeson training.

The first officer learning how to carry out any captain's last order

LTUE's Dave Dearing peering down onto the bridge from the Engineering and Security deck

Almost time to fly.

      The mission was directed by LASEC's (Lakeview Academy Space Education Center)

director Brandon Wright. Nathan ran the second chair position. 

LASEC Director Brandon Wright entering his "I'm About to Fly" mindset.  Focus is the name of the game.
Nathan, on the other hand, is ready to PARTY!

Lakeview Academy Space Education Center's New Uniforms 

A few of the many new uniforms at Lakeview Academy Space Education Center.
I like the individualized logos and colors. 

This Week at the Farpoint Space Education Center

     We've had a busy week on the USS Voyager, the flagship of the Farpoint Space Education Center at Renaissance Academy in Lehi.  The 5th Grade Cobra and Middle School Scorpion Squadrons did their first round missions on Monday and Tuesday. 

The 5th Grade Cobra Squadron

The Middle School Scorpion Squadron

     Wednesday through Friday took us into the third rotation of the Long Duration Mission with a return to Space Guard Academy training for the 3rd and 4th grade squadrons. There are two components to Space Guard Academy sessions; mini-missions and coursework. 

     For round 3 the cadets are asked to take the Voyager on a simple cargo and supply run from Farpoint Station to a newly established planetary colony in the Trappist red dwarf system. As usual, nothing is simple if the Voyager is involved.  Yes, they get into trouble. Yes, it's all hands on deck. And yes, they end in a life a death struggle in a classic man against nature story. 

     The cadets do four rounds during their two hour Space Guard Academy training. Two 30 minute rounds in the Voyager, broken up with two 30 minute rounds in the classroom with me. I cover the science of stars with an emphasis on black holes (hummm, I wonder why) for one of my 30 minute classes. The other half hour block is devoted to the history of slavery in the United States and a discussion on how to handle a debate on the subject with someone of the opposite opinion. 

     Farpoint's LDM program on the new USS Voyager is a hit with both parents and students. Our 260 cadets are divided into 27 squadrons. Each squadron receives five rounds during the school year program. Contact me for more information:

director@spacecamputah.org.

Mr. Williamson        

The middle school Scorpion Squadron. What a bunch!

 Theater Imaginarium

The best gifs of the week edited for classroom use.