The Music of the Space Center's Website from Over 10 Years Ago is Available to Hear Once Again. Thank you to Matt Ricks for placing the old web site's music on The Troubadour. Look at the top of the right sidebar, click on a selection, and be carried away to those good old days. Back in the day the music was set to play automatically. I know many of you old time staff, volunteers, and campers use to let the music play in the background while you did your homework.
See that Old CMSEC Website Again Matt Ricks is the official Historian and Keeper of the Records for the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center's Voyager Age 1990-2012. He volunteers his time and effort into saving both physical props and software from that time in hopes that someday a permanent place can be built to hold these keepsakes from our collective Space Center past. Take a moment and visit that old website and see how much things have changed. voyagerarchives.com Enjoy the music once again. Mr. Williamson Introducing Five New Starship Simulators Flying the InfiniD Flag. The InfiniD Fleet of Experiential Simulators Grows. The Troubadour welcomes five new InfiniD Labs into the growing network of schools that house experiential learning simulators inspired by the original USS Voyager. These new InfiniD Labs take the official number of simulators both past and present to 61. The Simulator Database is accessible by clicking on the link on the blog's sidebar.
Are you curious about InfiniD? Did you think there were only a small handful of starship simulators at a few local Utah schools: The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center at Central Elementary, The Telos Discovery Space Center at Canyon Grove Academy, Farpoint Space Education Center at Renaissance Academy, The Lions Gate Center at Lakeview Academy? If so, you are mistaken.
InfiniD is the world's fastest growing network of school-based, computer lab simulators committed to continuing the vision of simulator-based experiential education pioneered in my 6th-grade classroom back in 1983 and fine-tuned and expanded with the building of Simulator 1 the USS Voyager in 1990. Today over 30,000 students across Utah are applying what they learn in the classroom on InfiniD missions.
To summarize; InfinD's mission is to provide every school worldwide with an experiential simulator of their own. That's a big goal and they're determined to make it so.
Take a moment and learn more about the future of education with InfiniD.
Welcome Endeavor Elementary School InfiniD Lab
Location: Kaysville,Utah. Davis School District. The InfiniD program will be offered to graded K- 6. Endeavor Elementary School is the perfect site for an InfiniD Lab. Just look at the architecture. The school is space themed!
Endeavor Elementary's Library
Different parts of the school are named after galaxies.
Welcome Hurricane Elementary InfiniD Lab Location: Hurricane Elementary School, Hurricane, Utah. Washington School District. All grades K-5 will participate in the InfiniD program.
Welcome Blackridge Elementary School InfiniD Lab
Location: Herriman, Utah. Jordan School District. The InfiniD program will be offered to graded K- 6. This InfiniD Lab opens in February 2018.
Blackridge Elementary School, Herriman, Utah.
Welcome King Elementary School InfiniD Lab
Location: Layton,Utah. Davis School District. The InfiniD program will be offered to graded K- 6.
King Elementary School, Layton, Utah.
Welcome Mountainville Academy InfiniD Lab Location: Alpine,Utah. Mountainville Academy is a K-9 public charter school. The InfiniD program will be offered to grade 6. This InfiniD Lab opens in February 2018.
Mountainville Academy, Alpine, Utah.
Space News
By Mark Daymont
SpaceRubble.blogspot.com
SpaceX Heavy Falcon Launches Tesla Roadster out to the Asteroids
The SpaceX Heavy Falcon sits on the pad the night before First Flight. All images credit: SpaceX.
In a bold, and risky test flight, SpaceX has created the world's currently-heaviest payload lifting rocket. The Heavy Falcon is basically a center prime stage with two attached Falcon-9 recoverable boosters to the sides. A second stage and payload sit atop the prime stage, which is also designed to land and be re-used. Until Wednesday, the rocket with the most lift was the Delta 4 rocket. The Falcon Heavy can lift a payload of 140,000 pounds to low Earth obit, 58,000 ponds to Earth Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, and if needed, can launch over 37,000 pounds to Mars. Only the giant Saturn V and perhaps the Russian Energia, both retired, could lift more.
Blast off on Wednesday afternoon after high winds abated.
The Falcon Heavy lifted off from the venerable Pad LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center. This site was heavily used for most of the Apollo moon launches, followed by Skylab and then Space Shuttle launches. A few years ago, the Space Center signed a 20-year lease with SpaceX. The older tower support structures were removed, and SpaceX built a new tower system with rocket assembly and testing features around the pad.
The Falcon-9 boosters landed perfectly back at the cape, at almost the same time.
Prior to the launch, Space X executives were keen to remind everyone that this as an extremely dangerous test, and it could fail. But almost everything went right. As planned, the boosters separated and were remotely-guided down to land vertically at launch pads LZ-1 and LZ-2. These pads were built by SpaceX at the US Air Force's Cape Canaveral range just a little south of the Kennedy Space center. The site was originally Launch Complex 13, which supported testing and launches of the Atlas and Atlas-Agena rockets. Science missions Lunar Orbiter-1 and Mariner 3 were launched from there, as well as several spy satellites. Unfortunately, the prime center stage did not land successfully and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.
The StarMan, in its SpaceX designed spacesuit, leaves Earth Orbit on its way to the Asteroid belt.
To confirm the test launch heavy lift capability, SpaceX needed a heavy object to launch into space. In a creative publicity move, SpaceX President Elon Musk donated a car from his personal collection - a Tesla Roadster with the convertible top down. Inside was "Starman" a dummy placed in a SpaceX spacesuit. Cameras on board the car recorded and transmitted images in different directions as the car left the orbit and continued its way out to space- estimated to be an orbit near the asteroid belt. In a tribute to some science fiction icons, a Screen in the car displays "Don't Panic" and the Starman has his space-traveling towel. A miniature Tesla car hangs from the front mirror. And the radio is broadcasting David Bowie's hit "Space Oddity" as long as power holds out.
Interstellar Simulator Controls: Tuesday's Extreme Stress Test at the Hands of Those Who Do This for a Living
Isaac Ostler in the Voyager Control Room Prepping the Interstellar Core for the Extreme Stress Test
Isaac Ostler's Interstellar Simulator Controls were put through the Extreme Stress Test Tuesday evening after the extreme pressure Young Astronaut Club mission ended at 6:15 P.M. New Earth's evil Chancellor Alexander is a nasty person according to our young cadets. The younglings left the Voyager deeply troubled by the loss of the secret papers. Now they have nothing to give the Klingons. All seems lost - a perfect place to end a Long Duration Mission episode - the cadets teetering on the brink of hopelessness. The Interstellar stress test brought out the big guns in the Space EdVenturing world.
Lion Gate Center Director Nathan King, so busy imagineering that he eats as he works
Nathan King was there with a Marie Callender's pot pie in hand. Nathan is the director of the Lions Gate Center at Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs. With three simulators to administer along with a full daytime flight schedule and the string of private missions, not to mention the Space Tech class he co-teaches during the school day, Nathan rarely has time for himself, which is why he did his stress test duties with supper in hand.
The Interstellar Controls Stress Test Team all Determined to Find the Bugs and Exterminate, Exterminate
Maeson Busk and his merry cohorts from the Discovery Space Center at Canyon Grove Academy were ready and willing to debug Interstellar. Maeson is the DSC Director at Canyon Grove along with his other duties at Farpoint and the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center and the Lions Gate Center, and Telos Academy. I feel a worrying weariness when I'm around Maeson, like my 12 hours days are mere child's play to this guy.
Isaac Ostler and Renaissance Academy's very own Dylan, volunteer extraordinaire, hosted the event.
I usually don't do Extreme Stress Tests because just my presence alone has been known to destabilize even the best code. I snapped a few pictures, unsuccessfully begged Nathan for a bite of his pot pie, and gave my farewells with a thumbs up for a successful outcome. "Well, I didn't expect that...See what happens when he hangs around," was the last thing I heard as I exited the ship.
The Day of the Dead Batteries
Tuesday was also the Day of the Dead Batteries. Maeson Busk, notorious in these parts for leaving his lights on when he comes to fly his Voyager missions, woke this morning to a dead car battery. Our warnings came true. He claims to have learned his lesson and will take the extra three seconds to turn his lights off when he parks. Maeson was going to be late for his field trips at the CMSEC. He convinced his parents to let him use one of their cars and Fortuna struck again with vengeance. His mother's car battery was dead also. This phobia with headlights must run in the family. In the end, Maeson was late for work.
Maeson helping Spencer with his dead battery
That evening after the Voyager's LDM mission, Farpoint Supervisor Spencer said he was leaving to pick up a quick supper before the Interstellar Stress Test. He made the mistake asking Maeson if he wanted something. Spencer was unaware that Maeson was under Fortuna's curse. Maeson placed an order. A few minutes later, while we were in my classroom scoring the Young Astronaut squadron on their Voyager mission, Maeson's phone rang. Spencer was in the school's parking lot with a dead battery. That's when I heard the unmistakable cackle owned by the Goddess of Fortune herself having her last laugh of the evening - her daily mischief complete.
Thursday's Honor's Night at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center
Thank you to Mr. James Porter, his staff, and volunteers for their kind invitation to Thursday night's Honor's Night. I enjoy see the Center and reminiscing with old friends about the good times we had over all those years. It's also a pleasure to make new friends with the CMSEC's outstanding volunteer corps. The Space Center attracts the best people; always did, always does.
Lindsey gave a presentation on the CMSEC's Acting Department.
I got a kick out of this chart. I opened the Center in 1990 on the foundation of candy bars. The volunteers came to work, and got paid in candy bars. I called the event "Giving Out Sugar" and the name stuck. Sugar is officially in the Space Center's Jargon of Terms.
I still use the term sugar to refer to candy. Just this week I was walking down the hallway at Renaissance Academy when a little first grader stopped to tell me that her brother was a volunteer on the Voyager. "He says you give him sugar when he works," she said. "That right, I give your brother sugar when he does a good job," I replied. She looked confused. "That's weird that you give him a spoonful of sugar. I don't think I'd like that." She ran off to join her class in their tidy march from the library to their classroom.
Alexis L. received her Phoenix Pin from Phoenix Set Director Jon Parker. Alexis introduced herself after Honor's Night and asked if I remembered her dad. Jesse was one of my sixth graders in 1986. What a great kid and what an outstanding wrestler.
Alexis's dad Jesse in my sixth grade class, Central Elementary School 1986
Although I don't know Alexis very well, she has got to be quite the girl - the daughter of Jesse and a Space Center volunteer.
Mr. Porter congratulating Matthew M., of achieving the Apprentice Starfighter volunteer level. Lindsey wanted me to point out that the tradition of having your picture taken while holding the patch on your forehead was her doing.
Finally, we round out Honor's Night with the Hitchhiker Volunteer Level going to JJ.
Congratulations to all those honored at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center's February Honors Night.
Mr. Williamson
Lion's Gate Center at Lakeview Academy Announces the Reopening of the Starship Leo
The Lion's Gate Staff Invite you to Rediscover the Leo
That's right, the Starship Leo at Lakeview Academy is being readied for launch after a long rest. Lions Gate Center Director Nathan King took me into the Leo on Monday to show me the improvements. The reopening of the Leo will give the Lions Gate Center three functioning starship simulators; Apollo, Artemis, and Leo. Welcome back to the Fleet Leo. With the Leo's relaunching, there are now eight simulators in the Farpoint Universe Space EdVentures Fleet: Everest, Pathfinder, Voyager, Apollo, Artemis, Leo, Valiant, and Hyperion.
More from the Posts from the Past Series. Posts from the Space Center's First Blog, SpaceEdVentures.
The Voyager's Security Station 2001 Looking toward the Captain's Loft
June 29, 2001 Josh Dye Talks About Life as an 48 Hour Overnight Camp Volunteer Greetings! I got the wonderful job of Doctor on the Falcon. (The best part yet to come...) I loved being Doctor on the Falcon. It was very fun! Moving on...
We didn't go to bed until like 1:00-2:00 in the morning, because we had cake and ice cream for Vic's birthday. I didn't fall asleep until like 3:30 A.M... And I was the first one up besides Mr. Daymont and Mr. Williamson at 5:45 A.M. Anyways...
I had no job all day long... All I did Thursday and Friday was run errands for everybody left and right. I liked doing that...(Weird huh?)
Metta Smith in the Magellan Control Room
On rotation two... I was... *DRUM ROLL*... PRINTER BOY! YA! Umm... Ya... right... I was Printer Boy for the Falcon... You may think it is stupid reading that part but... To some people... It was very funny. Mr. Daymont... I can't remember what you said about... The Printer Boy and something unite together something something something... Anyways, can you please reply to this and tell the rest of them what it was... It was very funny...
I like cleaning... I started to TRY to vacuum the Discovery... But I just have bad luck! The first vacuum I took from the Voyager all the way over to the Discovery. Then I found out that the little plug was bent into three different directions... So I carried it back to the Voyager. I took the one next to it... It might work! .... NAH! I then found out by Mr.Daymont in the Discovery that it was the busted one. Well just great! I waited for like 10 more min. for the Odyssey's vacuum to be done used... Anyways...
The Mid and Back Decks of the Odyssey. 2001. Notice the five bunks for the Overnight Camps
I also cleaned the cafeteria for Dinner on Thursday and Breakfast on Friday. I cleaned those tables so you can look to see how clean your teeth were on them. I even cleaned Kyle's whiteboard for er... Briefing... I was having much fun cleaning the whole Space Center. Some people were too rude and didn't let me clean some ships... Too bad for them. Just to let all the staff out there... Next time I come to volunteer... I am ALWAYS happy to clean anything. I don't know why but... I love cleaning.
The Voyager's Right Wing and Engineering Station
For rotation 3 I was first sent into the Magellan... Then theVoyager... Then back at the Magellan... The finally back into the Voyager. I like running errands for everyone left and right... It's fun fun! (I need a scooter though...)
In overall... It was fun, and I learned that I really love cleaning. So, If any director wants a good hard cleaning job, find me wondering around and I will get the stuff and get to it!
- Josh Dye
July 1, 2001 The Falcon Gets a Perfect Score on the 3 Day, Day Camp. The Little Bubble Ship that Could
The Falcon
Hello Troops, These are the results for last weeks camps:
Day Camp 2
Rotation Grades: A = 1; B = 2; C = 3; D = 4; F = 5 Overall scores for each rotation as graded by the campers
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FALCON FOR A PERFECT SCORE: 1.00!!! GOOD JOB MARK DAYMONT AND BILL SCHULER. GOOD JOB TO ALL THE STAFF THAT WORKED THE FALCON MISSIONS. Space Center Journal June 24-30, 2001. A Full Report on Working a Three Day Overnight Camp. The Campers from Astrocamp. Hello Troops, This week started with my birthday....... Enough said on that. For comment you can refer to my post on the subject.
The Odyssey's MidDeck Station
Monday: June 25
Day Camp 2 started without a problem. I don't know but the 8:00 A.M. starting time comes very early. We sleepily signed the kids in and gave them their name tags. Sometimes I wonder why I go to the trouble of name tags. These camps are over as soon as they start. I suppose that if I didn't what little personal attention the campers get would be diminished. At least with a name tag on we can call them by their first name. That is better than nothing. Maybe we should have a staff of volunteers in charge of camp morale. You know, time for a camp cheer. The kind of stuff they do at other camps to work the kids up and get them to know each other. I've considered this many times but would have to increase the length of each camp to accommodate this team building exercise. Maybe it would be worth it. Oh Well..... just thinking out loud. Your comments?
Still no team to finish the Voyager mission. Don't know about the rest. Its hard to track what's happening on the other ships when you are running one of your own.
The Odyssey's Engineering Station
Tuesday: June 26
Day Camp Day 2. Nothing much to report from my view point. Classes in the AM and flight in the PM. The results of the camp are listed in a separate post. This camp seemed a bit odd. The kids in the Day Camps seem to be a bit younger and less experienced than the kids that come to the EdVenture and 48 Hour Camps. I am pleased to report the Falconwas the first ship this summer season to get a perfect 1 in overall ship score.
The Galileo's attached Control Room (Bryce Redd is the Young Volunteer)
Wednesday: June 27
A prep day for the 48 hour camp. I spent most of the day in the Briefing Room getting things ready. We had a group from the Provo School District in for a Space Camp. Jennifer Remy taught a morning class. Mr. Daymont did a planetarium lessons.
The Voyager's Crew Quarters and Sick Bay 2001
Thursday: June 28
Day One of the first 48 Hour Camp. I was tired even before they showed up at 4:30 P.M. The day was spent making sure everything was perfect. Josh Webb came in and spent 3 hours cleaning the school. The construction really makes a mess of things. Josh did a good job and the place looked as good as I could by the time the campers showed up.
The Galileo with Warp Nacelles illuminated
I decided to try a new idea on this camp. I assigned Blue Shirts to camper teams. The Blue Shirts were assigned as team leaders. Wherever the kids when the teams leaders followed. Our team leaders for this camp were:
Randy Jepperson Brady Young Bryson Lystrup Bryce Redd Landon Hemsley
Dustin and Megan Warner at the Voyager IIFX Station
I thought the idea worked. I was able to relax knowing the kids were in the right places at the right time because we had our people in charge at all times.
The bus from Astrocamp arrived 45 minutes early. Ed failed to take into account the fact that construction on I 15 was finished. We opened the doors at 4:40 P.M. and started the sign in process.
Dustin on the Voyager's Spiral Staircase (So Dangerous!)
Dustin Robison and Josh having some fun on the Voyager's Bridge
DISASTER! All my perfectly laid plans for an easy start were shattered when 6 or 7 kids said I had misspelled their names on the name tags. That's when I start cursing myself out. Then we discovered a major problem with their hours. Some of the kids were getting their camp hours added into their rank at the beginning and not at the end. It seemed like half of the kids had to go back to the briefing room and redo their ranks. That made me frustration to say the least. My perfect schedule was falling further and further behind. By the times the kids were done eating and getting all of their hours corrected we were 30 minutes behind schedule. That mean that instead of putting them to bed at 10:45 P.M. it would be 11:15 P.M. I finally got to bed that night at 1:00 P.M. The first night of camp takes a long time. We have to assign them a bunk or cot.
Scott Slaugh and Tyler Herring having some delicious Mrs. Houston brownies and ice cream before going to bed on a summer 48 hour overnight camp. I don't think the staff slept much on these camps.
Some of the staff (the ones not chaperoning) enjoying the midnight treats. Josh Babb, Jeremiah Robinson, Scott Slaugh, Randy Jepperson, and Bridger Maxwell
I want to thank the staff for helping out as much as they could to get us over the bump at the start of the camp.
Friday: June 29
I was up at 5:45 A.M. (nearly 5 hours of sleep just doesn't cut it!). A quick trip home to shower, shave, deodorize and accessorize. The school's summer breakfast was gross but what can I do about that? Morning rotations were uneventful. I will say that most of the teams on this camp were good. Many of them staffed with very experienced officers. That made the rotations go smoothly. The rotations ended at 6:15 P.M. Time to sell candy and pop and get them ready for swimming at the Orem Rec. Center. I was please that so many of our staff went swimming with the kids. I enjoyed watching the dunking and water fights from the balcony. Mr. Schuler really got abused along with Brady, Randy, and Bryson. Metta was heard screaming from one end of the pool to the other.
Dustin Robison Getting a prop ready for an appearance
I was happy to see Vicki Williamson was back as our bus driver. Vicki was our bus driver for years and years in the days of the International Space Camp. She disappeared for 2 years but is back again. Isn't that weird. Her name is Victoria Williamson. No relationship but there should be because she is awesome and I consider my family "Awesome" as should you about yours.
Again, a really big thank you to Dave Wall for taking the kids for me for Video Night when we got back from swimming. I really need that time to catch up on phone calls and emails. The kids went to bed without a problem. I got to bed at Midnight! A first!!! What's even better - there were no phone calls in the middle of the night to open the door for a camper needed to use the toilet.
Saturday: June 30
I was up again at 5:45 A.M. I was dead. You know, 10 hours of sleep for a 48 hour camp just doesn't cut it. We got the kids up at 7:20 A.M. Their faces showed the wear and tear as well. For the Astrocampkids this was their 5th day of camp. They were kind of out of it. Those last Saturday rotations were a killer for me. I'm grateful I had a really good crew that could fill in for my exhaustion. I actually fell asleep a few time during the mission in my chair with microphone in hand. I'm glad no one had a camera. I'd have to pay to keep that photo from making the rounds.
Mrs. Houston getting the Discovery Room Ready after having gotten the girls up on a summer camp.
Jessica (?), one of our volunteers sleeping in the Galileo. I'd forgotten the staff use to squeeze into the Galileo to sleep. The Cafeteria's air conditioner loud so I understand.
I was on edge by lunch time. At the end of lunch I noticed the trash cans in the cafeteria were overflowing while at least 10 staff stood by. The trash was also overflowing the dumpster outside. I went outside and picked up the trash from the playground, came in and saw the trash spilling over the cans onto the floor. That's when I got focused. The staff got a good ear full from me on everyone's responsibility to keep the school and our working and sleeping areas clean. I didn't need to be as forceful in my presentation but my exhaustion was coming through. Anyway I think the point was made. It is everyone's responsibility to keep the place clean.
The Discovery Room / Girls Sleeping Area
The camp ended at 4:30 P.M. The final campers left around 5:30 P.M. We did votes and closed the doors.
This camp had a "semi VIP". Governor Leavitt's youngest son Weston was on this camp. I'm sure he enjoyed himself.
Well, that is it for the week.
..............that is all........... Mr. Williamson
Imaginarium Theater The Best Gifs of the Week Edited for a Gentler Audience
