In was September 16, 2009 when the new Galileo arrived at the Space Center. Kyle Herring assembled the ship in Central School's cafeteria right next to the first Galileo. We celebrated the event with this Troubadour post.
Because Saturdays are usually Posts from the Past day, I thought we would revisit this epic moment in Space Center history.
Enjoy,
Mr. Williamson
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
The New Galileo Arrives at the Space Center!
The New Galileo parked next to the Old Galileo as seen from the Cafeteria's Entrance
Hello Troops, The students of Central Elementary School in Pleasant Grove arrived at school this morning thinking this would be an ordinary day just like all the others since the start of the school year in August.
That feeling of samo samo was replaced with “Wow” as they entered the cafeteria for lunch. Sitting in the corner of their cafeteria was the Space Center’s new Galileo Simulator. It is reported that some students openly wept. Others fell to their knees in reverence. Still others stood still, blocking the serving line, and stared in disbelief that such a curious object found its way to their little school.
Stacy Carrol, Set Director of the Galileo, proudly shows off her new simulator.
The custodian reported that hardly a morsel was eaten. The students were in a hurry to be excused so they could touch the new simulator. Everyone wanted to get in. When told no even the best behaved appeared to be on the verge of mental breakdown. We may have to put up signs warning of electrocution of anyone touches the shiny metal outer skin but I’m afraid that won’t stop them.
The new Galileo was delivered to the school and Space Center last night by Kyle Herring, Stacy Carroll, Megan Warner, Alex Anderson and several other Space Center staff. It came in pieces on the back of a large truck. They finished assembling the ship at 10:45 P.M.
It is finally home after a very long wait. Now, what do we have to do before we open it for missions?
We need to do some finish work on the exterior.
We need to purchase all the Mac Mini’s
We need to replace the ball bearing wheels with real ones so the ship will move along the cafeteria floor without damaging it.
We need to paint the exterior.
We need to put in ‘fake’ windows to make it look really good from the outside
Alex Anderson is finishing up the computer controls. Matt Long and our Programming Guild are working on the next generation Galileo controls programmed in Apple’s Cocoa language (iphone). Stacy Carroll is the Galileo’s Set Director and is anxious to open the ship to the public and start taking missions. Stay in touch through the Blog to know when the first missions will run so you can book your own private party in this out of this world new simulator, the Galileo!
InfiniD's Brooks Heder with students from the Zion International School of Phnom Penh
InfiniD Learning and the Zion International School of Phnom Penh introduce Cambodia's young astronauts to the world of experiential learning through simulation. Last summer, Brooks Heder travelled to Cambodia to establish InfiniD's first out of country computer lab/ simulator at the Zion International School of Phnom Penh. ZISPP is a private school founded by David Moon, a co-founder of iWorlds and the creator of the Valiant simulator currently used at Telos Academy in Vineyard. Dave was the LDM mission president in Cambodia.
Zion International School of Phnom Penh
Setting up the InfiniD Lab
The InfiniD Lab
The ZISPP is a private school for preschool-4th grade located in the country's capital, Phnom Penh. I asked Brooks to write up a short description of the school and its location:
In the middle of a frenzy of moto's, tuk tuks and people within the capital Phnom Penh you find the school. A big green metal door on a small alley road indicates the entrance. Within is a small open compound with several rooms connected by outdoor hallways. When you go inside you take your shoes off out of respect, and the space they have is kept very tidy, they are really grateful for the school. Most of the Teachers are foreigners coming to help. But the staff, cooks, Maintenance and such are all native Cambodians. The InfiniD lab will be customized to try and impact all the kids at the school. At times all it might be is a space waystation were little kids need to simply say their name and how old they are, for more advances groups we can incorporate the curriculum further.
The school is a english school, so they try to speak it as much as possible. I was really surprised by how well some of the kids spoke! In face some of them spoke better english then the staff. In the missions, we will try to have them speak english as much as possible. This will be great for them to have discussion and conversation in ways they are not used to, which will help them increase knowledge in English and their subjects.
The Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center's Dedication Plaques
I asked Jon Parker to be kind enough to snap pictures of the simulator dedication plaques for the blog. Each plaque highlights the dedicated people who made that ship possible.
Stacy Carrell and Kyle Herring in front of the David Kyle's Galileo I
Erin Williams in front of David Kyle Herring's Second Galileo at the Space Center
The Discovery Room was once a 4th grade classroom. Then, when the Magellan was created, the classroom was redesigned to be the Magellan's Briefing Room and a school science resource room under the direction of Janeal Nuttall. The Discovery Room was the brain child of Dan Adam's, Central's principal at the time. Dan, Kyle Herring, and Mark Morrison constructed the room.
Casey Voeks briefing a Magellan summer camp crew in the Discovery Room
2007
The USS Phoenix was built to take the place of the Falcon, our weekend and summer cafeteria planetarium bubble dome ship. It opened on May 18, 2005. The staff weren't too happy about giving up their built in the wall bunk beds, but progress demands sacrifice.
The Phoenix Today
The Magellan is another simulator rebuilt on the ashes of a former simulator. The Magellan plaque shows the information for the new Magellan opened on July 7, 2006.
The Magellan I around 2001. In this photo you see Kevin Anderson, Landon Hemsley, and Stephen Porter.
Today's Magellan
A summer crew of the New Magellan's first summer camp season. 2007. Sarah Glad is in this photo.
The Odyssey? Sadly we don't know where the original Odyssey's plaque ended up. The search is on. As for the new Odyssey, there isn't a dedication plaque. The new Odyssey was started under my watch in 2013 and finished after I retired. The Voyager's dedication plaque hung above the spiral staircase on the Voyager's Bridge. Today, the Voyager's plaque hangs in the back of my classroom at Renaissance Academy.
The Voyager's Bridge. The Voyager's plaque is on the right side of the photo above the spiral stairs
The Voyager's Plaque
The Voyager Plaque in my classroom at Renaissance Academy. It hangs next to the Dr. Who Tardis. How Appropriate.
InfiniD Sets Up Shop at the Utah Capital
Last month InfiniD Learning converted room 170 in the Utah Capitol Building into an InfiniD lab simulator and ran demonstration missions for the legislators and visiting school children. Kendrick Gines was the flight director.
School children waiting in line for the demonstration
Casey warned the tax office next door that their might be a bit of noise and to let them know if it was bother.
They let him know....
Space News By Mark Daymont SpaceRubble.Blogspot.com
Soyuz MS-06 Returns to Earth with Expedition 53/54
Soyuz Descent module under its parachute heads towards a landing in Kazakhstan.
On Monday, February 26 the Expedition 54 came to an end during a Change of command ceremony. Cosmonaut Anton Shkaplerov will command the station starting Expedition 55. They will be joined on March 21 by astronauts Ricky Arnold and Drew Feustel (NASA) and Oleg Artemyev (Roscosmos).
Expedition 54/55 enjoying space before the Change of Command Ceremony.
The New Galileo parked next to the Old Galileo as seen from the Cafeteria's Entrance
Stacy Carrol, Set Director of the Galileo, proudly shows off her new simulator.
