Mr. Cool Air Conditioner Films a Commercial at Utah County's Space EdVenture Centers. A Special Hello to the Former Volunteers and Staff from the Space Centers. Meet Some of the Best From 20 Years Ago. Imaginarium Theater

I'm sure you've seen many Mr. Cool air conditioner commercials on YouTube and TicTok, but have you seen the commercial filmed at Utah's Space EdVenture Centers?  Below is the commercial for those you haven't had the pleasure.  You'll notice the following sets in the video:

The commercial starts at "Mars Mission Control" aka. the bridge of the Starship Voyager at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy in Lehi (above).  

The commercial switches to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove where we find the astronauts in the Magellan's hallway (Mars Base) above.   

The next set piece is the hallway leading to the Cassini, Phoenix, Magellan, Odyssey, and Galileo above.  I'm sure the Mr. Cool air conditioner pictured on the wall above the astronauts is good, but the CMSC doesn't need it. Believe me, the Space Center's air conditioner is powerful enough (if the contractors can only get the bugs worked out in its air distribution flow). 

     

https://youtu.be/g56Dqs47OZg

Hello To All Our Former Staff and Volunteers From Your Friends at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center and The Space Place. You Are Remembered Fondly. 

  

     We are well into the summer space camp season at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, and The Space Place in Lehi.  

     Before, after, and between flights, the staff and volunteers gather in the control rooms, hallways, or staff rooms to talk about the camps. Often the conversation will lead to the good old days of yesteryear.  The older staff will tell stories of former camp seasons from years ago.  Many former volunteer and staff names are mentioned and a flood of awesome memories come flooding out.  

     So, to all of you former summer camp volunteers, supervisors, and flight directors we all say hello and give you our best wishes wherever you're at.  Take a minute now and recall some of those good times you spent at the centers.  Be sure to come by when you can to say hello or even better, book a private mission and relive those good old days.  To book a mission on the Voyager go to SpaceCampUtah.org.  To book a mission on the Cassini, Magellan, Phoenix, Odyssey, Galileo, or Falcon go to SpaceCenter.alpineschools.org.  

Hello from Bracken, Megan and Staff on the Voyager

at The Space Place

Hello from Jon and Staff on the Cassini at the CMSC

Hello from Brylee and Staff on the Galileo at the CMSC

Hello from James and Staff on the Falcon at the CMSC

Hello from Scott and Staff on the Phoenix at the CMSC

Hello from Natalie and Staff on the Odyssey at the CMSC

Hello from the Magellan Staff and Volunteers at the CMSC

 

Meet Some of Those Early Volunteers and Staff From Many Years Ago

     These are pictures from our Honor's Night at the end of a summer camp season from about 20 years ago.  Who do you recognize?  Where are they now?

     Well, one of them lives in Texas with a large family of boys, and is the co-founder of InfiniD.  One is the director of the Discovery Space Center at American Heritage School in American Fork, another lives in Washington but has a son who volunteers at the CMSC currently, another is a space center director, another is a son-in-law to one of Central's former principals and a current Alpine District administrator, another is a former CMSEC director and a current member of staff at The Space Place, and finally another is a semi-professional wrestler who goes by the name "Sterling Silvers".  It's amazing to see where all of them have landed as they've grown.    

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Summer Space EdVenture Camps Update: It's Busy at The Space Place and The Christa McAuliffe Space Center. A Tour of the Starship Voyager While the Campers Deal With Multiple Problems :) The Phototron from the Old Voyager Appears! Imaginarium Theater

Kade and Canon man the Operations Station on the Starship Voyager

It is a busy summer at Utah's Space EdVenture Centers.  The Space Place at Renaissance Academy and the Christa McAuliffe Space Center at Central Elementary are either at capacity or nearly there.  I'm enjoying my time at both locations.  I'm a flight director on the Starship Cassini at the CMSC. I help wherever Bracken needs me when I'm at The Space Place. 

The Voyager's Brig holds a couple galactic 

troublemakers waiting to be questioned

                 The Voyager's Defense Station with Maintenance at the back

Last week I spent some time on the Starship Voyager to take a few pictures and video of the crew at work. Seeing these young campers in this immersive environment, working together to solve the multiple problems a 5 hour long mission throws at them, is impressive.  

The Starship Voyager may be the largest starship simulator in the Space EdVenture's Utah Fleet when you take into account its bridge, hallways, brig, engineering room, and sickbay.  Just to show you, I made a walk through video of the ship while the campers were in a 5 hour long mission. 

 

What Happened to the Phototron from the Original Starship Voyager?  

The Phototron on the original Starship Voyager's Bridge

The Phototron was donated to the Christa McAuliffe Space Center when it first opened in 1990.  It sat in the small room adjoining the ship's bridge.  The Phototron is a small greenhouse.  The small room off the bridge was a science bay when the ship first opened and yes, I had plants growing in the Phototron.  Soon it became impractical to continue the science bay once the CMSEC focused on district wide field trips.  At that point I moved the Phototron to the bridge where it sat at the top of the bridge stairway.  It was a set decoration with a cool red light on the interior.  

The Phototron disappeared after the 2012 remodeling closure and I hadn't seen it sense (or at least I don't remember seeing it) UNTIL this last week.  I walked up to the Voyager's Bridge and what did my wandering eyes behold - the Phototron back where it belongs on the bridge of the Voyager II.  

 

                                           

There it sits in all its glory, right off the bridge near the Operations Station.  Welcome back Phototron!  All you need is your red light and you'll be back to business.  

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Upgrades to the Farpoint Universe Visual Effects and News of Great Things to Come in Space EdVentures Software. Alex Anderson Visits the Voyager. Imaginarium Theater

Hello Space Fans,

Last week I received and email from Dr. Ryan Anderson. He is the director of Telos Discovery Space Center and a co-founder of Telos U.  He gave me an update on the newest special effects being created for the Farpoint Universe.  Farpoint is the science fiction universe used by Telos U, The Space Place at Renaissance Academy, and the Space Center at American Heritage School in American Fork.  The effects were done using Unity and illustrate the direction we are going in mission development. 

Ryan's email also included news of Dimension X, the company started by his Unity developer friends from Lockheed.  Dimension X will be creating starship simulation software which will give those who want to create space travel simulations the tools necessary to accomplish their goals.  Check out the links he gives in the following email:       

We are continuing to upgrade the quality of our visuals for tacticals. I have included a link to a video that shows the current state of our visuals and animation. We are learning to use Unity a lot better. This one shows some improvements in the use of lighting, particle physics, and animation in general. 

Dimension X, the company started by our Unity developer friends from Lockheed, has now launched its website, which clearly includes its work that it is doing in partnership with us (look under the "services" tab). Our hope is that Dimension X will provide the tools that space simulation companies--and many more people who want to create and share their own Space Center experiences--can use to be successful. You can find Dimension X at dimx.dev. 

Friends, please take a moment to visit their website to learn more about Dimension X. 

Alex Anderson, The Founder of Thorium, Visits the Starship Voyager at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy.  It was A Walk Down Memory Lane.

Natalie, Alex, and Bracken on the Voyager

Last week I got to catch up on old times with my good friend Alex Anderson.  Alex worked for me all those years ago at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center.  Alex was in the Starship Voyager's design and wiring from day 1. In his spare time he got married, moved to Boston, and has a baby daughter.  Alex was in town visiting family. 

I found the old ladder used in the original Voyager's bridge sleeping quarters / sick bay / captain's quarters being used in the new Voyager's brig / decon. Apparently it has been their for awhile. I've just not noticed.

Alex is big brother to Natalie Anderson, the Odyssey's Set Director at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center.  Natalie accompanied Alex as driver :)

Natalie Anderson reminiscing about the turning doors of the old Space Center.

The Voyager uses two of the doors as part of the starship set.

As many of you know, Alex is the creator of Thorium - the software every Space EdVenture Center in Utah County uses to operate their starship simulators.  This fact alone makes him a legend.  Of course we talked about the good old days. Of course we talked about the new Thorium he is developing (in his spare time).  

Speaking on behalf of every employee, volunteer, and patron of the various space centers in Utah County, I want to thank Alex for Thorium. Without it I don't know where we would be regarding operational starship software.  

Alex is a gentleman and scholar.  It was good to see you again.   

Victor. 

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