Contact Victor Williamson with your questions about simulator based experiential education programs for your school.
SpaceCampUtah@gmail.com

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Two New Farpoint Clubs to Form. Construction Updates on the USS Odyssey and USS Leo. The Imaginarium.




Farpoint's Faculty Standing in front of my classroom tardis.
l to r:  Mark Daymont, McKay Hardy, Brent Anderson, Chris Alldredge, Matt Long, Aleta Clegg and Lorraine Houston
The Space EdVentures Foundation Announces Two New Farpoint Cadet Programs

     The Space EdVentures Foundation is pleased to announce the formation of two new Farpoint Cadet Clubs.  The clubs are named after their affiliated starship simulators. The Voyagers will be headquartered at Renaissance Academy in Lehi.  Their home simulator will be called the USS Voyager. The Leos are sponsored by Lakeview Academy in Saratoga Springs. The USS Leo is their home simulator.  The USS Leo will open next week.  I will direct the program at Renaissance Academy. Casey Voeks will direct the Lakeview club.
     The Farpoint Voyagers will meet twice monthly.  Simlabs (meetings) will be held the second Thursday (6:30 to 8:00 P.M.) and the last Saturday (10:00 - 11:30 A.M.)  of each month.  Each Simlab will focus on a different aspect of the national STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) initiative on a rotating basis. The curriculum is being designed by Farpoint's faculty pictured above.  Using principles of experiential education, Simlabs will make the meetings both fun and educational.
     Farpoint cadets will have the opportunity to specialize their membership experience by joining departments. The departments create content, activities and props for their home starship simulator.  Cadets may also volunteer to work in any of Utah Valley's nine starship simulators located at the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center, the Discovery Space Center, Lakeview Academy and Renaissance Academy (Renaissance Academy's ship is in the planning stage).
     Please visit Farpointstation.org for more information on how you can be a part of this new youth program, open to all students ages 10 to 17.  You do not need to attend a space center school to join.

Mr. Williamson    


New Photos of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center's New Odyssey Simulator 

The CMSEC's Odyssey II simulator is getting closer to completion.  It is scheduled to open the middle of October.  You can book a mission in the new Odyssey by calling 801.785.8713.


Walking toward the Odyssey's Control Room door

The Odyssey's Control Room. Notice how large and roomy

The Odyssey's Control Room with opening into the simulator.
Yes, that's my Diet Dew in the opening.

The entrance hallway.  The Phoenix is to the right, Odyssey to the left and the door straight ahead leads to the
old entrance to the Voyager.

Looking behind the Odyssey's front wall and toward the old Voyager entrance (the one you hit your head on).

Standing at the back of the Odyssey, looking toward the front

The back of the Odyssey, looking toward the engineering station.

Looking toward the front from the engineering station
Looking from the front, toward the back.  The captain's pedestal is shown


Lakeview Academy's USS Leo Gets Covering Plastic Installed


     The black plastic computer screen covers were installed on the Leo's computer stations on Friday.  Things are looking very cool; however, I think the keyboards may be a bit too large for the desks given the amount of room the mice have to operate.  I ran into the problem on the Voyager when we upgraded the computers.  I had to buy the keypadless keyboards.  It was money well worth spending.  

There is No Reason to be Bored


The Imaginarium
Ordinary, plus imagination, equals Extraordinary


Well, at least it was imaginative.






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The Death Star Ring








Star Wars Dogs





Tooth Fairy footprints in glitter






Friday, September 27, 2013

Why Do We Live in a 3D Universe? Space and Science News. The Imaginarium and Other Delights

Space and Science News

Why do We Live in a 3D Universe?


Astronauts arrive at ISS, Cygnus docking Postponed


Inside the Soyuz: Astronauts in cramped capsule.

Reinforcements have arrived for Expedition 37. Blasting off from Baikonur on Wednesday, the Soyuz rocket needed only four orbits to catch up to the International Space Station and dock at 8:45 p.m. MDT. Two hours later, after systems check and air pressure equalization, the hatches were opened and the crew released from their tiny Soyuz capsule.



Soyuz spacecraft TMA-10M on approach to the docking port of ISS.

On board the Soyuz spaceship was Soyuz commander Oleg Kotov, astronaut Michael Hopkins and cosmonaut Sergei Ryazanskiy. Together they make up the second half of the Expedition 37 team. The spacecraft has been docked at the Poisk mini-module of the ISS. This part of the crew is scheduled for a five and a half month stay on the ISS.

Meanwhile, earlier software problems with the Cygnus robotic cargo spacecraft had originally caused a delay in the docking. With the imminent arrival of the Soyuz crewed vehicle, engineers decided to postpone the procedure after the fix, until this coming Sunday. We wish the best of luck to the Orbital Sciences team and hope for the best on the docking attempt.




Illustration of Cygnus near the station (Orbital Sciences).
By Mark Daymont
Farpoint Educator
Spacerubble.blogspot.com

Friday's Imaginarium
Welcome to the world of ordinary turned upside down.












Thank you Subway for the advice. I'll eat at Fresh tonight


Take that new math!


















What happens when you drink and drive