The Odyssey Has a New Set Director; A Familiar Face Returns. Space Center Staff Learn Thorium, an Open Source Simulator Controls. Thorium Workshop Open to Everyone on August 25. Learn More About it. A Home Ship Using Thorium. Imaginarium Theater

Natalie Anderson Receives the Odssey's Microphone from Nathan Young Making her the new Odyssey Set Director.

     Natalie Anderson was enjoying a quiet lunch of emerald greens on a bed of martian rye favored generously with chipped free range snog from the Valles Marineris when her databad buzzed. Across from her sat a gentleman - a new person of interest in her life.  It was their first date, booked at a table sporting a breathtaking view of Olympus Mons.  He was someone Natalie had met while attending the Martian Institute of Theoretical Physics.  A nerd of sorts, but with a sense of style.  Natalie glanced down at the screen. "Incoming James Porter.  Earth. Delay: 20.21 minutes"  

     "What does he want?" she mumbled to herself. "Will you excuse me?"  Natalie moved the beige napkin from her lap to the table top, stood, and walked out onto the terrace.  Three minutes later she returned to the table, brushed her gentleman friend's cheek with her hand, then spoke. "My reactivation clause with Starfleet is in effect.  The USS Odyssey needs me."  

     He stood confused. "Reactivation clause?  You've only been gone 8 months and you're going back. I thought you were done with space service?"

     She brushed an imaginary tear from beneath her eye as she whispered,  "Au revoir mon aurait pu être. Duty calls." She explained the last ship for Earth was leaving within the hour. Her lunch was finish. Standing, she pocketed the last roll in the basket, turned and said, "Be a dear and get the check," as she walked toward the lift and back to her old life.

On Thursday Natalie stood before a gathering of Space Center staff and volunteers to officially receive the Odyssey's microphone from Nathan Young. Nathan isn't retiring from Space Center service, just stepping back as other pressing matters, like school, require his attention.

The Odyssey's Blue Ribbon Staff
Tabitha, Natalie, and Nathan

     Once again, as always, the Odyssey is in good hands.  You can count on new missions, a clean and happy ship, and service with a smile when you fly the Starship Odyssey at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center.  

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center Staff Learn More About Thorium at Canyon Grove Academy's Discovery Space Center

       

     Thorium is open source software used to fly and flight direct an experiential starship simulator.  Alex Anderson is the Primus behind Thorium.  Telos Discover Space Center and the Lion's Gate Center use Thorium exclusively.  Canyon Grove's three simulators are primarily Thorium driven.  

The Voyager at the Farpoint Space Academy uses bits and bobs from many different sets of simulator software, including Thorium and Interstellar.  

     The Christa McAuliffe Space Center is preparing to make the switch to Thorium this Fall.  Switching to a new set of starship controls isn't easy. Think of everything that must be done.  Knowing the mountain that must be climbed to convert, Mr. Porter scheduled a training flight for his staff at Canyon Grove Discovery last Thursday.

    

The Dauntless was staffed mostly with Phoenix, Odyssey, and Galileo staff. 

Natalie Anderson was the Captain

Jon Parker, wearing his glasses on the end of his nose to mimic concentration, seemed perturbed with Nathan Young.
Jon is getting older, thus needing a wee bit more time to learn new things.
Nathan had lost patience with Jon's delay in following the captain's orders and took matters in hand by reaching over and carrying out a command on Jon's computer without so much as a howdy-do.

Lindsey's reaction to Nathan's bold move against Jon.
"Yes, Jon's old, but look at you Mr. Williamson. You're ancient but still able to find
your way around a starship," she said.  She encourage Nathan to leave Jon be.

Spencer Baird (a dual employee from Canyon Grove and Farpoint) acted as second chair to Bronson Todd in purple.
This was Bronson's first mission using Thorium. "It's the blind leading the blind," he expressed while searching the screen for a dial, or slider, or indicator, or panic button. He asked me not to
share his comment on the blog. Something I grunted to but didn't officially agree to.

Canyon Grove Director Maeson Busk (in red) flew several of the CMSC employees in the Valiant.
I'm seeing mostly a Magellan contingent with a stray here and there from the other simulators to occupy a seat.
Again for many, this was their first exposure to Thorium. Audrey carried Mr. Porter's saddlebag.  In it are the codes
to launch the planet's defenses in case of alien invasion.

Alex Anderson (center) sat outside the Everest control room taking Thorium feedback from the crews.  There were several "This didn't work, and that didn't do what it was suppose to do" but mostly the feedback was positive.  The CMSC staff seemed ready and willing to convert to Thorium.  

The Canyon Grove portion of the training ended with a generous lunch provided by the CMSC.
After lunch everyone moved to the CMSC to fly Thorium test missions in the Galileo, Odyssey, and Magellan.

 Thorium Developer Workshop: A Call for Attendees.  Come Learn Thorium, Starship Simulation Software and Be Cool!

When:  August 25, 2018 from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.  Lunch will be provided.
Where:  The Information Systems Lab on BYU Campus - TNRB W328.  
Why:  To build the starship simulator controls community, train new developers, and make awesome stuff.  
What:  Bring your own laptop, or use of the provided computers tow work on actual code for Thorium.  
The Purpose of the Workshop:
To encourage outside collaboration and development, the Thorium team invites you to a one-day workshop and hackathon. This will be an excellent opportunity to learn about how Thorium was developed, pick up some new skills, make some new friends, and give back to Thorium and the Space Center community.

To learn more about the workshop, to register, and figure out if this is right for you, please visit the workshop's website.  

A Home Based Simulator Powered by Thorium.  An Example of Software's Effectiveness.  

The Bridge of the UCS Addis Ababa, a Home Grown Thorium Powered Ship

Mr Williamson,

     I recently built my own 5-person simulator in my family's basement. It's pretty basic, and players have to bring their own laptop, but I'm still pretty excited about how the UCS Addis Ababa turned out.

     This isn't actually my first simulator, a couple of years ago, I build the UCS Mandela at my high school as a senior capstone project. Aside from some climate control issues, the Mandela ran splendidly. I haven't had a chance to test this one out with a full crew compliment yet but I hope it will go just as well. Now to get my college to let me build a sim...

     I posted the attached pictures on the online chat for the Thorium simulator software, and Alex recommended I send them over to you, so you could post them on Voyagers Log. Feel free to do so, if you feel they'd fit.

Regards,

Admiral Lilah Rosenfield,

Assistant Chief of Fleet Operations

Colonial Command

Imaginarium Theater
The Best Gifs From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience

The Odyssey's Launch and Ribbon Cutting. Newly Discovery Pictures. A Must Read for All You Odyssey Fans Out There. The Imaginarium.

Dave Wall, Eve Mary Verde, and Steve Wall
Eve Mary officially opens the new Odyssey to the World

     I found a box of old 35mm slides while digging through my closet.  I had a spare hour or so and decided it was time to put on my explorers hat, load my elephant gun, and venture into those parts of the closet where no one has been before; that area of the closet where you toss things you don't need, and can't think you'll need, in the foreseeable future.  
     Thirty minutes into the maze I stumbled upon a box of old 35mm slides.  I put the box into my knapsack, sat down and ate my sack lunch, then continued until I reached what appeared to be the back wall.  Fearful of the sound of distant drums and remembering stories of people who've mysteriously disappeared after entering wardrobes and looking glasses, I made a hasty retreat.
     Back in the safety of the bedroom, I examined the contents of my knapsack: a missing sock, a Primary Article of Faith plastic number which had fallen off my Primary sash (we wore them to primary back in the days of polygamy), and a few other bits and bobs.  Then the prize which made the adventure worth the risk and the trouble - the small white plastic box of slides.  
     "The Odyssey's Launch," I mumbled to myself after taking one of the slides out and holding it up to the window.  After 25 years lost in the jungle of a closet in Pleasant Grove, emerges pictures of a happy day in Space Center history.   
     The Odyssey opened in the fall of 1993, three years after the launch of Starship One, the USS Voyager in November 1990.  Back in the days before the Voyager had to hold all the field trip students.  I needed another ship.  Having a small ship for private missions was another reason for the Odyssey.  The room was there at the back of the Briefing Room. I just needed funding.  I thought $25,000 would do the trick.  
      In the early to mid 1990's I served on the US West (CenturyLink today) Foundation's Outstanding Teacher Selection Committee.  We traveled the state looking at teachers in our yearly search for US West's Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, an award I had won earlier.  Eve Mary Verde was the Foundation's Director.  US West had helped me before so I thought to ask again. I scheduled an appointment to make the pitch for funding, went to Salt Lake, sat down with the companies managers, made my pitch, and got the funding.  The Odyssey was a GO!  
     The next problem, who to build the Odyssey?  Dave and Steve Wall were brothers, raised in Provo, and science fiction extreme fans.  They were also big fans of the Space Center.  They both agreed to take on the project.  A year later, the Odyssey was built. At first the simulator went by two names: ISES and Seeker.  I liked ISES. Dave Wall liked Seeker.  ISES stood for Inner Space Explorer Ship. I wanted to Odyssey to be a multi-platform ship doing both space and inner body adventures.  Dave Wall was the Odyssey's Set Director.  In the end Dave and I compromised on a new name - Odyssey.  All that was left was the official launch and ribbon cutting.    
     

     In this picture you see Victor Williamson, Eve Mary Verde, and Bill Schuler presenting a space shuttle plaque to US West thanking them for funding the Odyssey.  See what directing a Space Center for 23 years does to you?  Once handsome, thin, with a head of thick hair - now old, wore out, balding, and rounder :)  We're standing at the front of the Briefing Room (the storage room in today's Odyssey).  Notice no Phoenix simulator.  Mr. Schuler is standing where the outer wall of the Phoenix would eventually go.
Bill Schuler is an expert model builder. The plaque was his creation.   

Eve Mary Receiving the Plaque

     Our gift shop (the same counter used today) sat in front of the 45 inch TV at the front of the Briefing Room?  In 1993 we didn't have the Discover Room, the Magellan, or the Galileo.  Today the gift shop sits in the Discovery Room.  Sugar occupies the gift shop's top shelf. Paying volunteers with sugar is a time honored tradition. 

     Stan Harward was the first speaker.  Dr. Harward was my partner in the creation of the Space Center. He was the principal of Central Elementary in 1990.  

     Dan Adams was the second speaker.  Dan was Central Elementary's principal when the Odyssey was opened.  Both Stan and Dan were great Space Center supporters.  Dan Adams gave us permission to take over two classrooms for the Magellan and Discovery.  Being quite handy in a wood shop, Dan contributed his time and talents in the construction as well.  

      Dave and Steve Wall spoke about the construction of the Odyssey.  They did the whole job on budget and during the summer meaning the ship was ready for field trips in September.  Dave stayed on and became the Odyssey's first Set Director in addition to his day time job in Salt Lake City.  Steve moved to Logan to begin a teaching career. 

     I was the final speaker before the ribbon cutting.  I laugh when I see the high tech on my desk.  Notice the 6 inch screen on that computer?  Notice the size of that very expensive laser printer?  We didn't have much of a staff in those days. 

     The Odyssey in all her 1990s glory.  What a beautiful wall. Don't you like the color scheme?  Recognize any of the pictures?  Any of them still hang at the Space Center today?  Gotta love those 1950's classroom light fixtures :)

     There you go, a special post for all you Odyssey fans - the dedication of your favorite starship simulator. 

Victor

The Imaginarium