The USS Magellan's Final Day. It Goes Down in Battle Against the Wreaking Machine. All That Remains is the Defiant Phoenix . Tomorrow it Will Make Its Last Stand. .

     May 7, 2020 was the Magellan's last stand against Time and Progress which move us forward into the future. What a fine ship it was as it voyaged through that universe of imagination so many of us craftily created over these many years.  With the Magellan went the Discovery Room. 
     We said a form of goodbye to the Magellan once before when it was remodeled into the ship many of you knew. This was my "Farewell" video to the Magellan at that time. 

The Original Magellan's Last Mission

     My first mission as director of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center was on the Voyager. My Last Mission was on the Magellan; Friday, May 25, 2013.  The Children of Perikoi with my students - children from Central Elementary School 

Now a Short Farewell. The End of the Magellan.  The Mighty Ship Meets its End.

Farewell to the Magellan from SpaceCampUtah's Imaginarium on Vimeo.

The Voyager Sails into the Twilight. Celebrate the Passing of a Friend.

      And just like that it was no more......10,778 days.  Even closed for the past 2,835 of those days it stood as a monument of imagination and imagineering, an inspiration for the many simulators that followed.

     The 5th of May will be one of those days to remember.  Tomorrow it will be the Odyssey and Phoenix.  The last ship to go will be the Magellan. 

     

        People ask if I'm sad to see them go. Of course, but I'm finding more joy in seeing what has come from that first ship Voyager and what is yet to come.  The ship served its purpose well and deserves to live on our memories.
     Think of all the stories you already tell when you get together with former shipmates.  Good times, yes?  And that's the way it should be.
     And far into the future, there may be a story told of a crazy project that boldly went where no man had gone before. 
     Once upon time there was this ship called Voyager.........    

     Toast the passing of a friend and look to the future for what is to come.

Victor

Decommissioning the Christa McAuliffe Space Center Fleet and Finding Homes for Many of Its Parts. A Week Which Has Seen a Flurry of Activity. A Slide Show Highlighting the Week.

The Mother Ship. Simulator 1. The USS Voyager. Launched November 8, 1990.
Decommissioned: July 31, 2012.  The Final Closing. May 2, 2020.

     This last week has seen a flurry of a activity at the CMSC. The school received notification that the building would be demolished beginning May 4th.  With little time to say goodbye, Mr. Porter arranged a time for current and former staff including long time volunteers past and present to come by and take their final pictures on Saturday, April 25.  Their numbers were restricted due to Covid 19 virus constraints.  
    James Porter has done an excellent job handling the closing of the current Center. Last week was spent demolishing salvageable items from the simulators. Much of the Phoenix was salvaged by Nathan Young who plans on using it as a filming stage for his webcast sci-fi series. I was pleased about that. The entire Galileo and much of the Voyager's furniture was salvaged by Alex Debirk to be used at the soon to be built American Heritage Space Center.  The Magellan's big subwoofers will find a home on the Voyager at the Space Academy.  Many parts of the old CMSC will reappear in future simulators or displayed in the homes of those who loved the Center they grew up in.  
   What a tough job seeing it go, but on the flip side what joy there is in seeing the new Center rise from ground directly behind the first Voyager. 
     Of course I have mixed feelings, and of course seeing the ship's, which were such a big part of my life, head for the scrapyard is difficult. The essence of those ships hold so many memories that it will be hard to see them go for me and I'm sure for many of you.  But out into the realm of make believe and dreams they fly.  My goodbyes will be said here in Troubadour over the next few months while we wait for the new Center to open.  I'll be posting many old photos that haven't been posted before of staff and volunteers along with stories and remembrances.  Please bookmark The Troubadour and visit often.  
     I've taken the CMSC's Facebook page pictures from last week and stitched them together in a slide show for everyone to enjoy.  Until next Sunday, 

Victor

News from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center
From the CMSC Facebook Page

Scott Wiltbank, Nolan Welch, Lindsey Hatch, Connor Larsen, Jordan Smith, Mason Edmondson, James Porter, Tabitha Long, Natalie Anderson, Sydney Brown, Jon Parker, Maeson Busk, Lissa Eagar Hadfield, Miranda Rendell, Jake Hadfield and Audrey Henriksen.

Mr. Williamson's Imaginarium Theater
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