Voyager Club August Update: Record Attendance, Robot Internships, and a New Frontier. The Space Center, Always Improving, Always Evolving. The Imaginarium Theater

On Saturday morning, August 29th, the Space Center hosted another monthly gathering of Utah’s best and brightest young space enthusiasts and seasoned volunteers for our August Voyager Club meeting.

The Voyager Club serves as the Space Center's primary outreach program for teens and adults and forms the backbone of our dedicated volunteer force. These monthly gatherings give members a chance to build community while refining their skills. Our education faculty leads lessons on astronomy, cosmology, space history, science fiction, and the art of using immersive simulators to teach science and leadership skills.

Highlights from August's Meeting:

1. Early-Bird Bingo & Record Numbers: We kicked off the morning at 8:00 AM with our signature discount-prize Bingo. The prizes consist of anything I find on sale and special two-for-ones at the local Smith's grocery store (Smith's never lets me down).   The official club business started at 8:30 AM. Following back-to-back attendance records in July and August, we have officially outgrown standard classrooms. Starting next month, all Voyager Club meetings will be held in the Space Center Planetarium.

2. Growing Membership: Club President Eavie W. welcomed our newest members. With August's recruits, the club's official membership has reached 125 volunteers.

New Club Members

4. Service pins were presented after new members' introductions. Five members received their 1-year pin.  One volunteer received his two-year pin.   

One Year Pin Recipients

Two-Year Pin Recipient

3. Improv & Acting Workshops: Tyler Weight, Club Drama Instructor, announced three acting workshops scheduled for September and October, culminating in a special interactive acting event in late October.

4. A New Universe: Mitch Foote, the Space Center’s universe creator and imagineer, outlined how our simulators—specifically The Falcon and The Odyssey—are transitioning into our brand-new original lore as we move beyond our traditional Star Trek setting.

Mitch Presenting

5. AI & Robotics Internship: Spencer B. and his father, Jeremy, introduced Ollie, a custom 3D-printed AI robot designed to interact with visitors similar to the droids in Disney's Star Tours. High school members can now apply for credit-earning internships to help build additional units after school at Pleasant Grove High School.

Spencer and Ollie

6. Cross-Country Collaboration: Mike Donaho, director of Mobile Space Adventures in Austin, Texas, joined us to share how the Space Center inspired his program. We are partnering with Mike to run several Texas-designed simulation missions aboard the ships at American Heritage and Renaissance Academy this October, open to all active volunteers.

Mike Donaho from Mobile Space Adventures

7. Jason Trump, Club Astronomy Instructor and Director of Education at Clark Planetarium, along with guest speaker Dr. Paige Wheatley, delivered a presentation on exoplanet discovery using the newly launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope as it travels toward Lagrange Point 2. This telescope, like the Hubble and the James Webb telescopes, will revolutionize our understanding of the universe and our place in it. 

Jason Trump

Dr. Paige Wheatley Exobiologist

8. Hands-on Workshop: Following our meeting raffle, Eavie W. led a hands-on workshop on applying theatrical special-effects makeup for simulator acting. 

Max and the beating he took at the makeup workshop

Get Involved

Whether you are looking to gain hands-on experience in theater, robotics, or STEM education, the Voyager Club offers a unique runway for junior and senior high school students, adults, and community members.

To join or learn more about upcoming meetings, visit
VoyagerClub.org.


Mr. Williamson

The Space Center, a Never-Complete Utah Treasure

Jack is finishing up a few last-minute wire details on Saturday.  You need to hide those dangling wires :)

The Space Center is a project that is never truly completed.  Just like Disneyland, things are always being improved over time.  Over the last month, the Space Center has installed all-new computers in the simulators and an entirely new special-effects lighting system throughout Starbase and the six simulators. 

James Porter, Space Center Director, Megan Warner, and many others, including Alpine District IT techs, have worked to prepare everything for the Center's reopening for the school-year field trip season.

This conversion won't be completed until the start of the new year due to delays in lighting deliveries, but what is installed is remarkable for the increased quality of our simulation programs. The public won't know that work will be ongoing because everything is being done behind the scenes and when the Center is closed.   

Imaginarium Theater

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The Highlights of Honors Night, Held at the Space Center on August 27, 2026: Those Honored, Their Awards, and a Video Tribute to Those Recently Retired. Imaginarium Theater.

The Space Center held its biannual Honors Night on Thursday evening, August 27.  Everyone gathered in the planetarium to honor the staff and volunteers for their hard work and dedication to the Space Center's mission and goals. 

This short video highlights the entire evening with all the Honors presented.  Congratulations to the honorees and a tribute to those who have retired from Space Service for planetside duties.  The video includes a tribute to them.  

And a few personal comments to those who were honored at Honor's Night and those who have retired from the Space Service for planetside duties......

I want to give my personal thanks to our dedicated staff and dedicated volunteers.  Your selfless service is the heart of the Space Center. Every hour you spend directing missions, mentoring our volunteers, and bringing simulations to life fulfills our core mission: to inspire curiosity, spark imagination, and foster a lifelong love for learning. Congratulations to everyone who was honored at Honor’s Night — your "Honors" are a true testament to your creativity, leadership, and passion.

To our staff members who recently "retired" from space duty to embark on their next chapters in life: please accept my personal gratitude. As the founder of this center, watching you grow into phenomenal leaders—and sharing in your journey—has been an inspiration to me. Thank you for the energy you poured into our simulators, the legacy of excellence, and, above all, for your lasting friendship. You will always be a part of our Space Center family.

Mr. Williamson

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Doug Pusey, a Former Space Center Educator, Passes Away. The Space Center Community Pays Tribute to a Remarkable Teacher and Friend. A New Robot Feature at the Space Center? Lions Gate Space Center Looking for an Aide. Imaginarium Theater

Doug and James Porter

Doug Pusey recently passed away after a brave, long battle with cancer. A veteran science teacher in the Alpine School District for many years, Doug left a lasting mark on generations of students. Among them was James Porter, who counted Doug as one of his favorite teachers and the key inspiration behind his own path into education.

After Doug retired from the public school system, James brought him to the Space Center to lead the classroom portion of the field trip program. His contribution became crucial during the Space Center’s transition from the old Central School building to its new facility, where Doug helped get the state-of-the-art planetarium up and running while maintaining a full schedule of field trips.

Though Doug left the Space Center a few years ago to pursue other interests, his impact remained. I had the privilege of working with Doug before his departure, and it was immediately clear that teaching was his life’s passion—his students always came first. The Space Center community mourns his loss and pays tribute to an educational pioneer who helped further our mission of inspiring a spacefaring civilization.

Reflecting on his mentor and friend, James shared:

"All of us here at the Space Center will cherish the time we had with Doug. He was one of the big inspirations that got me into teaching, and it was an absolute pleasure to work side by side with one of my favorite teachers. The best part was the opportunity to become a close friend."

A New Robot Host at the Space Center?

Meet Olly (at least, I’m pretty sure that’s his name!). I had the pleasure of meeting him yesterday.

Olly is the brain-child of Spencer—a dedicated Space Center volunteer and Voyager Club member—and his dad, Mr. Blair, a former computer science teacher at Lone Peak High School turned software engineer. While still a work in progress, this little android already shows massive potential as a standout feature for the Space Center.

Olly’s body is entirely 3D printed, with an iPhone serving as his face. Together, the iPhone and a built-in Raspberry Pi make up the brains of this friendly robot, driving multi-directional head and arm movements. He’s been loaded with data from the Space Center's online footprint, enabling him to answer a wide variety of Space Center questions on the spot. The possibilities here are incredible.

Because Olly is an ongoing project, exciting opportunities are opening up for other Space Center volunteers. Mr. Blair plans to open the initiative to high school interns looking to gain hands-on experience for school credit. Once the prototype is fully dialed in, additional units could be built and deployed throughout the facility—from the lobby to the planetarium and Starbase.

Watch out, Disney—the Space Center is building interactive robots of its very own!

     

The Lion's Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy is Looking for a Space Center Aide 

Interested in applying?  Contact Daniel Kirkpatrick at Lakeview.  

dkirkpatrick@lakeview-academy.com

 

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An Update from the Lions Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy, Saratoga Springs. Phoebe Bridgers' New Album Debuts at the Space Center's Planetarium and Others Worldwide. Imaginarium Theater

Hello again!

Lion's Gate will be closed for an extended period while we work on updates/repairs for the Apollo & Artemis. (Rewiring, patching the walls, fog machine installation, etc.) If timing works out, we should have everything done before the new ships come online sometime in October. 

So far, everything is on pace, and we're aiming to unveil our new simulators sometime that month. I know the wait has been long, but we think it will be worth the wait! I'll be sure to provide more specific details on any relevant events soon.

Emma Hilmo

Next are some staffing changes. Our Assistant Director, Emma Hilmo, has retired from active duty and returned planetside. She will be greatly missed, but we know she'll do just great wherever she ends up next! On to hirings, we've brought on Nathan King and Casey Voeks to assist Lion's Gate as we move into post-construction! They will be a big help to our efforts going forward.

                                                   Nathan King in his classroom at Lakeview Academy

Nathan wears three hats: he is the director of the Telos Discovery Space Center at Telos Academy in Orem; he is a STEM teacher at Lakeview, running Mission.io missions for the school's students; and he will be assisting the space center with its program.

Casey Voeks

Casey Voeks and family are moving back to Utah Country from Texas to start the school year. His children will be attending Lakeview Academy. Casey is a co-founder of Mission.io and continues to further the company's goal of world educational dominance. He will be working and consulting at Lions Gate. What a great way to get his feet back into the brick-and-mortar simulators with his kids right there at the school. Welcome back, Casey and family!


WE'RE HIRING
We are hiring 2 part-time positions to help with our school flights! Anyone who is interested is invited to apply! The link contains the job description and how to apply for one of the positions.

That's all from us for now at the Lions Gate Space Center!

Fly Safe Out There!
Jonathan Eden
Lions Gate Space Center Staff


Phoebe Bridgers’ Newest Album, Lost Weekend, Will Debut Inside Planetariums Around the Globe. The Space Center's Planetarium is One of the Them

Ahead of its worldwide release on August 14th via Dead Oceans, Phoebe Bridgers’ newest album Lost Weekend will debut in full inside planetariums around the globe.
Each listening session pairs the album with one of two original visual accompaniments: a custom dome show designed by renowned night-sky photographer Babak Tafreshi, or a unique immersive laser show designed by Laser Fantasy.


Both presentations offer their own atmospheric perspective, turning your first listen into a shared sonic and visual experience.
Note: This is not a performance, and Phoebe Bridgers will not be in attendance. Presented in partnership with Spotify.
Tickets are available at https://spacecenter.as.me/planetarium

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Lion's Gate Space Center are Closed for Maintance, Repair, and Equipment Replacements.

It is a mess everywhere! A Control Room's Equipment at Lion's Gate

The CMSC in Pleasant Grove reopens on Friday, August 20 for normal operations.
The six starship simulators are being refitted with new computers. New special effect lighting is being installed in the hallways and starships as well.


The Lion's Gate Space Center reopens in October. The Apollo and Artemis simulators are being upgraded and refitted. Two new simulators and a space station are under construction.

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Levi Earns the Royal Blues at the Space Center. The Last Two Summer Space Camps and Connor Larsen Makes Another (and most likely his last) Exit Planetside....... The Imaginarium Theater

Rachel Congratulating Levi On Successfully Completing the Supervising Internship Program

     

     The Space Center has a new Cassini supervisor.  Levi passed the Internship Program and received his Royal Blues from Tabitha Ricks and James Porter, signifying he is a fully accredited supervisor - and he goes on the payroll!!!  Levi is very excited about that.  

     Please ignore the obvious bribe captured in the photo above.  "Keeping your flight directors happy is necessary in this business," Levi explained to me when I asked him about the goodies Rachel was carrying.

     Rachel jumped in to explain. "He would have gotten the pass anyway.  He has all the qualities we look for on the Cassini: good grades, a good attitude, a good work ethic, and he knows when to discreetly gift goodies."  Rachel reached out to shake Levi's hand as she said, "Levi will go far in the Cassini."  

     Congratulations, Levi, on your accomplishment.  Now don't forget, I can never say no to a pumpkin chocolate chip muffin. 

Mr. Williamson 

 

The Last Two Camps of the 2026 Summer Space Camps at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center:  The Officer's Camp and The Extended Camp.  And Another Goodbye to Connor Larsen.  

     And just as soon as it started, it all came to an end on the last two days of the summer camp season 2026.  The last Officer's Camp was held on July 30th, and the last Extended Camp was held on July 31.  I took several photos of both camps for today's post, adding another milestone to the vivid and colorful Space Center history that this blog documents.  

Connor Larsen

     The Extended Camp was Connor Larsen's last mission before moving to Florida to pursue an advanced degree in organ.  Sadly, it may also be his last mission because if all things go well, Connor will land a university teaching position somewhere in the world and the Space Center will be just a memory in his interesting life story.  

     I want to personally thank Connor for all the years he contributed to the program to make it what it is today.  He is gifted, caring, and talented.  He is one of those rare people who, from time to time, walk through the Space Center's doors and end up making a huge impact on all our lives.  

     The very best of luck to you, Connor, as you pursue your dreams!  

And Now, the Last Two Summer Camps of 2026

     

Imaginarium Theater

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With the Last of the Summer Camps Complete, The Christa McAuliffe Space Center and Renaissance Academy's The Space Place Take a Three Week Vacation for Maintenance, New Computers, and Repairs. The Imaginarium Theater.

 Hello Troops,

The 2026 Summer Space Camp Season is over at the Space Center in Pleasant Grove, with the last camp held on Friday.  The Space Place at Renaissance Academy did their last summer camp the week before.

The Christa McAuliffe Space Center will be closed until August 21.  The Space Place at Renaissance Academy in Lehi is open for private missions only.  You can book a private mission on the beautiful Starship Voyager at TheSpacePlace.org.   

The Troubadour Blog is going to take a week off so I can focus on a few other projects I want to finish before I have to return to school for classroom and curriculum preparations and teacher meetings on August 10th.  Students arrive at Renaissance for the start of the year on August 17. 

You can still enjoy a new Imaginarium Theater below.  Have fun as the summer ticks to an end, and I'll see you next Sunday with a new Troubadour Post.  

Ad Astra!

Mr. Williamson   

Imaginarium Theater

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The July Voyager Club Meeting at the Space Center. New Attendance Record Set! The Galileo Flight Director Alex Russon, Retires from the Space Center. Photos from the Extended Space Camp. The Imaginarium Theater

The July Voyager Club Meeting.  8:00 AM, July 25

The Space Center's Voyager Club met for its July monthly meeting on Saturday.  The Voyager Club is open to anyone with an interest in space, astronomy, science fiction, and, most importantly, to those who want to volunteer at the Space Center. Club members are ages 12 and up.  They come from all over northern Utah.

Introduction of new members
  

July's meeting set an all-time attendance record with over 50 members! We filled one of the classrooms to overflowing.  The meeting started at 8:00 AM with bingo and the dispensing of lots of sugar and other confectionery delights.  Evie, the club's president, started the official meeting at 8:30 AM with the introduction of new members.

  

Tabitha Ricks Discussing the Internship Program

Several items of business were discussed after new member introductions.

1). Membership Code of Conduct was reviewed.  

2). Clarification on the new simulator passes was given.

3). Dave Stevens talked about a new CTE initiative he is working on so interested club members could volunteer at the Space Center and receive high school credit. 

4). Matt Ricks invited members to help him in the Space Center's wiring room. Matt is building all the cool electrical prop panels you see in the ships.  

5). Tabitha Ricks talked about the Space Center's Internship Program, what it is, and how members could be accepted into the program through the application process.

Club members working with ferrofluid and magnets

Jason Trump, director of education at Clark Planetarium, is a Voyager Club educator.  He gave an excellent presentation about magnetism as it relates to our Sun. For instance, what causes solar flares, why are they dangerous to astronauts, and why are we hearing a lot about them right now? 

Jason brought 26 containers holding ferrofluid so the members could see how magnets affect the fluid, similar to how the Sun's magnetism affects solar plasma. 

Club members went outside and got to watch the sun and all its glory through a hydrogen-alpha telescope.

The general membership meeting ended with a raffle.  Hundreds of dollars' worth of prizes were given away.  

Acting 101 Class

The Acting Class 101 for new volunteers was held directly after the general membership meeting.  Tyler Weight is responsible for training new volunteers in the finer points of Space Center acting and costuming. 

The August Voyager Club meeting will be held on Saturday, August 29.  For more information on the Voyager Club, visit our website. VoyagerClub.org.

Alex Russon Retires from the Space Center and Goes Planetside to Serve an LDS Mission

Alex. April 2022 left and July 2026 right

Alex Russon started volunteering at the Space Center in April 2022 as a young junior high student.  He worked his way through the ranks until he reached his goal as a Galileo Flight Director.  Brylee Perry was his mentor. 

Thank you, Alex, for many years of service and for your example of hard work and diligence.  Thank you for making the Space Center experience special for hundreds and hundreds of campers.  You will be truly missed by your co-workers and volunteers.    

Alex's last mission on the Galileo with Brylee and Benjamin

Photos from the Extended Camp.  July 23, 2026

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