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

     

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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   

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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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Another Space Center Great Retires Planetside. What is it With These High Paying Jobs? Isn't Working for Starfleet for Low Wages Satisfying Enough?! The Space Place Ends its Summer Camp Season. Time to Prep for the School Year. Imaginarium Theater.

 

Ellie Clark Retires from Starfleet and Returns Planetside

These things happen, life calls, and one of the Space Center's Greatest retires from the Space Service to return planetside to take a position at a local company as a programmer.  

Ellie started as a young volunteer in June 2019. COVID hit just as she was getting off to a great start, which robbed her of one year in the fleet.  But she was right back at it once restrictions were lifted and the scourge had subsided.  

Ellie with the other past and present Cassini Flight Directors

  

Ellie trained under Jon Parker and quickly became a Cassini Supervisor, then a flight director.  She expanded her interests and also became a Phoenix Flight Director.  

I had the privilege of working with Ellie during my brief time as a Cassini FD. She made working on the Cassini a joy with her sense of humor and a contagious positive attitude toward the Space Center, its mission, and all our patrons.  

Good luck Ellie. You will be missed by those you leave behind........

The Space Place's Summer Camp Season Ends

The Space Place Director, Bracken Funk, is off on vacation for two weeks, a well-deserved vacation, I might add, so the Center finished its summer camp season last week.  

When Bracken returns, he will meet with Megan Warner and me to start preparations for this school year's Voyager Club at Renaissance Academy.  Our students will be placed into squadrons of 10 and power through the galaxy on an 8-month-long mission aboard the Starship Voyager.  It will be a fantastic year. 

Lindsey is teaching the basics of Away Mission Set Up to Shayan and Tony

Sam is getting into costume to play the villain of the mission

Megan's Away Mission device is hidden away in one of the school's math classrooms

Megan is briefing the volunteers about the mission, outlining acting parts, and giving assignments

Bracken saying, "I Can't Believe They Just Did That!"  Yes, sometimes our younger crews can really throw the mission sideways!

 

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Here Be Dragons, A New Junior Space Camp Mission at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy. Brady Blumn from Dumb and Dumber and Winnie the Pooh Visit the Space Center. Check Out the Space Center's Newest Camp for Kids, "Astrozoology". Some Cool Things Coming to the Space Center's Planetarium. See the Starship Simulator in London! Imaginarium Theater

The Starship Voyager's Control Room. Bracken Funk at the Flight Director Station. Megan Warner at 2nd Chair

This blog likes to keep the Space EdVenturing community up to date on developments at the local space centers in Utah County:  Christa McAuliffe Space Center, American Heritage Discovery Space Center, The Space Place, The Lions Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy, and the Telos Discovery Space Center in Orem.  One of the things I like to announce is new missions debuting in the simulators.  

Here Be Dragons is the name of the new Junior Space Camp mission at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy in Lehi.  The mission was told for the first time last week and went very well.  Junior camps at The Space Place are for students going into 3rd through 4th grade. 

Here Be Dragons Staff and Volunteers.  Megan, 2nd Chair. Henry is supervising, and Kai, Miles, Kaia, and Tony are volunteering

Junior camps start at 3:00 PM and end at 8:30 PM.  It is one long adventure with supper included.

Megan in her character's makeup

The First Junior Crew to do Here Be Dragons

Here Be Dragons is big on problem-solving and puzzle-solving. The Juniors get to meet interesting and not-too-scary space aliens and operate the largest space ship simulator in the Utah County fleet of starship simulators.  

The Space Place has one week left of its summer space camp season.  To learn more about the camp, the center, and private group bookings for all ages, visit TheSpacePlace.org.  

Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh and Billy in 4C from the Movie Dumb and Dumber Visit the Space Center

I was working in the Space Center's Staff Room on Saturday when Jade Hansen, one of our supervisors and a longtime friend and supporter of the Space Center, walked in and told me that his cousin, Brady Bluhm, was in the Cassini Control Room.  

Jade introduced me to Brady, who was there with a group, and he kindly consented to a photo with the Cassini's "dead bird" mascot in his Dumb and Dumber pose.  He a great guy! He also had very kind words to say about the Space Center.  

Brady Bluhm at the Space Center on Saturday and in the 1994 movie "Dumb and Dumber"

Here is a little more on Brady Bluhm.

Billy in 4C, also known as William, is a blind neighbor of protagonists Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne in the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. He is famously tricked by Lloyd into buying Harry's decapitated parakeet, Petey, which Lloyd had taped back together, leading to the iconic scene where Billy gently strokes the bird and asks it to say "pretty bird."

The character was played by child actor Brady Bluhm, who also voiced Christopher Robin in several Winnie the Pooh productions. Nearly 20 years later, the Farrelly Brothers tracked Bluhm down via Facebook to cast him as the grown-up Billy in the 2014 sequel, Dumb and Dumber To, where he appears with a talking cockatoo

News from the Christa McAuliffe Space Center

From the Center's Facebook Page 

25% off our new Astro Zoology camp for ages 6-7 starting next week. Use the code "ASTRO" at checkout to sign up your child for a puzzle-filled experience helping with a space-creature mix-up. spacecenter.as.me/camps

We know you've been looking up at the sky on these warm summer evenings. Come learn more about what's out there at our planetarium.
spacecenterutah.org/planetarium

Bridge Command.  

London's Starship Simulator.  Pretty Cool

Did you know there is a starship simulator in London and Birmingham, in Great Britain?  Their programs are very similar to the simulations offered at Utah's space centers.  If any one of our space center fans out there is heading to London anytime soon, please check them out and let me know what you think.   

They have excellent reviews.  Read on

Ever wanted to fly your own starship?

Step aboard this immersive spaceship adventure that is “quite simply the nearest you will ever get to being in space” (★★★★★ London Theatre1).

This intergalactic expedition combines the best of theatre, cutting-edge gaming technology, escape rooms and features live actors to bring to life “a sci-fi fan’s dream come true!” (★★★★★ Clonestar Pod) without the need for VR or wearable tech.

Don the uniform, and join the crew for an adventure featuring unexpected discoveries, high-stakes negotiations, and chilling mysteries. Your choices steer the mission and every decision shapes a story that’s uniquely yours, offering a “meaningful sense of agency” (Time Out).

Bridge Command offers five distinct mission types — Frontline, Military, Exploration, Intrigue, and Diplomacy and up to 14 unique crew roles across Science, Engineering, Operations, and Command teams (link each to their section on the page). With multiple scenarios for each mission type, each visit offers a new episode and no two experiences are ever the same.

Don’t miss the chance to ‘star in a space odyssey of your own making’ (★★★★ The Stage)

Here are a few videos of their program in action. 

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