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. 

Imaginarium Theater

The Week's Best Videos From Around the World, Edited for a Gentler Audience

Telos Discovery Space Center in Orem / Vineyard Opens a New Starship. Starship Simulations and Simulators is Catching On - Mobile Space Adventures in Texas with On the Spot, Real Time, Data Analysis. Imaginarium Theater

The AAV Atlas

From Nathan King's Facebook Post

It has been a moment since we last posted, but that is because we have been hard at work getting our new simulator, the AAV Atlas, up and running for groups to book! The Atlas will take 4-9 people and runs 2.5- and 4.5-hour missions. To celebrate the opening of this new ship we are offering the code: SUMMERFUN for 10% off a booking on any appointment type! You can use this code at: https://www.discoveryspacecenter.com/group-missions
We look forward to flying with you!

Nathan.

Congratulations, Telos, on the Atlas!  I'm assuming this is the 2nd ship at Telos: the Hyperion, and now the Atlas?  If so, I'm guessing it is located in the room right next to the Hyperion, the old Hyperion Briefing Room.  

Starship Simulations and Simulators is Catching On - Mobile Space Adventures in Texas with On the Spot, Real Time, Data Analysis.  

We bring a full starship bridge simulator right to your school or business — and hand your crew command of a high-stakes mission. Our system observes how the crew communicates, decides, and works together — and turns it into a report you can actually use.

What we value:
Learning — every game can be a lesson.
Leadership — everyone gets a chance to lead.
Evidence — not a survey.
Privacy — everything runs locally, anonymized.
We're the measurement layer leadership has been missing.
Follow along — more missions are launching soon.

WHAT ONE MISSION REVEALS
A starship bridge simulator arrives at your school. Six students walk in. They take crew positions: Captain, Helm, Science, Engineering, Communications, and Operations.For 30 to 90 minutes, they run a mission while the Mission Analysis System listens to every command, every hesitation, every moment one student steps up or another goes quiet.The next day, you get a crew performance report."Marcus made decisions 40% faster than his peers under pressure, but rarely asked for input before acting. He leads, but he does not listen."That is not a guess. That is behavioral data aligned to NASA teamwork competencies and Leader in Me frameworks. Now you know what to work on with Marcus.

They don't have the physical simulator yet. The mission comes in cases and set up in a room

HOW IT WORKS
Three days. No buses. Data on every measured student.

We Come to Your Campus

A trailer arrives the day before. Setup takes 45 minutes the morning of. No buses, no field trip permission slips, no lost instructional days. We work around STAAR windows, bell schedules, and campus events.

Students Run Real Missions: 

Six per crew. 30 to 90-minute mission with a structured pre-brief. Each station has a defined role. The scenario adapts to crew decisions. The Mission Analysis System transcribes every voice exchange and tags behavior in real time against NASA, TEKS, and Leader in Me frameworks.

Reports Within 24 Hours: 

Individual student competency profiles. Class-wide patterns for teachers. Aggregate cohort data for principals. Standards-aligned documentation for grant reporting and CCMR submissions. Plain language. No jargon grids.

An Example Teacher Report PDF

Two Reports, Within 24 Hours: 

Teacher Cohort Report (For Classroom Teachers)
Six behavior metrics, a full crew leaderboard, and all 20 TEKS standards scored by evidence level — the map for classroom follow-on. Class-wide performance patterns and individual breakdowns, built for instructional planning meetings and Texas TIA portfolio documentation.Principal's Brief (For Administrators and Boards)
Four headline numbers, TEKS coverage by subject, and named coaching targets — the case for funding justification and board reporting. Sole source justification language available for Title IV Part A and Perkins V procurement.FERPA and COPPA compliant. All data processing occurs locally on equipment inside the school building. No student data leaves your campus.

PRICING: 

$ 3,000 per day. Approximately 100 students across 4 to 5 missions. Individual crew reports delivered within 24 hours.$15,000 per week. Approximately 500 students with multi-day campus residency. Full school coverage with longitudinal data.District Partnership Custom pricing for 4 or more deployments per year. Dedicated account management and curriculum integration support.

Here is the link to their website.  There is a good video on the website that explains their AI and how it tracks all the crew's moves and decisions, calling them out during the mission with live data tracking. 

Imaginarium Theater

The Week's Best Videos From Around the World, Edited for a Gentler Audience 

The Passing of Steve Wall, a Long-Time Space Center Friend and Co-Designer and Builder of the First Odyssey Simulator. Be One of the First to Try Out a New Set of Starship Controls! A Summary of the June Voyager Club Meeting - An All Time Record Attendance! The Imaginarium Theater

From Facebook, by Marla Trowbridge

Steve Wall, also known as Mr. Wall or Wally, passed away on June 21st, 2026.
Steve was a science and physics teacher for many years, 1993-2016, in the Cache County School District (Official), teaching at both North and South Cache schools.
He also ran a local space simulator with his brother Dave and worked with the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in Pleasant Grove, Utah.
He was a creative and engaging teacher. More than that, he was an incredible friend who truly cared about those people whom he knew and his students.
There will be a memorial service in July, and I will let people know when that is.

                                               ____________________________________________  

Steve and his brother Dave were two of those remarkable people who magically walked through the Space Center's doors just when the need was greatest.

The year was 1991. The Space Center was bursting at the seams with eager students, and the USS Voyager alone simply wasn't enough to handle the demand. I needed another starship. While I managed to raise $25,000 for the project, I desperately lacked the specialized expertise required to design and build it.

That is when Steve and Dave walked in and completely took on the project. Everyone who ever flew on that first great Odyssey simulator owes a massive debt of gratitude to both of them.

But Steve's contributions didn't stop with construction. For several summers, he and his mighty team of Star Trek fans would travel down from Logan for our five-day overnight camps, playing multiple acting roles in full costume. They brought the simulations to life, making those years truly legendary ones for the Space Center.

To Steve:

Thank you for your kindness, dedication, and lifelong devotion to both science and science fiction. Thank you for being one of those rare, insightful educators who understood that the two are deeply intertwined.  Most of all, thank you for believing in the Space Center's mission to create a spacefaring civilization—one student at a time.  You will be missed, Admiral Wall. 

Victor

Gary Gardiner Released the Beta Version of a New Simulator Control System Called Infinity Command.  Your Feedback is Requested!  

Gary Gardiner, along with his wife and associates, is the creator of Dream Flight Adventures. They have several starship simulators in the eastern half of the country and overseas (Pennsylvania, Michigan, Washington DC, and Venezuela).  Gary's controls are also extensively used at the Lions Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy located in Saratoga Springs. 

Gary was one of those dedicated space campers who attended our summer camps at the Space Center for many years.  He grew up, married, had a family, and created a space simulator company.  Pretty impressive, right?!

Gary has a new set of controls in the testing phase called Infinity Command. He would like input from our Space EdVenturing community. He sent me the following email last week to introduce the system.    

Hi Victor,

I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. I wanted to share some news that you and fans of The Troubadour might find interesting.  Over the past several months, I've been working on a new starship simulator platform called Infinity Command.  Here's a quick 60-second video that shows it in action.

Infinity Command builds upon the Dream Flight Adventures software.  It's got the same easy-to-use interface, with better graphics, more flexibility, and it's completely free!

The Dream Flight Adventures controls are still in use in our simulator locations, so Infinity Command is more like a spin-off — and a way to give back to the Space EdVenturing community.

I just launched our public beta, and I'm hoping to get the word out so folks can start using it and seeing how it can be most useful for them.  There are lots of different simulator controls out there, so my hope with Infinity Command is to find a good way to enhance everyone's simulator experience by working alongside other tools like Thorium, etc.

Please feel free to share this around, and let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks so much

OK Space Center staff and volunteers, let's take Infinity Command out for a spin and tell me what you think.  I'll pass along your comments to Gary.  Let's help him spread the word and slowly, yet surely, Create a Space-Faring Civilization, One Student at a Time!

Mr. W. 

The Space Center's Voyager Club Holds Its June Meeting and Sets an All-Time Attendance Record

June's Voyager Club. Nearly 40 attended!

Nearly 40 people squeezed into a backup classroom yesterday, June 27, for the Space Center's June Voyager Club meeting. Our usual spot in the school faculty room was being cleaned, but the tight quarters only added to the high energy in the room!

Alex, the club's vice president, and Tyler Weight (head of the Acting Department) called a lively game of Bingo to get things off to a fun start. What better way to start an early Saturday morning than with a game of pure chance that also tested our volunteers' knowledge of numbers?

Meeting Highlights & Recognition

Alex Anderson, the club's vice president, called the meeting to order and kicked things off by asking all new Voyager Club members to come to the front. A shockwave swept through the room when a massive group stood up—these new members come from all over Utah Valley! As the head of the Space Center's volunteering force, I've been busy onboarding these outstanding individuals over the last month. They bring incredible fresh energy to our simulators, and we are lucky to have them.

The Newest Members of the Voyager Club's Volunteering Force

Next, Alex invited our "first-years" to stand. Four volunteers just reached their official one-year mark, and they were awarded their first-year-of-service pin.

Club Members Receiving their First Year of Service Lanyard Pin

Kai, Andrew, Rory, and Asher

A two-year pin was presented to Alex himself.  You can see his lanyard is getting pretty full of awards and recognitions.  

Congratulations to Alex for receiving the Two-Year Service pin. 

 

Finally, the three-year pin was awarded to Frank and Jacob.  

Congratulations to Frank and Jacob, who received the 3-Year Service Pin. 

Specialized Workshops

Following the opening activities, the group split into two focused workshops:

• Acting 101: Tyler Weight met with the new members to cover the basics of volunteering. His course dives into characterizations, impromptu acting, costuming, costume care, and away missions.

Tyler Weight Teaching the Acting 101 Class to the Center's Newest Volunteers

Tyler's Walking Tour of the School and Space Center

• Simulator Control Design: Alex Anderson took the veteran volunteers for a deep dive into the philosophy and practice of designing effective simulator controls. As the expert who programmed several iterations of the Space Center's software—including Thorium, which runs 14 starship simulators in Utah Valley—Alex compared past and present starship controls with Thorium Nova, the next-generation software currently under development.

Alex Anderson and the Simulator Controls Presentation

Both Alex and Tyler are dedicated, long-time Space Center volunteers, and I am incredibly grateful for their support on our education team.

Prizes and Looking Ahead

As always, we wrapped up the Voyager Club meeting with our monthly raffle, giving away several hundred dollars in prizes. Thanks to Amazon, everyone walked away with at least one prize: a "Home of the Free Because of the Brave" notebook and pen.

With our country's landmark 250th birthday coming up next month, these notebooks are a perfect way for our club to recognize our nation and honor the price our brave veterans paid for our freedoms.

See you all next month for July's Voyager Club meeting!

Imaginarium Theater

The Week's Best Videos From Around the World Edited for a Gentler Audience.

   

The Space Place at Renaissance Academy Opens for Summer Camps. Meet Eli, the Space Center's Newest Flight Director. All Cassini Flight Directors, Past and Present, Gather for a 30 Second Reunion - Nearly Short out the Simuator's Systems. Meet the Brains Behind Mission.io. This Week's Imaginairum Theater

Bracken Funk Giving a Mission Briefing to the Crew of the First Summer Space Camp 2026

The summer space camp season for The Space Place at Renaissance Academy kicked off on June 9, 2026, with a Day Camp.  Day Camps at the Space Place are run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00 - 9:00 PM.  

Bracken Funk is the director of the Space Place.  He also teaches middle school PE at Renaissance during the school year.  Renaissance Academy has two starships with only one, the USS Voyager, functioning at the moment.  The Voyager is the largest starship simulator in the network of simulators that surrounds Utah Lake.  The other starships are at the following locations:

• The Christa McAuliffe Space Center:  6 Starships

• Discovery Space Center at American Heritage School:  2 Starships

• The Lions Gate Space Center at Lakeview Academy:  4 Starships and a space station.

• Telos Academy: 1 Starship

With one starship, Day Camps at The Space Place only take 12 students per camp. Keeping the numbers low ensures every camper has a unique, hands-on experience with the ship and the storyline. 

Megan is briefing the volunteers about the camp and mission

Megan Warner is Bracken's right-hand assistant.  She both flight directs and supervises the Voyager - in addition to her administrative position at The Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Megan has space on her mind most of the day :)

Henry was the other supervisor for the first camp

It was a fun camp, but of course, there were some difficulties.  The crew was on the younger side, so operating the simulator was a challenge, but they managed to pull it off in the end. With the first camp under their belt, The Space Place is ready for a great summer in space. 

A video of the Starship Voyager as the crew boards (then a tour of the ship and the control room)

Meet Eli, The Space Center's Newest Flight Director

Eli is receiving his Navy Blues (FD shirt) from the Phoenix Simulator's Senior Flight Director, Jordan Smith

Eli is the latest graduate of The Space Center's Internship Program. Tabitha Ricks is the Space Center's Administrative Lead for the program. 

Tabitha wrote the following announcement in the Space Center's Discord 

Some of you may have noticed that Eli has been wearing a new shirt today. He has joined the ranks of Flight Director, and you can find him in his native environment in the Phoenix! Eli has managed this accomplishment in 8 months of training!

Because of his unique schooling schedule, he was able to train during field trips and so has a familiarity with both the Magellan and the Phoenix. It's impressive to see Eli take a first swing at an unfamiliar story thanks to his training experience. His first stab is often as polished as many an FD's third pass. Between Eli's instinct for storytelling, friendly demeanor, and love of learning, the Phoenix has gained a mighty flight director.
Well done and congratulations to Eli!!

Tabitha Ricks

Eli, the New Voice of the Starship Phoenix

 

I've personally seen Eli at work, FD training, and volunteering, but what really impresses me is how well he works with the Space Center's youngest campers, our 3 to 9-year-olds who come to the Center for our academic programs.  He is awesome with the younglings. He gets right down on their level and interacts like a real pro.

Congratulations, Eli, on your accomplishment!  

Mr. Williamson

All the Cassini's Flight Directors (Past and Present) Gather for a 30 Second Reunion

Yesterday, by some miracle of stellar alignment, fate brought all the Cassini's flight directors, both past and present, together at the Space Center for one brief moment.    

Here we all are, from left to right: Mr. Williamson, Rachel, Hyrum, Ian, Jon, and Ellie

What a great gaggle of creative brain power all crammed into that tiny space.  I'm surprised we didn't short out the Cassini's electrical systems just by standing in such close proximity to the controls!

Meet the People Behind Mission.io. The Great Casey Voeks and Skyler Carr

Skyler and Casey at Mission.io Headquarters in Provo

You've heard all about them, now you get to see them at work at Mission.io's world headquarters in Provo, Utah.  Two weeks ago, Casey was in Utah to conduct several training sessions for Utah teachers.  I caught up with both of them at the Mission.io headquarters.  We talked about old times at The Space Center and their days at Stonegate, Canyon Grove Academy, and Lakeridge Academy.  We talked about the future of Mission.io and their fantastic plans. It is soooo good to see their successes!  What we started at our little space center in Pleasant Grove has inspired many people to do great things.     

Mission.io's mission is simple: make the best immersive educational programs on the market, then world domination!  All in two simple steps, right? By the way, Casey and family are moving back to Utah in August.  Don't be surprised if you see him wandering the hallways of your nearest simulator.   

Imaginarium Theater

The Week's Best Videos From Around the World, Edited for a Gentler Audience

A Tribute to Nolan Welch as he Leaves the Space Center for Medical School. Orion Bowers Had His "Reactivation Clause" Briefly Enforced. Admiral Porter and his Team of Breakfast Connoisseurs Forcefully Removed from Pleasant Grove's Fireman's Breakfast. Video of the First Officers' Camp. The Imaginarium Theater

Working at the Space Center has many perks, chief among them the privilege of working alongside some of Utah's finest young people. The difficult part, however, is saying goodbye when life calls, and they return planetside to pursue higher education, careers, and new horizons. 

Last week was one of those bittersweet days as we said goodbye to Nolan Welch. For well over a decade, Nolan has been a dedicated, talented, and deeply caring volunteer, supervisor, and flight director. He first walked through our doors back in the days of the old Space Center as a junior high volunteer, sticking with us all through high school. After a two-year break to serve an LDS mission, he immediately returned to the simulators and remained a fixture at the Center throughout his college years. Since then, he has married, graduated from the university, and decided to pursue a career in medicine.

Nolan with his last Space Center Crew

Nolan (left) started volunteering in June 2013.  Here he is on one of his first assignments
working a Phoenix mission.

Nolan is now heading off to medical school in Texas. While his exact medical path is still ahead of him, wherever he lands, he will undoubtedly be the kind of doctor any of us would be lucky to have. I sincerely hope his journey eventually brings him back to Utah County—because here is one geriatric patient who will gladly sign up to be first on his chart!

Nolan receiving his 5 Year Volunteer patch from Mr. Porter at Honors Night

Nolan, Receiving his Navy Blues (Flight Director) Shirt for Odyssey Set Director Natalie Anderson

Good luck in medical school, Nolan. Thank you for your incredible years of service to the Space Center, and for the care and dedication you showed to thousands of Utah students. Perhaps, when the time is right, and you return home, you'll hear the Space Center's siren song once more and step back into the control room to fly the occasional group through the galaxy.

Wouldn't that be something? A flight director who practices medicine on the side. :)


A Short Video Tribute to Nolan, Including the Last Minutes of his Final Flight in the Odyssey.

A Special Thank you to Jon Parker and Lindsey Matus for their photos and videos.

Orion Bowers Had His "Reactivation Clause" Briefly Enforced this Week. Watch Out, All You Former Volunteers and Flight Directors!

Orion Arrived at the Space Center Uniformed and Ready for Service. "Point me to the problem, and it will be fixed!" he said enthusiastically

Everyone who retires from space service to live planetside is well aware of the Reactivation Clause in their severance contract. Even so, it can be a shock to see a subspace transmission from Admiral Porter pop up while sitting at a desk in some drafty office building in downtown Somewhere, USA.

"Soldier, you are reactivated," are the first words they hear when they answer.

Most spring into action immediately, catching the next shuttle back to Pleasant Grove. Others need a bit of time to explain the sudden departure to their civilian employers. Just saying, "Starfleet has reactivated me; I need to return to space service for a day or two," can be difficult to grasp for those unfamiliar with the Space Center and our tireless mission to keep Earth and the Federation colonies safe in these troubled times.

Orion Bowers, despite having retired to prepare for his next grand adventure, received just such a call last week and sprang into action. His old starship, the Galileo, was in desperate need of new training videos—and the Admiralty determined that only Orion possessed the specific expertise and sheer presence to get the job done right.

Thank you, Orion, for answering the call, donning the uniform once more, and for your continued support of the Space Center. You are a lifelong friend, and the Federation is safer because of you.

Orion says "Hello" to his starship, the Galileo, after a long absence

Admiral Porter and his Team of Space Center Hearty Breakfast Connoisseurs were Forcefully Removed from Pleasant Grove's Fireman's Breakfast on Saturday!

I Took This Just Before Seeing Them "Encouraged Out" of the Fireman's Breakfast


Every year, the Pleasant Grove Fire Department hosts its annual Firemen’s Breakfast—a community-building fundraiser designed to raise money for local emergency services. And every year, Admiral Porter and select hearty breakfast eaters from the Space Center arrive with a single mission objective: All-You-Can-Eat.

This past Saturday, Admiral Porter assembled a crew of the Center's elite, hearty breakfast eaters and marched them into the fire hall. It was a gesture of support for the fire department. In reality, it was an economic disaster for the fire department.

The trouble began when the firemen realized how quickly the Space Center crew was clearing out the rations. Pancakes were vanishing by the dozen, syrup disappearing by the gallons.

By hour two, the Fire Chief was crunching numbers on a calculator in the back room. The grim reality quickly set in: the Space Center crew was eating so much that they were eating into the fundraiser's profits—actively driving the fire department into debt. This wasn't a breakfast anymore; it was an unsustainable siege on the city's pancake reserves.

The breaking point—the moment that forced the hand of Pleasant Grove’s finest—happened at the central table.

A sharp-eyed paramedic noticed something suspicious with Amberlynn. Upon closer inspection, they caught her in the act of stuffing fresh, hot pancakes into a giant Ziploc bag concealed beneath the table line.

That was too much. A breach of municipal breakfast etiquette had occurred.

With video evidence in hand, the firemen moved in. There were no sirens, but the order was clear: Step away from the griddle.

The Admiral and his team were politely, firmly, and legally "encouraged" out of the fire hall for the safety of the city's quarterly budget. Escorted by a couple of smiling firefighters, the crew was marched out of the firehall. "Go look at the fire trucks and don't come back in," the fire chief said to Admiral Porter. And with that, the Admiral and anyone associated with the Space Center have been barred from the premises until summer 2027.

(In all seriousness, a huge thank you to the Pleasant Grove Fire Department for a fantastic breakfast on Saturday! We left enough food for the rest of the town... mostly.)

Video of the 2026 Summer Season's First Officer Camp!

The Space Center's first Officers' Camp was held last week. 52 campers arrived at 8:30 A.M. for the 12-hour adventure. The first part of the camp consisted of the workshops and experiences: Team Building, Diplomacy, BattleSim, and the Planetarium. The afternoon and evening portion of the camp was a long mission in one of the Center's six simulators.

A great time was had by all: The Campers, The Staff, and of course, our Wonderful Volunteers.

Imaginarium Theater
The Week's Best Videos From Around the World, Edited for a Gentler Audience