The Voyager Club April Mission Report: Acting and Make Up - Getting Our Volunteers Ready for Summer Camps. Come See the Space Center's Newest Star Show "Deeper Universe". Mission.io Fun and Learning - Doing it Right! Imaginarium Theater

      

The Monthly Meetings Always Start with BINGO and have done so for over 30 years!

The Voyager Club touched down this past Saturday for our April meeting. For those new to the coordinates, the Voyager Club is the Space Center’s premier organization for astronomy, science fiction, and all things science. We are open to everyone in the community aged 12 and up—provided you have the "right stuff."

Our Senior Club Members are Rewarded with Extra Bingo Cards. Good Luck!

Joining the Crew

Becoming a Voyager is simple, but it does require commitment. Our members follow a code to ensure the Space Center is always staffed with community-minded, dedicated, and committed staff and volunteers:

• Academic Excellence: This requirement applies only to our members in 7th–12th grade. They must maintain good grades and submit report cards every school term.

• Mission Support: Members volunteer at least 4.5 hours per month. Whether you’re staffing a simulator, creating props, animating, or programming, your work keeps the Center flying.

• Professionalism: Dress for success and act the part while on duty.

• Presence: Attend our monthly meetings. Every meeting begins by welcoming our newest recruits. Following introductions, leadership presents Years of Service pins. These aren't just accessories; they are badges of honor worn proudly on volunteer lanyards

Four New Members Were Introduced on Saturday

Our meeting themes alternate to keep us up to date on space science and Space Center needs. One month, we dive deep into Space and Astronomy to stay current on cosmic theories and NASA's latest wins. The next month, we pivot to other specialized skills.

Mikey Covering the Falcon's Primary Acting Role

April Spotlight: Stage Presence & Special Effects

With Summer Space Camp season approaching, April’s meeting focused on two essential skills: Acting and Make-Up Artistry.

• The Art of the Role: Tyler Weight, our Acting Department Instructor, teamed up with guest speaker Mikey (Falcon Flight Director) to break down the primary roles needed for this summer’s simulator missions.

• 
  Tyler Covering the Acting Parts for the Galileo and Cassini

• Theatrical Transformations: Our Club President, Eavie, led a hands-on workshop on theatrical makeup. Vice President Alex stepped up as the model, transforming for the cause

Eavie Teaching the Make-Up Basic for the Summer Camp Stories

The Voyagers split into groups to rotate through these workshops, gaining the skills needed to make this summer’s camps truly immersive. We capped off the afternoon with a raffle, sending several lucky members home with some nice prizes.

News from the Space Center

Join us tonight and for future shows of our latest planetarium star show. Deeper Universe explores deeper, more mysterious topics in the cosmos. Filled with stunning visuals, there's something for everyone in this unique look at what lies in the deep sky.
Show times, information, and tickets available at: https://spacecenter.as.me/deeper
$3 per ticket

This show was created by the talents of our very own planetarium navigator, Brian Dean. His hard work researching, designing, scripting, and programming this new space exploration presentation for our community is phenomenal

Mission.io News

 

Skyler Carr gives a presentation on "Assessment by Smiles". Everything He Says is Spot On.

Mission.io has found the secret sauce of HAVING FUN and LEARNING (Real Learning) AT THE SAME TIME!  I run Mission.io missions at my school all year long. The kids love the missions, and I love the learning!

Imaginarium Theater

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

Blog Posts Which Highlight the Space Center's Form of Community Building of All for One and One for All. The Space Center has, and Will Always Be, A Place of Learning, Caring, Imagination, and Team Building. The Staff Working for You During Spring Break. Imaginarium Theater

     I've been writing blog posts about the Space Center since the year 2000. That's 26 years of storytelling. Why do I do it? I practice what we teach at the Space Center, and I teach our staff and volunteers through storytelling. It is the oldest form of instruction.

     The following couple of stories were taken from the Space Center's oldest blog, The SpaceEdVentures Yahoo Group, circa 2006. As you read, examine the purpose of each story in relation to the lessons to be learned. Notice the following:

Humanizing Leadership: 

     I use the "sink" incident to define my (and Mr. Porter's) philosophy on leadership: "You don't ask your staff to do something you aren't willing to do yourself." I am documenting the "lead by example" approach for the staff and parents.
Cultural Documentation: 

     The Space Center is a unique subculture where adults and children play-act high-stakes sci-fi scenarios. These stories preserve the "legend" of the center, such as the Iraq veteran's visceral reaction to a simulated attack.
Celebrating the Absurd: 

     The post highlights the humor and unpredictability of working with children at the Space Center, which makes our work unique in the world. It frames the "gross" or "stressful" parts of the job (vomit and equipment damage) as "gems of memory" rather than mere nuisances.
Transparency for Parents: 

     By discussing how I handled a sick child and safety violations, I reassure parents that the Space Center's staff is attentive, compassionate, and maintains a sense of humor even when things go wrong.

September 23, 2006: Sam Was Amazed

     Mr. Daymont recently shared a story from a Magellan mission that I won’t soon forget. The crew was a mixed group of adults and children, including one gentleman who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Iraq.
     Midway through the simulation, as the staff launched a coordinated "boarding party" to take the bridge, something triggered an unexpected instinct in our veteran crew member. Before Mr. Daymont could react, he saw the man bolt from his seat, leap onto the Magellan’s brand-new desktops, and parkour from station to station across the room. He was bounding toward the hatch the staff was using for the ambush, phaser drawn and ready to neutralize the "enemy" threat.
     Recognizing a safety crisis in the making, Mr. Daymont hit the emergency stop. The mission was paused, the situation was de-escalated, and a brief lecture was delivered on safety and respect for Space Center property. Once the mission resumed and eventually concluded, Mr. Daymont pulled Sam—the Magellan’s Bridge Supervisor—aside for a debrief.
     "Did you see him?" Daymont asked. "Yes," Sam replied. "Why didn't you stop him?"  

     Sam looked at him with wide eyes. "I was amazed," he admitted. "I was just... amazed."

     I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Any supervisor who can appreciate the pure, unscripted theater of a moment like that—even while the equipment is at risk—is back in my good graces.

July 23, 2006: What’s In The Sink!?

     Just when you think you’ve witnessed every possible anomaly at the Center, something happens that reminds you why this job is never boring.
     Thursday’s Overnight Camp was in full swing. Forty-three campers were being marched from the gym toward their respective simulators. I stayed behind to kill the lights—doing my part for the district’s power conservation mandate during this record-breaking Utah heat. As I moved up the hall, I passed the Galileo crew, then the Odyssey. Near the junction, I spotted Mr. Daymont and his "Magellanites."
     They were an energetic group, but as I reviewed the line, I noticed one ten-year-old boy hunkered down on the floor, head in his hands.
     "Are you okay?" I asked. 

     "I'm weak. I think it's hunger," the boy responded in remarkably formal English.
There was something in his stoic expression that told me our paths would cross again before the 10:00 A.M. dismissal the next morning. My intuition was spot on. While I was modeling a briefing for Kyle in the Discovery room, Brent rushed in with a "stomach eruption" update. Our young friend had suffered a biological malfunction.
     "Where is the... evidence?" I asked. 

     "In the bathroom," Brent replied. "He made it to the sink, but it’s pretty disgusting."
     I decided then and there to handle it myself. A leader should lead by example; the staff needs to see that the Director isn't above "mucking in" when the situation turns messy. That is the definition of leadership: letting your troops know you aren't above the grit.
     I armed myself with a bucket, paper towels, and a bottle of Liquid 409—my personal favorite for tactical cleaning. Like a knight venturing into a dragon’s lair, I entered the bathroom rubber-gloved and ready for combat. The "slaying" went faster than anticipated. I didn't gag once, leaving the sink spotless and smelling of citrus.
     "You cleaned it yourself?" Brent asked as I emerged with the bucket. 

     "You don't ask your staff to do something you aren't willing to do yourself," I said, pleased to have delivered a practical object lesson.  Afterward, I sat the boy down at my desk to call home. He was already looking better, the color returning to his face, though he was so small that only his upper chest was visible above the desktop.
      "You're feeling better then?" I asked. 

     "Yes, thank you," he answered politely. 

     "Is this the only time you’ve been ill today?" I pushed, wondering if we were dealing with a virus.
     The boy took a breath, meeting my eyes with total sincerity. "You see, it is my dad's fault." 

     I sat back, intrigued. "What do you mean, your dad's fault?"
     "He cooked supper," he stated, as if explaining a law of physics. "I throw up every time he cooks."
     I broke out into a roar of laughter. "Are you sure it wasn't just the Top Ramen?" I asked, trying to defend the father’s honor. 

     "No, it's his cooking," he corrected me. "My mom cooks Top Ramen, and I don't throw up. I only throw up when my dad cooks. It doesn't matter what it is—I throw up. He is a bad cook."
     I sent the "survivor" back to his ship, still laughing. We met again on Friday morning at breakfast. As I was about to dismiss the crews, another boy approached me, cupping his hands to his mouth.
     "I've had an accident," he muffled. "I caught all of it in my hands."
     As I directed him to the restroom, I noticed a pink puddle on the floor, suggesting his "catch" hadn't been 100% successful. Standing right next to the new accident was my friend from the night before. He looked at the puddle, then up at me with a wide smile.
     "It wasn't me this time," he reassured me. 

     "I know," I said. "Are you sure your dad isn't in the back cooking our breakfast?"

We both shared a final laugh before I went to find the mop.

From the Space Center's Archives

What are we doing at the Space Center during Spring Break? We're Working for You!

April 12, 2009

Hello Troops,
It’s Spring Break! I’m writing to you from the very heart of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center - my desk. I’m not the only one working during the vacation. With me out here in space are.

Alex Anderson.
He is working on a video. He has a new program for star effects. All of us give him a double thumbs-up for his discovery and the go-ahead to begin recording and using it on the ships.



Jon Parker and Spencer Robinson.
Jon and Spencer are working on the Odyssey refit. The Odyssey arrived at Space Dock on Monday. The old girl was desperate for a little TLC. She’s been stripped down to her supports, and new desks are being installed. New bunk coverings are going in as well. It's not a major re- architecture, but enough work is being done to give the ship a breath of new life.









Dave Daymont
Arriving at the crack of noon is Mr. Dave Daymont. He is working in the Discovery Room on Phoenix’s new summer story. It has the Borg! Yes, I’m feeling all of you shudder with excitement. Another Space Center story with the Borg.



Stacy Carroll
Stacy is in the Animation Studio working on computer graphics for the Galileo. She will transition from the old Galileo to the new one sometime this summer. The new Galileo will need new material, and she is working hard to create it.

Emily Perry
Emily is on her computer working on the tactical screens for her new summer story, “Plague” and “The Lost Throne.” Imagine that, 2 stories from the Odyssey.

There you have it. While all of you enjoy days of carefree fun and frolic, know that your Space Center friends are hard at work creating new and exciting EdVentures for your summer. I’ll keep you posted on developments.

And now, I need to beam up to the mother ship to have my human mask refitted. It was wrinkling in the warm weather we experienced over the last couple of days. (Emily taught me how to use the camera on my Mac. I'm having too much fun)

Mr. Williamson

Imaginairum Theater

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

Jason Trump, KSL's Go To Person for the Artemis Spashdown. Hyrum Sasser Teaches the Art and Science of the Perfect Away Mission to the Space Center's Volunteers. The Space Center's Welcomes Wes Kinsey Back to the Magellan. Imaginairum Theater

Jason, on the left, in the radio studio on splashdown day

When KSL Radio needed an expert to break down the Artemis II splashdown for their listeners, they didn't call NASA or a university professor—they called Jason Trump.

If that name sounds familiar, it’s because Jason is our very own Voyager Club space sciences instructor! While he spends his early Saturday mornings every other month with us, his "day job" is just as cool: he’s the Director of Education at the Clark Planetarium in Salt Lake City.

From the Space Center to the Big City

Jason’s journey started with a degree in astronomy from BYU. His first professional stop was right here at the Space Center as our Planetarium Director. Eventually, Clark Planetarium made him an offer he couldn't refuse, but Jason never forgot his roots.

Even with a busy career in Salt Lake, he’s stayed 100% committed to our mission of creating a space-faring civilization. As a volunteer instructor, he’s the one who teaches our volunteers the "hows" and "whys" of the universe, from basic space science to the latest mind-blowing discoveries.

Neil deGrasse Tyson's worried look as he listened to Jason's broadcast

The Next Neil deGrasse Tyson?

Listening to Jason on the radio last Friday was an absolute masterclass. He handled every tough question with ease and was a total pro behind the microphone.

Honestly? Neil deGrasse Tyson might want to watch his back. There’s a young upstart from Utah heading for the airwaves, and he’s making space look easier (and cooler) than ever.

Way to go, Jason. Thanks for making space cool to the masses.

Hyrum Sasser Teaching the Art and Science Behind the "Perfect" Away Mission, or Landing Party, or Deck 21, or, or, or (It Depends on What Era of Space Centering You Come From).

Since the Space Center’s earliest days in the winter of 1991, one piece of feedback has consistently dominated our camper polls. It wasn’t the high-tech consoles or the flashing lights of the simulators that ranked as the #1 favorite—it was the Away Mission.

At first, it was a bit confusing. We had built these incredible simulators with many of the bells and whistles of a movie set, yet campers kept saying, "We loved the trips outside the ship and into the school!" That feedback changed everything. It’s the reason we now bake Away Missions into every 5-hour mission, and even squeeze them into our shorter flights.

Low-Tech, High Imagination

Over the decades, the "recipe" for an Away Mission hasn't changed much. Our staff and volunteers are masters of transformation. Give them an elementary school hallway, and they’ll turn it into an alien planet, an abandoned ship, or a restricted deck.

How do we do it? It’s a mix of:

• Tables draped in black fabric to create narrow, eerie corridors.

• Overturned chairs and scattered debris for that "post-battle" look.

• Mood lighting and hanging cables to build tension.

• Soundscapes and cinematic music to pull it all together.

When you take those simple elements and add a student’s overcharged imagination, you have a recipe for total immersion.

Enter the Master Class: Hyrum’s Workshop

Hyrum, a Flight Director for the Cassini simulator, noticed something recently: the "art and science" of the perfect Away Mission needed to be protected and passed down to the next generation.

Instead of just letting the tradition drift, Hyrum pulled the trigger on a new curriculum. Last Wednesday, he taught the first-ever Master Class in the Art and Science of the Away Mission. Taking over the faculty lounge and the surrounding hallways, Hyrum walked our newest volunteers through everything from the basic necessities to the "secret sauce" add-ons that make a mission legendary.

The Next Generation of Explorers

Hyrum did an incredible job tailoring the workshop to the volunteers' level. It wasn't just a lecture—it was a four-hour deep dive filled with activities and discussions that challenged the team to think like set designers and storytellers.

The volunteers walked away primed, motivated, and ready to make their next landing parties the most immersive ones yet. 

The Space Center (and the Magellan) Welcomes Back the Great and Powerful Wesley Kinsey

Wes, back in the Saddle Again, in the Magellan Control Room

     Has it really been two years??  Two years ago, Wes left Utah to serve an LDS mission in Texas.  With his time in the Lone Star State completed, Wes recently returned to Utah and his civilian life.  Upon his return, Wes noticed something wasn't quite right. He was home, back to Utah Valley and the mountains, but something was off.  That is when he heard the siren's call beckoning him back to the Space Center and the Magellan. 

     Welcome home, Wes, and welcome back into space service. 

  

Imaginarium Theater

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

A Personal Tribute to Our Last Pioneer. The Imaginarium Theater.

My mother taught me two things that shaped my life: the transformative power of imagination and the power of dreaming big. This post is a tribute to my mother, the person who first taught me the purpose of imagination and the beauty of a broader horizon.  

Imaginairum Theater

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

The Space Center's Volunteers Learn Space Law. The Newest Space Center Facebook Ad. From the Archives: 17 Years Ago this Week, The Simulators Go on Strike! And Other Woes...... Also, This Week's Imaginairum Theater.

The Voyagers Debating Space Law Through Three Scenarios

      The Space Center's Voyager Club is open to anyone from the ages of 12 and up.  Club members make up the Space Center's volunteer force.  Once a month, the club meets to hone its volunteer skills (simulator technology, acting, makeup, and costuming) and study current space science and astronomy. 

     The March meeting was held on Saturday.  Jason Trump, director of education at Clark Planetarium, was the presenter.  Jason is the club's space educator.  March's topic was space law.  

     The Voyagers were given three scenarios and asked to evaluate each for its merits before passing final judgment.  Once each group had issued its verdict, Jason showed what current space law would say about the issue.  What you may think would be a boring presentation turned out to be very interesting.  Jason has that knack for turning something mundane into something that easily keeps the attention of a mixture of ages.  

Voyagers Debating the Issues

Jason Showing Current Space Law

      Every monthly gathering starts with bingo, and afterwards, the formal meeting begins.  New members are the first item of business.  

Alex Introducing Hudson S to the Club as its Newest Member

     After new members, we awarded years-of-service pins and other recognitions. The lesson topic and presentation for the meeting follow new member introductions.  The club ends with the prize raffle.  

     This month's meeting had a special event following the club meeting.  Brylee did a planetarium show for the Voyagers and their families.  The presentation compared and contrasted the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Telescope.  As always, Brylee did a tremendous job.  Tours of the Space Center were offered to guests following the planetarium presentation. 

     It was another special gathering of the Space Center's volunteers.  We've got a great group of community-minded individuals who provide us with vital support.  Thank you, Volunteers! 

  

The Space Center's Newest Facebook Ad

From the Space Center's Historical Archives: 

Seventeen Years Ago This Week

 
Sunday, March 29, 2009

Last Week's Space Center News and Water Cooler Stories.

Hello Troops,

I’m hoping to stay awake as I write. I didn’t get much sleep last night. Match that with the little sleep I got on Friday night, and you've got a walking zombie. Overnight camps are not good places to sleep. I’m on duty all night long, so I sleep lightly. I'm always listening for the sound of campers needing help, screaming in their sleep, or attempting an escape ;)
It's all OK. Isn’t sleep entirely overrated anyway? Look at how many hours, days, weeks, and even years are lost to sleep. Why aren’t we looking at the genetic code that forces us to sleep and find a way to sequence it out of our DNA? Is there anyone out there with me on this one? Anyone? Oh, I see how it is. You’ll all leave me hanging on this one. What........? Do you enjoy your sleep? So let me get this straight. You wouldn’t trade your sleep for an additional six to ten hours of productive work time every day? Well, I’m getting nowhere with this point, so I’ll drop it.

The Odyssey Bites Megan Warner.

The Odyssey’s computers all shut themselves down on Monday, toward the end of the field trip. Megan was the Flight Director. Being the professional she is, Megan went into crisis storytelling mode and brought the downed computers into the mission, claiming they had been damaged in battle. Once the kids were convinced it was their fault the computers were down, Megan had to figure out how the crew could operate the ship without them. Her experience gave her a solution. Instead of clicking their commands into a computer, the crew spoke their commands to the Odyssey’s main computer. Megan insisted they say their commands just as if they were working their station. If they had phrased their instructions correctly, she would have responded with the proper action. It worked, and they finished the mission with a cheer. Great job, Megan!

The Voyager Can Read Your Mind.

I had a similar problem on Monday with the Voyager’s computers. At 10:30 A.M., I sat in my Flight Director’s chair to start the mission. I felt good about the day so far. Then, I made a mistake. I thought how good it was that the Voyager was running so perfectly on a day when I’d be telling three missions back to back. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I knew I was in trouble for thinking it. The Voyager can read my mind, and if it thinks I’m pleased with its performance, it will bite. It bit. My FD computer froze. That rarely happens. I restarted it and went right into my Tex welcome speech. I hoped that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.

The climactic ending of Perikoi involves a chase sequence involving the Voyager and an alien ship. We were moving into that scene. Suddenly, my computer decided to ‘Slow Down’. It froze for several seconds and then unfroze for a moment before refreezing. The cycle of freezing and unfreezing wasn't stopping. That cycle forced me to sit glued to the computer, waiting for it to unfreeze so I could advance the screens and fix or repair things. It was nerve-racking trying to get through an action-packed sequence with a computer on a partial strike.

We completed the mission without the crew knowing about the problem. In the five minutes I had to reset the ship for the 11:40 A.M. mission, I found the source of the slowdown. The First Officer from the 9:30 A.M. mission tried to print her computer log. The First Officer’s computer wasn't set to print to the Bridge printer, which put it into some kind of looping network-clogging mess. After one restart, the issue was resolved.

You know, there is a lot of stress that comes from running these mini theaters with live presentations. If a ride goes down at an amusement park, people can simply move to another ride. At the Space Center, if one simulator goes down, we have no choice but to send the students home, with no option to return. For that reason, we have duplicate pieces of equipment for almost everything. That requires a large financial obligation and a large amount of storage - both of which the Space Center has very little of.

Overbooked Woes

I think I may have overbooked the Center for field trips from 2:00 - 6:00 P.M. this year. We are running after-school field trips nearly every day in April and May. That involves telling three to four missions per day. My staff thinks I’m crazy for booking that many missions, but the alternative was to turn even more schools away, and I can’t do that. As the founder and creator of the Space Center, I honestly feel a great deal of accomplishment whenever a school comes for a Field Trip. Their attendance is a compliment to the program, the concept, and the wonderful, hard-working staff . My gratitude to them makes it nearly impossible to turn a teacher and school away. It is like turning down praise. We all like to be praised. If someone was giving you an honest compliment for a job well down would you tell them to shut up and go away? There are some holes in that comparison, but you get the picture. We will find a way to survive the avalanche of missions about to befall us. The key is a good positive attitude and lots of support from great volunteers. And we all know the best volunteers in the state work at the Space Center.

Will the Galileo Fall Apart in Mid Flight?

I’ve got to hand it to Stacy Carroll and her staff of Flight Directors (Rachel H. and Taylor T) for keeping our present Galileo operational. It isn’t easy. The current Galileo should have been replaced a long time ago. The new Galileo is nearly complete and should be at the Space Center sometime at the end of this school year or the beginning of summer. Until delivery, we must keep the current simulator operational. That's the problem Stacy and her staff face.

Stacy Carroll is the Galileo Set Director. It is her responsibility to keep the ship operational until the new Galileo arrives, and she takes that responsibility seriously. Stacy and her staff work many unpaid hours repairing, taping, replacing, and debugging a ship that just wants to be put out to pasture. This week alone, they were solving multiple problems with the simulator’s sound system. On Friday, they had a flight waiting in the lobby while they worked to repair a main viewer on the ship that wasn’t displaying correctly. The television was affected by a buildup of static electricity. They solved the problem just before the crew boarded the ship. Another bullet missed. Thanks, Stacy, Rachel, and Taylor. We all owe you one!

New Supervisors!

I want to welcome three new Supervisors into the Supervisor’s Guild. Maren H. finished her required passes on the Voyager. Zach H. got his Magellan 2nd Chair pass during the overnighter, and Kevin R. got his Voyager pass on Saturday. All of them have now finished their Voyager and Magellan passes and will receive their blue Supervisor shirts after the next overnight camp.

Bridger Maxwell Wins Science Fair

Bridger Maxwell, our very own Programming Guild Master, won first place in the Computer Science Division of the regional science fair at BYU on Thursday. His project was based on the new programming he is doing on the Galileo simulator.

Bridger spoke highly of the Center and me during the judging. His ‘plug’ led to my selection as Mentor of the Year. Neither Bridger nor I knew there was such an award, but I’m happy I won. I got a nice certificate for my 'Love Me Wall' and a terabyte external drive from Symantic (sp?). I don’t know a lot about terabyte drives, but they tell me I can download my entire mind into one and it would still have plenty of room for a few hundred thousand MP3s. Imagine bringing a spare brain with me wherever I go. Imagine the possibilities!

Bridger will receive a $10,000 scholarship to a Utah school and an all-expense-paid trip to the International Science Fair in Reno, Nevada, at the end of April.

We’ve had very good programmers at the Center over the years, and Bridger proudly keeps up that tradition.

Well, Troops, that’s about it. There are other things I could write, but you’re getting bored, so I’ll stop. Take care, and thanks for your support in labor. And thank you for spreading the word about the Space Center to your social circles. Positive praise maintains our reputation as a place that cares about our product and the students we serve.

Mr. Williamson

Imaginairum Theater

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

Dry Dock, A Must Listen and YouTube Station for All Space Center Staff, Volunteers, and Fans! Mark Daymont Gives an Artemis Update. Imaginarium Theater

A Must-Read Post for Anyone Connected to Space Centers. "Dry Dock," the First Ever Space-Centering Podcast Created by Matt Ricks and Nathan Young.

 

Did you know there was an unofficial podcast for the Space Centering community? I know — "centering" isn't a real word, but what other word should I use to describe everyone who works or volunteers at the many space centers here, there, and someday, everywhere? I shamelessly borrowed the idea from Harry Potter — the Wizarding community.

 

Back in 2017, Matt Ricks approached me to be a guest on their new podcast. They explained that it would serve as a permanent record of the history of space centers, told by those who created, worked, volunteered, acted, sacrificed, cried, screamed, and bled because of them. "Dry Dock" is the name of this Smithsonian-style oral history project that captures everything related to the space centers. I praised their efforts and gladly agreed to be a guest on the first episode as someone with founder status.

 

They met me at Renaissance Academy late one afternoon. Before we started the interview, they asked if I needed to use the bathroom. How considerate of them to recognize the needs of the elderly. I assured them I was ready with a fresh Depends. After a microphone check, the questions came rapidly. I was asked questions that reached deep into my memory.

"What childhood events led you to where you are today?" Matt asked. "Do you blame your parents? Teachers? Bishop...?" I shifted uncomfortably in a hard sixth-grade plastic chair.

"I'm feeling uncomfortable with this line of questioning," I said defensively. "I need to go to my happy place."

Fortunately, they reluctantly edited out the most invasive questions after receiving a letter from my lawyer. What remains on the recording is a wonderful story about a humble teacher from the backwoods of South Dakota finding his creative voice as a sixth-grade teacher at one of Alpine School District's smallest elementary schools. If you don’t feel moved when the story ends, and the final goodbye is spoken, you have no heart. 

For all of you with an interest in the Space Center's history, DryDock is a MUST.  The link to the YouTube channel is here.  Pop in and enjoy the rich history of the Space Center

Dry Dock Link to the YouTube Station

Space News by Mark Daymont

The Artemis is ready for Launch! Off to the Moon! (Let's Try This One More Time)

Yay! Feels like some progress is being made. After a disappointing return to the Vehicle Assembly Building for some vital repairs to the fuel system, the Artemis 2 stack and tower were brought out of the VAB and set on the day-long journey to Launch Complex 39B. Preparations now move forward at a quickened pace to be ready for the first launch window, which is April 1. No kidding, April 1. So if the launch is scrubbed that day, you can imagine the jokes we'll get.

KPop Laser Hunters is a Big Hit at the Space Center. Book Tickets Today!

Imaginairum Theater

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

Matt’s World: The Technician Behind the Tech at the Space Center and His Hidden World of Wonders. The Space Center's Starbase Development Team. James Porter's New Facebook Video on the Space Center. The Imaginairum Theater.

This is Matt. You rarely see Matt. If you have ever caught a glimpse of him, it was likely during one of his brief "surfacing" moments: perhaps while he was using the staff room microwave or heading toward the back hallway. You might have noticed the Space Center shirt and wondered who he was, but you probably left the question unanswered, wary of interrupting his focus despite his disarming smile and generally friendly aura.

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal a little-known corner of the Space Center that is off-limits to volunteers and rarely visited by staff. I call it Matt’s World.

Last week, I happened upon Matt in the Staff Room. We exchanged a friendly greeting and caught up on the latest news. He mentioned he was working on a new dial-and-switch panel for one of the simulators.

"Here?" I asked, surprised. He nodded. "Where is this workshop? I know the Space Center inside and out, and I’ve never seen a workshop." I kept my voice casual; Matt leads a quiet life of electronic solitude and doesn't always appreciate a hard interrogation.

"You really want to know?" he responded, seemingly surprised that anyone would be interested in his tucked-away workspace. He gestured toward the door with a slight tilt of his head.

He led me to a nondescript gray door near the guest bathrooms—the one with the warning signs. As he pushed it open, he revealed the inner sanctum. It was a cinder-block fortress housing the Space Center’s massive air-handling units and furnaces. Shelves lined the walls, acting as a graveyard for the "land of forgotten trinkets"—props, circuit boards, and gadgets that had served their purpose years ago and were now retired to the shadows.

"I’m over here," Matt spoke, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he didn't want to wake the sleeping machinery. We rounded a corner, and there I saw it: the beating heart of Matt’s World.

The Artisan of the Console

His workstation was an island of organized chaos amidst the dust of the furnace room. On the bench sat a massive, skeletal panel, its face awaiting transformation into the bridge of a starship.

Matt’s hands moved with the steady precision of a surgeon. He was currently deep into the "wiring phase," a complex labyrinth of multicolored threads connecting heavy toggle switches to analog meters and digital displays. 

"It’s not just about making it work," he explained. "It’s about making it look real."

Matt's masterpieces are works of art in the simulators. When a visitor flips a master switch, the panels hum to life. Their dials pulse with color. The LEDs provide crisp, futuristic lighting that makes the panels look like million-dollar pieces of aerospace engineering. To the kids flying missions in the simulators, they are pieces of a starship; to Matt, they are a labor of love and logic.

The Two Lives of Matt

Despite his mastery of hardware, this is actually Matt’s "side quest." By day, he works from the quiet of his home as a professional programmer—the "real job" that pays the bills. But his heart clearly enjoys the tactile click of a physical switch just as much as a clean line of code.

Off to the side of his desk, resting on compartments of diodes, sat a lonely chicken pot pie, still in its box, waiting for its turn in the microwave. It was a humble lunch for a man who spent his hours building the future.

Family life also weaves through the Space Center’s halls. Matt is married to Tabitha, the Center’s head of staff training and development. While Tabitha is busy shaping the human element of the center, Matt is in the basement shaping the mechanical one. Between their high-tech careers and their time at the Center, they’re also busy raising a young preschool-aged daughter—perhaps a future commander or engineer in the making.

I left Matt to his LEDs and his cold pot pie, closing the gray door behind me. The next time you see a flickering light on a simulator console or a dial that reacts perfectly to a crewmember's touch, remember the man in the cinder-block fortress.

Dave and Team are Busy at Work on the Starbase

If you happened to walk by the computer lab last Saturday, you would have seen Dave Stevens, Alex, and Jaxon at work, imaginingering the components that will one day be part of the Space Center's Starbase set.  They, along with a few others who were unable to attend, are the Starbase Development Team.  

Their job is to transform the Starbase (the entire area of hallways and foyers that connect the simulators, the staff room, and the bathrooms) into a "sixth simulator" complete with interactive exhibits, signage, sound effects, and props.  I found Jaxon using Blender to work on the Starbase's exterior model.  

Would you like to be a part of this team?  Do you know Blender, After Effects, or Unity?  Would you like to use your creative skills to create something that tens of thousands of people will experience every year?  If so, contact me, and I'll get you in touch with Dave.  The team is always looking for good, hardworking, creative volunteers who want to help the Space Center fulfill its mission of creating a space-faring civilization by inspiring young minds to Look Up and Dream Big!

Mr. Williamson

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