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!
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.
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.
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.
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