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