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Tag: Alumni

Transportation to the Stars

Suzanne Saltz was a First Assistant Director and Director on the hit television program NCIS Los Angeles. She’s worked on shows such as Six Feet Under, Bones and Pushing Daisies. Suzanne is an active member of the Director’s Guild of America, Alliance of Women Directors, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. 

Though she ended up in Hollywood, Suzanne began her journey dreaming of space, having attended Space Camp® as a teenager. Attending Space Camp in August of 1985 was pivotal to her future because the movie, Space Camp, was being filmed during her time at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

Saltz’ first experience in Hollywood was on the early 1990’s hit television show, Beverly Hills 90210, where she worked as a Directors Guild of America trainee. There, she encountered a bit of starstruck awe.

“The worst part about that was, I was a huge fan of the show,” Saltz recalled. “This was something I had watched all the time. I showed up on my first day and was like, Oh my gosh, I’m talking to Jason Priestley and Tori Spelling. As soon as I walked on set, [Priestley] knew I was green, and he said that he was going to help me out.”

Luckily for Saltz, Priestley lived up to his promise.

At one point during the day, Saltz was escorting Priestley to the filming location. He followed her, but she wasn’t sure of where she was supposed to go. Seeing all the production vans driving off in one direction, that was the direction she began to lead the actor.

After a few minutes of awkward walking, Priestley asked her if she knew where they were going. She had to admit she didn’t and told him she was just following the vans. Priestley laughed, and asked the humorously obvious question: “Why aren’t we in a van?”

Priestley kindly told Saltz she needed to contact the transportation department, and he explained how she could do that over the walkie-talkie she had been carrying. Eventually, a van picked them up and took them to the set.

“That was pretty much how my first week went,” remembered Saltz, laughing. “Jason was telling me everything I needed to know.”

Learn more about Suzanne Saltz and other professionals, scientists, and engineers influenced by attending Space Camp by subscribing to “Dare to Explore,” the official podcast of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation. “Dare to Explore” can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen.

An Animated Childhood

Margrit von Braun is an environmental engineer specializing in hazardous waste management and risk assessment. She was one of the first women to join the University of Idaho College of Engineering faculty in 1980,and served as their Dean of the College of Graduate Studies.

Margrit’s father was Dr. Wernher von Braun, the first director of the Marshall Space Flight Center who led the development of the Saturn V rocket that sent the Apollo astronauts to the moon. Dr. von Braun was also instrumental in the public relations efforts to convince the American people that efforts in space were possible and important. To do so, he partnered with Walt Disney and appeared on several episodes of The Wonderful World of Disney.

“My sister and I each got to meet Disney,” Margrit shared. “He was such a creative guy, and he was very interested in space and interested in helping my father figure out how to tell the story with animation and with models in ways that had not been done before. That was a great collaboration.”

Though the effects of Dr. von Braun’s celebrity status did impact Margrit’s life growing up, her parents always made sure their family life felt like any other family’s circumstances.

Margrit recalls learning to roller skate down the long, empty hallways at Marshall Space Flight Center on the weekends when her father had work to do there.

“I think I grew up pretty normally,” remembered Margrit. “I guess it wasn’t until much later that I realized that having astronauts at your dinner table wasn’t something everybody did. As a kid, I don’t think you really notice that, and we weren’t really encouraged to feel special.”

Learn more about Margrit von Braun and other professionals, scientists, and engineers from aeronautic and space history by subscribing to “Dare to Explore,” the official podcast of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation. “Dare to Explore” can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere else you listen.

Welcome to the Newest Space Camp Alumni Association Board Member!

Welcome to the newest Space Camp Alumni Association Board member!

After an application process that began in September 2022 for one open seat on the board and a series of interviews throughout the end of the year with interested alumni, Christopher Mick was selected to fill the open seat on the Space Camp Alumni Association Board. His term began on January 1, 2023 for a period of 3 years to serve on the board promoting Space Camp Alumni outreach and furthering the mission of Space Camp Alumni.

Christopher Mick is the Education and Outreach Director for the STEAM educational nonprofit, Space St. Croix, that he founded in 2016. Space St. Croix’s mission, connecting kids to the cosmos, through Space-themed STEAM programming and teacher support materials for all Hudson, WI. area public and private schools, in addition to being the STEAM Programmer for the Hudson Area Public Library.

Read more about Chris Mick’s background on his biography page:

https://rocketcenterfoundation.org/board-member/chris-mick/

Space Camp Alumni Chapters Kick off Meetups for 2023

Space Camp Alumni Chapters kicked off 2023 with their first meetups of the year!

The Washington, D.C. Chapter of Space Camp Alumni provided outreach at the annual MAGFest video game conference that took place at Gaylord National Harbor in National Harbor, Maryland. They hosted a table that provided attendees the opportunity to pick up swag and chat with other alumni!

Two other Space Camp Alumni Chapters have meetings planned for January 2023:

 

PHOENIX – Next Meetup is on Saturday January 21, 2023 at 1pm Local Time at Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ

 

SEATTLE – Next Meetup is on Saturday January 28, 2023 at 3pm Local Time at Machine House Brewery

 

Washington, D.C. Chapter is meeting monthly via Zoom or in person, their next in person meetup will be a museum gathering in the region! Contact the Washington, D.C. Chapter Leaders for more information.

Huntsville Chapter is meeting monthly via Zoom or in person to help coordinate efforts for AlumniFest 2023.

Chicago, New York City, and Houston will all have meetups during 2023 as well. If you are interested in being a part of these meetups with Space Camp Alumni, reach out for more information and to be added to the list!

Space Camp Alumni Chapters are volunteer led groups that facilitate meetups in their our geographic region. Interested in being a part of your region’s chapter or want to start a chapter in your region? Email [email protected] for more information!

Washington, D.C. Space Camp Alumni Chapter Begins Meetups

The Washington, D.C. regional Chapter of Space Camp Alumni has begun meetups! Their first meetup took place in person at a restaurant in Tysons Galleria to establish the chapter. At their first meeting the regional chapter established that they would meet monthly, with business meetings taking place virtually on Zoom and in person meetings happening quarterly.

Washington D.C.

They also plan to represent Space Camp Alumni at the upcoming MAGFest convention for video gaming, with a hosted table of Space Camp Alumni swag that attendees can stop by to check out.

For information on joining the Washington, D.C. regional chapter, or starting a chapter in your own region – email [email protected].

Space Camp Alumni Association Board Announces Board Selection Search

Announcing the opening of our 2023 search for an additional Space Camp Alumni Association Board member.
If you are interested, please send 1) a letter of interest, and 2) a CV/résumé to us at: [email protected]. Please explain why you are interested, your eligibility, and how your background, experience, and skills will enable you to work with other board members and volunteers to advance the goals of the SCAA and Space Camp.

Applications will be accepted from August 1, 2022 through August 24, 2022. Finalists will be notified by email and will be asked to partake in an interview process. At the conclusion of a telephone or Zoom interview process, Board candidates will be approved by December 15, 2022.

The three year term will start on January 1, 2023. Ad Astra!

Find out more details in the downloadable document below:

Celebrating 40 Years of Space Camp Alumni

On June 13, 1982, Space Camp officially turned 40 years old! 40 years of memories and team building, 40 years of alumni!

This occasion was marked with a celebration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on Friday June 17, 2022 recognizing the alumni that had passed through the doors and inducting the next class of Space Camp Hall of Fame members.

These new inductees represent a variety of industry and are all leaders in their chosen fields.  Learn more about the inductees in their Space Camp Hall of Fame videos, airing on the U.S. Space & Rocket Center YouTube Channel.

Watch more about the 40th Anniversary of Space Camp:

Each of the 2020 inductees, Mandy Vaughn, Brian Dudas, Peter Marquez, and Derek Hodgins were recognized after a long wait following their initial notification of being awarded the honor, due to two years of delay as a result of COVID conditions. The Space Camp Hall of Fame also inducted a special class for 2022 to mark the anniversary, the crew of Inspiration4. Jared Isaacman, an Aviation Challenge alumnus, Chris Sembroski, a former Space Camp Florida counselor, and friends of Space Camp, Hayley Arceneaux and Dr. Sian Proctor were inducted as a team.

It was a joyous occasion to celebrate 40 years of a truly unique program to inspire the next generation of STEM explorers.

The New Year at Space Camp

Lots of exciting news ahead this year at Space Camp!

The new Boeing Space Camp Operations Center has officially gone vertical, and steel beams have begun to be placed to form the core structure of the new building. The skyline of Space Camp will look very different coming summer 2022 and the building is slated to be completed in Spring 2023.

Trainees are gearing up to come to camp once again in 2022, and some of the summer week-long programs are already sold out. Most levels of Space Camp and U.S. Cyber Camp are completely full, with Aviation Challenge also rapidly filling up. This summer will be a milestone for the program, in the first attempt to work back towards pre-COVID levels for camp teams and programs.

Follow along with progress of the all new building, the refurbishment of the Pathfinder Shuttle, and more as Space Camp works back from the past two years of amended camp programs.

This year also will mark the 40th anniversary of Space Camp in 2022, trainees and alumni will get a chance to celebrate in June 2022 throughout the whole anniversary week. More information to come on this next big milestone of Space Camp!

Advanced Space Academy Elite for Program Alumni Sells Out in Summer 2022

Elite programs at Space Camp are for alumni that recently graduated from an Advanced Space Academy or Aviation Challenge Mach III program, by invitation only and participants must meet specific age requirements. These programs are an extended duration mission program, with enhanced missions and activities within the program that runs a full week long. Participants in 2022 must have completed an Advanced Space Academy program to attend Advanced Space Academy Elite and be between the ages of 17-18 years old.

Participants look forward to qualifying for the program and this is a must anticipated registration day every year. With a small number of openings, competition is intense to reserve Elite camp openings quickly!

Aviation Challenge Mach III also has its own Elite program for alumni of Mach III. In 2022, this program is running one week in summer 2022 and is exclusively for invited graduates of Mach III that meet the age requirements.

Invited participants called in on December 1st, 2021 to hold their spot in the program, and openings sold out within hours of the camp registration being open for summer Advanced Space Academy Elite programs. We congratulate all of our 2022 Elite participants and look forward to welcoming you back in 2022!

2021 Advanced Space Academy Elite graduates post together for a group picture.

In summer 2022, the next class of Elite graduates will be welcomed as return graduates of Space Camp programs. To learn more about Elite programs, visit the links on the SpaceCamp.com website to “Advanced Space Academy Elite” or “Mach III Elite”.

Exciting News for Aviation Challenge: Return of the Helo Dunker

August 2021 brought exciting news for Aviation Challenge enthusiasts! The helo dunker is an underwater egress training component that is much loved in the Aviation Challenge community.

Helo Dunker Arriving USSRC

In 2020, the current helo dunker system at the Aviation Challenge lake had to unfortunately be retired, as the owner of the system asked for it to be taken down. With the financial struggles brought on by COVID-19 and no leads on a potential helo dunker replacement, Aviation Challenge programs ran without a helo dunker during the 2021 season.

Tim Sheehy, owner of Bridger Aerospace, Aviation Challenge alumnus and U.S. Space & Rocket Center Education Foundation board member, knew exactly how important this component was as a part of the Aviation Challenge curriculum and connected our facility with a potential donor that had a helo dunker that met our needed specifications.

This introduction to Albert Bohomeier from Nova Scotia, Canada would prove to have a much needed positive impact on Aviation Challenge program for future summers. Albert was the owner of a retired 9D5 Helo Dunker unit, that was decommissioned and kept as a part of a private collection. At a time when he was looking to reduce the size of his collection, he heard about the need for a helo dunker at Aviation Challenge. Through this wonderful connection that Tim Sheehy and Albert Bohomeier made, Albert set plans into motion to have his retired helo dunker donated to Space Camp, to be used at the Aviation Challenge facility.

Helo Dunker in Canada

Since the dunker was located in Canada, this was not an easy feat. There were customs, and flatbed trucks, and shipping considerations that all needed to be set into place to bring the helo dunker to Huntsville, Alabama.

Enter another Aviation Challenge alumnus and Huntsville native that wanted to ensure that the dunker would make its way back to Aviation Challenge, J Spencer of Huntsville, Alabama. The helo dunker was one of J’s favorite memories from camp, and we wanted to help ensure that future trainees could enjoy this activity as well. J gave a generous donation to help transport the helo dunker from Canada to Huntsville, and begin the process of getting the dunker installed.

Helo Dunker at USSRC

The dunker has now arrived at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and is ready to be evaluated to see what needs to be done to get the piece operational. If you would like to contribute to the Aviation Challenge Helo Dunker project, visit our GIVE page – and use the hashtag #ACHeloDunker in the comments of your donation to support this awesome project!