Space Camp looked a lot different in the mid-80s; the former training center used to be under a large dome where the Habs are now located. This still from “Space Camp” the movie shows how tightly the simulators were packed underneath the dome of the former training center. After Space Camp relocated to the building attached to the museum, the dome was repurposed for Aviation Challenge.
Do you have any photos of Space Camp during the 1980’s that you would like to share at an upcoming AlumniFest? The Alumni Advancement Board would like to show pictures from your experience to the attendees. If you would like to share yours, please email them to [email protected].
Dr. Wernher Von Braun and Edward O. Buckbee helped envision and launch Space Camp almost 35 years ago. To celebrate their vision, alumni from across the globe are gearing up to raise money for scholarships to send the next generation to Space Camp.
Are you interesting in doing something within your community to raise scholarship funds? Reach out to the Alumni Advancement Board and coordinate local Drive to 35 scholarship drives by emailing us at [email protected].
(Photo Courtesy of Carie Lemack)Carie Lemack is an entrepreneurial leader who grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts. She was inspired by her first grade teacher, Alice Shull, to watch Columbia’s first landing on her 6th birthday. From this inspirational experience, she went on to attend Space Camp, Academy I and Academy II, and was a counselor at Space Camp California during its inaugural year. Carie studied Symbolic Systems at Stanford University and furthered her education earning Masters Degrees in both Business Administration and Public Administration. She is the cofounder of Global Survivors Network, has produced an Academy Award award-nominated documentary film Killing in the Name, and collaborated with world leaders and activists to speak out against terrorism.
Carie is currently a member of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, a Senior Fellow at George Washington University’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, a member at the Council on Foreign Relations, and a lifelong member of Red Sox Nation. She is thrilled to be joining the AAB and supporting all future space explorers, and hopes all campers have a chance to catch the “space bug”!
(Photo Courtesy of NASA)Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger was born and raised along the Front Range of Colorado. A scholar-athlete, she ran cross-country and track for Whitman College, in Walla Walla, WA, while earning a degree in Geology, graduating with honors. After attending Whitman College, she received her teaching certification from Central Washington University. As an educator, she taught for five years at Hudson’s Bay High School in Vancouver, WA. In addition to teaching, she coached cross-country and Science Olympiad.
In June of 2004, Dottie joined NASA and the Astronaut Corps making her the first Space Camp alum to become an Astronaut! After several years of training, she was assigned to the STS-131 crew, an International Space Station (ISS) resupply mission, and flew as Mission Specialist 2 (also known as the flight engineer). She also served as a robotic arm operator, the Intra-vehicular crew member (the inside coordinator of the spacewalks), and a transfer crew member (helping move six tons of hardware and equipment). The mission lasted fifteen days.
In June of 2014, Dottie retired from the Astronaut Corps and returned to the Pacific Northwest with her family. She is finishing her Masters Degree in geology at the University of Washington, and she continues to speak and promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education.
Did you know that the Solid Rocket Motor casings, in Shuttle Park, were made of carbon fiber composites? During the early 1980’s, NASA and SRB manufacturer, Morton Thiokol, were investigating replacing the steel rocket motor casings with “Filament Wound Cases” to make the Space Shuttle light enough to achieve polar orbit when launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. After the Challenger Accident, NASA halted further development of the composite cases. Though NASA never flew this type of booster on the Shuttle, it is exploring using similar concepts for the Space Launch System.
(Photo Courtesy of Scott Phillips)
(Photo Courtesy of Michelle Christensen)Dr. Michelle Christensen took an early interest in space and rockets, especially rocket engines. When she was 5 years old, her father took her to Kennedy Space Center as a side trip to Disney World. “My parents did not expect me to be more excited about KSC than Disney World, but I thought the rockets were the coolest things I’d ever seen”, she said. Michelle later noticed that Space Camp was the grand prize on Nickelodeon’s Double Dare and knew she had to go. She spent years saving up her babysitting money and when she was in the 8th grade, she had enough to go to Space Academy. She would return a few years later to attend Advanced Space Academy, and later as a counselor for more than 3 years.
As soon as she arrived at Camp, Michelle realized how many great opportunities Huntsville had in propulsion and decided to go to school at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). While at UAH, she worked in the Propulsion Research Center and was involved in designing hardware and analyzing the injectors of the Space Shuttle Main Engine at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. She went on to study combustion at Penn State, earning a PhD in Mechanical Engineering.
Today, Michelle is a propulsion development engineer at Blue Origin. She is working on the BE-4, a 550,000 pound thrust engine that will power Blue’s orbital launch vehicle, and United Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket. Her work on the BE-4 has included the design, analysis, and testing of components related to ignition and combustion in the engine’s preburner. She described last November’s successful test flight of the New Shepard as the most exciting moment of her life. “It was truly amazing to see how many people with various skill sets contributed to the success of that flight and I was really proud to have been a member of that team.”
Do you know someone that is a Space Camp or Aviation Challenge Alumnus that’s doing inspiring things in a career of Science, Engineering, or Aviation? Please make suggestions for them to be profiled in our next issue at [email protected]
Dr. Andrea Hanson always knew she wanted to pursue a career in engineering. She grew up in Lake Park, MN and while in high school she won an award that came with a tour of the 3M facility in St. Paul, MN. The tour guide was a chemical engineer and demonstrated to Andrea how the first Post-it Note™ was created and she got to see its sticky adhesive through an electron microscope. She decided then to enroll in the Chemical Engineering program at the University of North Dakota (UND). While a student at UND she took a course in Space Studies which led to her decision to work as a counselor at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. She spent her first season as an Advanced Space Academy counselor in the summer of 2000. That summer was spent learning, and then teaching campers, about orbital mechanics, space science, rocketry, space shuttle and space station systems, and space physiology. The experience changed her educational and professional trajectory. Andrea said after working at Space Camp, “I fell in love with space, the engineering, the science, and the team work required for successful space missions. I was most interested in how the human body adapts so readily to the microgravity environment and experiences rapid bone and muscle losses even after a couple of weeks in space. It was then that I knew I wanted to spend my career helping to find solutions to these unique health challenges.” After completing her studies at UND, she continued her education at the University of Colorado where she earned a Master’s and Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering, focusing on Bioastronautics and Microgravity Sciences. Today Andrea works at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas where she manages the Exercise, Physiology, & Countermeasures (ExPC) Laboratory and serves as the ISS Exercise Countermeasures Specialist. This team combines their expertise on how the body adapts to microgravity with technology and advanced techniques to optimize human performance in space missions. Her work in the ExPC lab also focuses on a number of research projects focused on finding answers to the remaining identified health risks as we prepare to journey to Mars. In development of future medical devices and exercise hardware, Andrea is also involved with testing these systems in microgravity through parabolic flight aboard NASA’s Weightless Wonder, C-9 Aircraft. She is proud to be working towards preparing for travel beyond the ISS and on to Mars. Andrea continues to be involved with Space Camp, “Today, I am thrilled to be working with the USSRC Alumni Advancement Board (AAB) through the Space Camp Hall of Fame and as the future Co-Chair of the AAB. I credit Space Camp with providing me the inspiration, the initial knowledge base, and confidence to follow my dreams to work in the space industry. I am so impressed with the recent upgrades made to the training center floor, with Orion simulators and new Science on Orbit training facilities, and the vision the USSRC continues to lead as they inspire the next generations of Scientists, Engineers, Artists, Teachers, and Astronauts! I am so thankful to have an opportunity to give back to this amazing organization that set me on the most exciting career path to reach toward the stars.”
The first Space Camp Alumni Festival was a rousing success! Sims were flown, astronauts were met, and over $15,000 was raised for Space Camp scholarships. Take a look at all that took place as we lay the groundwork for next year’s festival!
Do you remember the Moon Walker? This attraction used to stand where Kids Cosmos Energy Depletion Zone sits today. Museum guests leapt to new heights back and forth, seemingly unbound by Earth’s gravity. Though this simulator was dismantled in the late 90s, it was announced at the Alumni Festival by the CEO of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, Dr. Barnhart, the Moon Walker will soon return.
Summer 2015 is in the books! We hope that it was as wonderful for you personally as it was for Space Camp, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, and our Alumni organization. In July we gathered many from the Alumni family for our inaugural Space Camp Alumni Festival, and we are happy to report it was a tremendous success! This year’s Alumni Festival was a first in several respects: the first full weekend of activities designed exclusively for the reconnection and enjoyment of Space Camp and Aviation Challenge program Alumni, the first Alumni-oriented event to be financially self-sustaining, and the first Alumni event to be planned and executed…by Alumni! While we were at it – we raised over $15,000 for Space Camp Scholarships during this, our inaugural year. For three days we had an awe-inspiring gathering of insightful, passionate, and engaged Alumni.
We kicked off the 3- day event with Biergarten – affectionately known as ‘Stein and Dine’ where guests were able to enjoy German cuisine and beer under the Saturn V! In conjunction with Biergarten, early arriving guests were treated to a special Alumni Weekend edition of the ‘Pass the Torch’ lecture series normally held at the USSRC throughout the year. During that event we celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Hubble Space Telescope and the upcoming launch and deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope with several excellent speakers, including former Space Shuttle Astronaut Scott Altman, the Commander of the last two Hubble servicing missions.
We honored the legacy and impact of a 25 year-young Aviation Challenge Program and we reveled in the history and inspiration of our F-14 ‘Mighty Tomcat’ as we admired her shiny restored appearance and rededicated her for another tour of inspiring the next generations. We were so happy to have former Naval Aviators and Space Shuttle Astronauts Capt Robert ‘Hoot’ Gibson, USN(Ret) and Capt Scott ‘Scooter’ Altman, USN(Ret) join us to celebrate. Guests then moved on to enjoy the ‘Hangout’ with several of the most popular activities / simulators at the Aviation Challenge compound. 
The Alumni family gathered to unwind at a Friday evening Pool Party under the stars, and then came together again for a Saturday morning Town Hall Breakfast to hear about where we are and where we’re going.
And while we were at it we recognized a few of our best and brightest Alumni, as well as a few key USSRC staff members, with some well deserved awards! Those awards included: Alumni: Dan Oates – CEO Leadership Award John Ratnaswamy – Space Camp Spirit Award Chris Key – Space Camp Pinnacle Award Vincent Vazzo – Space Camp Foundations Award Alyssa Carson – Outstanding Alumni Award Abigail Harrison – Outstanding Alumni Award USSRC Staff: Sandra Kerby – Delta-V Award Amber Williams – Delta-V Award Trevor Daniels – Delta-V Award Brenda Carr – Chairman’s Award We could not have succeeded without each of their unique contributions. It was truly a favorite moment of the weekend – likely second only to what was to come that evening! We were treated to a sneak peak of the USSRC’s newest exhibit ‘Science on Orbit’, and the future for the Mission Center Complex Training Center Floor with tour guides including current Space Camp Hall of Fame members supporting the International Space Station as well as former astronauts Capt. Robert ‘Hoot’ Gibson, Col. Bob Springer, Capt. Wendy Lawrence, and our own Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger – the first Space Camp Alumni to fly in space!
After the impressive VIP tour it was time to get down to business during ‘Choose Your Mission’ with simulated Shuttle launch and landing sequences in the familiar simulators, and the iconic Astronaut Simulators including the Multi-Axis Trainer, 1/6 Gravity Chair, and the Manned Maneuvering Unit. Of course a training iteration wouldn’t be complete without a chance to dive in the Underwater Astronaut Trainer! And yes – we had real astronauts as simulator coaches! 
Late Saturday afternoon we were treated to a special presentation by former Shuttle Astronaut Dr. Rhea Seddon and afforded the opportunity to get our own signed copy of her new book ‘Go For Orbit’ – and you’ll never guess who was first in line!! What a perfect transition into the exciting evening events.
As part of the evening events we heard from Todd May, Program Manager for NASA’s Space Launch System – updating us on the status and road ahead for NASA’s Journey to Mars. Prior to his introduction we shared a special message to the NASA and contractor community from the Alumni Community – with a little help from Camp Trainees attending sessions that week. Take a look – We think you’ll agree with the sentiment expressed in the video: https://youtu.be/WelFRUPO3W8
We inducted four new members into the Space Camp Hall of Fame – Sponsored by Orbital ATK. The Class of 2015 was an impressive array of Alumni – spanning manned and unmanned space exploration, engineering, and this year we adding the ‘A’ to STEAM with an Alumna from the arts. NASA Astronaut Kate Rubins, NASA-Mars Curiosity Flight Director Bobak Ferdowsi, Honeywell Aerospace Senior Project Engineer Elizabeth Bierman, and Opera Soprano Susanna Phillips represent all we aspire to be as a community of dreamers and achievers. Learn more about this year’s inductees here!
We ended on a truly high note! The first ever concert held in Shuttle Park featuring The Yacht Rock Revue™ with guest Amy McCarley culminated a fabulous celebration of all Space Camp Alumni who are the promise for the future of these programs and of the next trainees to pass through its’ doors.
The 2015 Space Camp Alumni Festival is just a preview of what’s yet to come for Alumni events and more broadly a great ‘end to the beginning’ of the full impact the Alumni Association has yet to realize. There are exciting announcements on the horizon regarding 2016. Next year’s festival is an event you won’t want to miss – with a host of phenomenal surprises. You will also hear about a very special campaign we’ll be launching in conjunction with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation that will truly change the lives of many young people. Watch for those announcements coming this fall. Please enjoy the highlights video below from this year’s Festival and we’ve also included a second video covering the full Space Camp Hall of Fame ceremony. https://youtu.be/IORe5nnnnLg https://youtu.be/l80wsDkNR_A Stay tuned to spacecampalumni.com as well as our Facebook and Twitter channels for all the latest information and updates. We look forward to seeing you around Camp and we hope you’ll consider getting involved with Alumni activities in some fashion in the near future. On behalf of the entire Alumni Advancement Board as well as the staff and leadership of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, thanks to our sponsors for this year’s and event, and most of all we thank you for all your support and encouragement to date.
You are the ‘fuel in our tanks’ and we can confidently now say that ‘we have cleared the tower’ under power from YOU! The thrust of 700,00 dreamers now has us on a fast ascent to the stars! Ad Astra Per Alas Fideles!
