posted 03-19-2010 03:06 PM               

The Space Camp Hall of Fame was designed to honor graduates, former employees and supporters who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers or made considerable in-kind contributions in an effort to help further the goals of the Space Camp program.

Hall of Fame Nominations are now open through May 6, 2010.

Click here for category descriptions and the 2010 Hall of Fame nomination form.

For general information about the 2010 Hall of Fame Event click here.

posted 06-22-2010 05:23 PM               

In the meantime, for your planning purposes:

• The All-Astronaut Band Max Q -- including Space Camp Hall of Fame inductee Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, the first space camper-turned-astronaut -- will play at the Hall of Fame ceremony and gala on Friday, August 20.

posted 06-25-2010 01:19 PM               

• Francis French Space Camp Alumnus: Director of Education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum; 1989 Graduate of the Space Academy Level II program; met his future wife at Space Academy Level II

• David Hnyda Former Space Camp Staff Member: U.S. Army Aviator; scheduled to attend the Navy Test Pilot School in Maryland over the next 12 months; Advanced Space Academy counselor 1997-1999

• Dr. Andrea Hanson Former Space Camp Staff Member: Post-doctoral Research Scientist/Engineer at the University of Washington; currently the project coordinator to develop bone health monitoring hardware for use during future lunar mission; Advanced Space Academy Counselor 2000 & 2002

• Danny Jaques Friend of Space Camp: As a science teacher he has coordinated and brought school groups from southwest Colorado since 1994; graduate of the 2002 Space Academy for Educators program

posted 06-25-2010 08:30 PM               

Francis French Space Camp Alumnus: Director of Education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum; 1989 Graduate of the Space Academy Level II program; met his future wife at Space Academy Level II

posted 06-26-2010 08:04 AM               

"The first thing I noticed were her eyes, which glittered like kapton foil. Our hands brushed as she handed me the dehydrated peach melba. And I'll never forget the first words she said to me: "Uh, if you continue to watch me rather than the prox ops timeline, we're going to miss the OMS burn and never get home."

"It was then that I knew if there was one person I would spent my last lithium-canister-scrubbed breath with, it was her...."

posted 07-04-2010 08:27 PM            

My future wife and I both happened to be teenagers at Space Academy at the same time - in different groups - and we ended up chatting every evening we were there. We stayed in touch as good friends once I went back to England and she returned to California. Seven years later, she happened to be visiting Europe - and things changed. We'll celebrate thirteen years of marriage later this year.

posted 07-21-2010 11:51 AM               

A two time Space Camp alumnus, our Master of Ceremonies for the 2010 Space Camp Hall of Fame will be meteorologist Stephanie Abrams. Since distinguishing herself while reporting live during the historic 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, Abrams continues to cover significant storms firsthand for The Weather Channel.

A well-recognized face in the mornings on The Weather Channel, she co-hosts with Al Roker on Wake Up With Al weekday mornings from 6 - 7 a.m. ET. The lively morning show mixes the day's forecast along with top news stories and celebrity interviews. She also joins Mike Bettes on Your Weather Today from 7- 10 a.m. ET.

Her latest show, Weather Proof debuted January 2010 and guides viewers through a collection of elaborate tests that fabricate severe weather scenarios to demonstrate how weather impacts real-life situations with meaningful findings and life-saving tips. This breakthrough series is the first program of its kind that experiments with the power of nature and how it affects people and property.

posted 08-17-2010 04:31 PM               

...and stories to tell me at Columbia Center next week here in Downey!

posted 08-17-2010 04:56 PM            

YBYSAIA! Inducted by the High Potentate, Outershell Division himself...

posted 08-24-2010 12:11 PM               

I arrived late Thursday night and before heading to the hotel, stopped over at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center to drop off a few items for the next day. The opportunity gave me a chance to take in a conjunction between Saturn and the Moon...

The induction ceremony itself was on Friday evening but that morning, members of this and prior year's inductee classes, together with some of their family members, met to tour Space Camp and Aviation Challenge.

posted 08-24-2010 12:21 PM               

For the first run, 2010 inductee Danny Jacques and his daughter were commander and pilot. Francis and I, along with Erin and 2007 inductee Dan Oates were staffing Mission Control.

Back in the 80s, when Francis, Erin and I attended Space Camp, Mission Control didn't have as sophisticated displays as they do now. They used a VHS tape cued to real mission footage for the key events. Today, MCC has gone completely CGI with both interior and exterior displays.

Danny landed Discovery on his second try ("No one crashes the space shuttle at Space Camp" -- well, we'll see about that...) and then it was our turn at the controls.

posted 08-24-2010 12:27 PM               

We did pretty well on ascent and orbit. Francis successfully opened and closed the payload bay doors and I made quick haste of a master alarm signaling a problem with APU No. 2. I even had a chance to tweet from space.

When it came time to land though...

...we weren't so lucky. Not that it was Francis' or my fault, mind you -- we both flew perfectly. It was the computer's fault that we missed the Shuttle Landing Facility by miles.

posted 08-24-2010 12:30 PM               

Floating up (read: climbing the spiral staircase) into the Tranquility Node 3, we were afforded a great view of the entire training room floor, including the Enterprise.

Once through the station, we boarded a bus and visited Aviation Challenge, where we saw the rope course that trainees use (Francis was disappointed we didn't get a turn on the zip line).

We then each climbed into F-18 cockpit simulators and had the opportunity to do a bit of hot-dogging, Top Gun style. I was "proud" to have shot down two of my fellow inductees, as I understand so did Erin... including Francis!

We also had the chance if desired to ride the centrifuge. Here's Francis and Danny, mid-spin.

posted 08-24-2010 12:54 PM               

The meal together gave time for prior year inductees to share our experiences with this year's class, as well as go over the order of events for the evening ceremony.

It was then time to reveal the 2010 class' memorabilia display and plaque.

From left to right, the 2010 Space Camp Hall of Fame inductees: Danny Jacques, David Hnyda, Francis French and Andrea Hanson.

Francis and Andrea were given the honor to reveal the plaque. Danny and David then revealed the display cases.

posted 08-24-2010 12:58 PM               

And here's Francis and Erin with the 2010 plaque...

posted 08-24-2010 01:12 PM               

From left to right: Astronaut Don Thomas; 2010 inductees Francis French, Andrea Hanson, David Hnyda and Danny Jacques; and astronaut and 2007 inductee Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger.

From left to right: 2007 inductees Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Dan Oates and Amanda Stubblefield; 2009 inductee Jim Allan; 2007 inductee Penny Pettigrew; 2009 inductee Robert Pearlman (me); 2008 inductee Josh Whitfield; and astronaut Don Thomas.

posted 08-24-2010 01:26 PM               

I would be remiss if I didn't also mention Jon Meek (cS: Mr Meek) and his lovely wife Melissa who were also there and who Dave and I shared a wonderful dinner with the next night.

The evening's program included remarks by Don Thomas, who spoke about the importance of inspiring the next generation; Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, who shared her experience becoming the first space camper to fly in space; and NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, who shared her own experience attending Space Camp with her husband and alluded to her time spent at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) earlier in the day. MSFC will be lead for NASA's heavylift rocket development project office.

Stephanie Abrams, who attended Space Camp twice as a young girl and now co-hosts "Wake Up With Al" with Al Roker on The Weather Channel, was the evening's master of ceremonies and seemed genuinely thrilled to be able to honor the inductees.

posted 08-24-2010 01:42 PM               

In addition to those two items, the 2010 inductees were also each presented with a certificate and a framed Hall of Fame flag flown on the STS-124 mission, as we had been in years past.

Francis was first to be honored. As with each of the inductees, a video introduced Francis, his accomplishments and his history with Space Camp. It was then we all got a glimpse of Francis as a teenage astronaut...

(Once Space Camp posts the video to their website, we'll link to it here.)

posted 08-24-2010 02:04 PM               

David Hnyda, who before joining the Army was a camper and served as an inspiring counselor to many, shared how proud he was to be "back in the blue," referencing the flight jacket he received that evening.

Andrea Hanson -- whose time as a counselor led her to her career: developing countermeasures to address bone loss experienced during long duration spaceflight -- shared her enthusiasm for getting people excited about space.

And Danny Jacques, an educator responsible for bringing hundreds of students to Space Camp, had everyone on their feet, fists in the air, chanting "On To Mars!"

I cannot say how proud I was to be among their number as Francis, David, Andrea and Danny were honored. They each epitomize the tremendous role that Space Camp has and continues to play in inspiring not just young students but everyone who comes into contact with the program to reach for the stars. As I believe Andrea put it, Space Camp turns fantasy into reality...

After the ceremony and dinner ended, it was time to party! Max Q, the all-astronaut band took to the stage. Chris Hadfield, Drew Feustel, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Ken Cockrell and Chris Ferguson rocked the night away. Plus! Max Q founder Hoot Gibson joined the band and played several sets.

The rest of the evening was spent dancing, chatting with new and old friends, posing for photos and signing autographs (many were having their program signed by inductees and astronauts alike).

The Friday's events put a permanent smile on my face for the several days that followed. On Saturday, the inductees reunited for a Space Camp Hall of Fame Foundation board meeting and to tour the Star Wars exhibit now in its final days at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

posted 08-24-2010 02:19 PM               

One section is devoted to the Space Camp Hall of Fame:

And here is Francis' brick, in very good company:

posted 08-24-2010 02:20 PM               

Congratulations Francis.

posted 08-24-2010 04:55 PM               

While I have never had the pleasure or honor of training at Space Camp, My life is richer for knowing you guys and being in your lives.

Thanks Rob for bringing Francis and your adventures and honors to all of us!

posted 08-24-2010 06:42 PM            

The great Space Camp team spoiled us rotten and gave us a fantastic couple of days of activities. Although I had been back since (on Sally Ride Science business), it was the first time Erin and I had been back together since we met there as teenagers 21 years ago. So you can imagine what a special weekend this was for us personally. We couldn't imagine a better way to come back.

This was the first time I had seen the Davidson Center holding the Saturn V rocket (it was under construction during my last visit), and I was just blown away by it. Huntsville already was a world-class, incomparable museum, but to now have this incredible facility - it makes it absolutely unique. To be able to walk under a full-size mockup of the shuttle with external tank and SRBs - to see a Saturn V on its side - and also look at a Saturn V mockup standing upright - the closest most of us will get to seeing a launch-day Saturn V... just incredible. I'm looking forward next to the restoration and indoor display of the full-size Skylab trainer, a jewel in the crown of Marshall's space achievements, which will take the center to yet another level of excellence.

The weekend was a good opportunity to catch up with friends and colleagues like Robert, and David Hitt. It was great to see how many Outward Odyssey books were in the local Barnes and Noble (multiple copies of four of the books in the series) - David Hitt and I signed everything we came across...

It was so much fun to get a special tour of the center and simulators - although trying to land the shuttle was a good reminder of why I preferred to be a mission specialist back in 1989! Of course, I added the shuttle software glitch as part of my cunning plan to fly it to San Diego airport and park it on display here at the museum... saves on shipping costs. Didn't work, and I think we parked on the highway in Titusville instead.

Seeing Al and Jill Worden at lunch was a wonderful surprise. Apparently the plan had been even more elaborate, I was told - they planned to have me walk into the shuttle simulator to find Al waiting for me in the commander's seat - but their flights were delayed so time ran out.

Al and I later went and checked out the Apollo 16 command module. As explained on this web site, Al's Apollo 15 control panels ended up in Apollo 16's display. This is the first time he had seen the spacecraft since he learned that, so we crouched down and peered up at the "long-lost" part of his spacecraft through the hatch.

It was such a pleasure to catch up with Owen Garriott, chat with Hoot Gibson and to meet Don Thomas, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Lori Garver and the Max-Q Band. A pleasure too to chat with Dr. Georg von Tiesenhausen, who had been one of my instructors back in 1989, and thank him for his many decades of teaching kids. Huntsville truly knows how to put on a show! And such gifts - medal, medallions, certificate, flight jacket with personalized name tag... but it didn't end there. Good grief, a flag flown on the shuttle for us? And a commemorative brick under the Saturn V, right next to von Braun? I'm lost for words (which is unusual for me!).

My fellow inductees are all doing such important work in aviation, space sciences and education, I was truly honored to be in their company. Hearing about the incredible work they are doing inspires me more to get more kids and their families interested and involved in science, technology, and aerospace history. And to further support Space Camp, who do it so well.

posted 08-24-2010 09:23 PM            

I appreciate Robert's shout-out above, it's always fun to sit and talk space for a few (or several) hours. David, though your mayorship of the chair was short-lived, I feel you served an admirable term. Francis, it was a pleasure to meet you, I hope we get more time to chat in person in the future.

As a musician, it was a real treat to see Max Q play, and to talk a little shop with a few of the band members. They may downplay their musical abilities, but they're a lot better at playing music than I am at landing the shuttle.

...Though I feel I could give Robert and Francis a run for their money in that department.

posted 08-25-2010 12:17 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
Back in the 80s, when Francis, Erin and I attended Space Camp, Mission Control didn't have as sophisticated displays as they do now. They used a VHS tape cued to real mission footage for the key events. Today, MCC has gone completely CGI with both interior and exterior displays.

---

Back in the early '80s - before the movie "SpaceCamp" came out - I saw a Reading Rainbow program where they visited Space Camp.

I got excited as the campers approached a hatch, went through, and then CLUNK! they entered the compartment.

posted 08-26-2010 04:18 PM            

quote:

---

Originally posted by Hart Sastrowardoyo:
I was really disappointed that Space Camp did not have a weightless environment.

---

Probably too modest to say it himself, so I thought I would mention that the NASA Deputy Administrator included the following remarks in her prepared speech: