quote:Originally posted by Rob Joyner: Buzz selling T-shirts, just like at concerts! I love it! Has the phrase 'Moon Rock Star' been coined yet?
He had a few people doing double takes today... He was wearing two watches and a bracelet on his left hand and another watch on his right hand!
AJ Member
Posts: 511 From: Plattsburgh, NY, United States Registered: Feb 2009
posted 06-04-2011 10:04 PM
Perhaps he's a Wil Wheaton fan?
Oldbru Member
Posts: 26 From: Phoenix, AZ Registered: Aug 2006
posted 06-04-2011 10:11 PM
quote:Originally posted by AJ: Perhaps he's a Wil Wheaton fan?
Must be!
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 06-04-2011 11:45 PM
Tom Stafford presented Gene Cernan with a "Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero" t-shirt at dinner tonight!
capoetc Member
Posts: 2169 From: McKinney TX (USA) Registered: Aug 2005
posted 06-05-2011 07:20 AM
Cernan's probably pretty pleased with that -- he can use it to line the kitty litter box...
Aztecdoug Member
Posts: 1405 From: Huntington Beach Registered: Feb 2000
posted 06-05-2011 06:57 PM
quote:Originally posted by Greggy_D: The crowd looks rather sparse compared to the past two Spacefest events.
It looked steady though throughout both days. There were little rushes here and there. I thought it looked the busiest at the end of Saturday. Why? There were a lot of talks going on. When talks let out people would come in and get stuff signed.
Plus the resort was very large and plush to put it mildly. The thinking was that other shows didn't have any, or few, distractions and with all of the talks people didn't mill around the ballroom endlessly.
A few other brief notes.
The banquet had the best food I had ever been served at any event of this type. The best, period.
One of my favorite moments was... taking a break from the ballroom Saturday afternoon and going down the water slide in the pool time after time. If you missed that this weekend, then you really missed out!
I vote that this place becomes the new permanent base for Spacefest. Nobody had anything bad to say about the resort. Especially at 5:30 pm each night for the free Tequila Toast on the patio outside Salud. I felt like a God on Mt Olympus at this place.
DChudwin Member
Posts: 1096 From: Lincolnshire IL USA Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-05-2011 08:34 PM
Just back from SpaceFest 3, and all I can say is WOW! I have been fortunate enough to have gone to all three and this was my favorite. The venue was superior.
"The J.W" hotel sits somewhat on the side of a tall hill overlooking Tucson in barren desert terrain with saguaro cacti all around. There is a wide terrace with a bar, restaurants and swimming pools. The hotel food was excellent with a definite Southwestern approach. The luncheons and banquet were buffet style. The exhibit hall and halls used for talks were large and cool (highs 95-100 degrees outside). There were some problems with the AV equipment at some of the talks but otherwise things went smoothly.
I attended the reception on Thursday night where I met a lot of old and new friends. This was an international conference with Brits, Aussies and a contingent of 20 or more 8th graders from an exclusive Swiss boarding schools for boys (they were in their blazers). With the exceptions of Ed Mitchell and Dave Scott, all of the astronaut guests were there. While the astronauts enjoyed a reunion with each other (they rarely get together themselves), they all took time to talk to attendees. I had spirited discussion with Charlie Duke about the viability of private space (he is more skeptical than I am).
The main news from the reception was that Buzz Aldrin arrived in a wheelchair, although he did stand up and walk a little. It is not known what situation prompted the wheelchair. However, throughout SpaceFest the "good Buzz" was apparent; he took a group picture with the Swiss schoolboys and many other individuals and was quite friendly, especially with children.
DChudwin Member
Posts: 1096 From: Lincolnshire IL USA Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-05-2011 08:34 PM
The main meeting started Friday. I ducked into the exhibit hall to get a few autographs I needed, especially on some Gemini 6 items from Gen. Tom Stafford, who looked frail but whose mind is very sharp.
Each of the astronauts had an assistant, usually a volunteer, who took credit cards (each table had a small device). There was a steady flow of people for astronaut autographs, but the lines were not long. This may have reflected the stiff fees ($400 for Buzz, $195 for Stafford and Dave Scott, etc.).
The big attraction for me of the meeting, besides the personal interactions with the astronauts, was the talks. The only problem was that there were usually three speakers at the same time in different rooms so there were hard choices to me made. On Friday I went to talks by Richard Cook, Mars Science Lab project manager; David Levy and Carolyn Shoemaker, co-discoverers of the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet that collided with Jupiter; Ron Woods, NASA spacesuit expert and space artist; Sy Liebergot, Apollo 13 EECOM; Peter Smith, optics guru for Mars spacecraft and head of the Phoenix project; and former astronaut Rick Searfoss, test pilot for Xcor's Lynx suborbital two-man rocket plane. The talks were uniformly interesting and most had great graphics.
Friday at noon was the lunch with the astronauts. Each astronaut was seated at a table of 10 so there was a chance for some good back-and-forth. I was at Jim Lovell's table. He was quite friendly and answered scores of questions. He talked about using a sextant and the ship's computer to navigate in space. He confirmed that NASA manager George Low was the person who originated the idea of Apollo 8 flying to the moon after delays in the development of the lunar module. He said that the idea of reading Genesis in the Christmas broadcast from the moon came from the wife of a trusted reporter who was asked for advice about the broadcast. I asked whether the idea needed to be cleared by Deke Slayton or any other NASA official, and he said not to his knowledge. He also said the crew had no idea until they got home about the great impact of that Christmas broadcast.
Later, on Friday night, there was an auction by Heritage. Almost all of the items were actually displayed in a guarded room at the SpaceFest hotel. The auction was held in Texas but it was simulcast to SpaceFest. To attend, one had to register as a bidder (which I did) but they had some buffet food and drinks. Jack Lousma and his wife Gratia were there; he has consigned a number of items and apparently wanted to see the result. Jim Lovell and his wife Marilyn also attended. They seemed surprised at the prices fetched by some of the Robbins medals (a flown Apollo 11 silver medal went for a hammer price of $22,000). Mrs. Lovell told me that that flight crews would give medals from their flight to the other astronauts.
DChudwin Member
Posts: 1096 From: Lincolnshire IL USA Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-05-2011 08:35 PM
During the meeting I went to the Starbucks in the hotel for breakfast. I was there quite early Saturday morning with my coffee and muffin when Apollo 13's Fred Haise walked by. I had talked to him briefly the previous day, so he asked if he could join me (!!). I had a great breakfast with him discussing a range of topics. As we were finishing Gene Cernan walked by and sat down too! I was touched how they interacted with a 7 year old girl who was introduced to them by her mother, who had been walking by. They posed for photographs with the little girl after I volunteered to take a picture.
It's these unplanned and impromptu interactions with the astronauts and scientists that make the whole experience at SpaceFest so special.
On Saturday I then returned to the exhibit hall to get a piece signed by Dave Scott and another by Ed Mitchell, both of whom had just arrived. Then it was off to more talks (frustrating because of all the ones going on at the same time). I heard Tom Prettyman of the Dawn asteroid mission; George Whitesides, who is now CEO of Virgin Galactic; Al McEwen, who is the Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter camera PI and showed some dramatic pictures of Mars from MRO; and finally Carolyn Porco, head of imaging for the Cassini spacecraft to Saturn. All the talks had great graphics (unless there were AV snags).
I was at Dr. Porco's table for lunch and she spoke about the petition drive to get her a cameo role in the next Star Trek movie (she was science advisor to the last one). She answered many questions about the Cassini spacecraft and said that they hope to continue its Saturn mission until 2017. She discussed the importance of scientific outreach and the possibilities of conferences about the future. Her earlier lecture was perhaps the best-attended of the meeting and she discussed the results from Saturn in a broader context. I understand now why some people consider her the heir to the late Carl Sagan in explaining space science to the public. She is a very intelligent woman who is a great speaker.
After a quick swim the pool I went back to the hotel lobby which is above the bar and encountered Ed Mitchell. We were looking down at the terrace bar and someone waved for us to come down to a table where Charlie Duke was already holding court (I know I am starting to sound like a name-dropper!). Ed told some fascinating stories about learning to fly when he was a teenager. He said his first plane ride was at age 4 when a small plane ran out of fuel and crashed on their farm. His father helped the pilot get some gas and in gratitude the pilot took little Edgar up for a once-around, igniting his love of flying. Ed also related the story that Al Shepard was once asked by some senior astronauts why he chose the relatively junior Mitchell as his LM pilot for Apollo 14. Shepard's response -- "Because I want to get home."
The banquet was Saturday night and was well-attended, with nearly 400 people. I was at Tom Stafford's table. Even though I was seated next to him, it was hard to converse -- the room was loud and his voice is soft. The highpoint of the dinner was the unplanned presentation of a gag gift to his GT-9 pilot Gene Cernan on the 45th anniversary of their flight. Stafford first told the story of Cernan's GT-9 spacewalk from hell during which Cernan suffered second-degreee burns, a foggy visor, and sweating so bad that he lost 10 pounds of weight. As a result, Cernan was not able to continue the spacewalk and lost the opportunity to use the rocket backpack, robbing him of the chance to be the first "rocket man." Then Stafford gave Cernan a bag and told him that it was something that Cernan had always wanted. Cernan pulled out a shirt that Stafford secretly obtained from Buzz Aldrin's booth (Aldrin was selling shirts, watches, etc.) -- which read "Buzz Aldrin Rocket Hero." The whole room erupted in laughter and applause. Cernan and Stafford hugged and laughed. I saw Buzz a few minutes after and he did not seem amused.
I had to leave early today so I missed the panels on Apollo, Mars and the next 50 years.
I enjoyed seeing so many of the audience attendees, some of whom I had previously met and others like J.L. Pickering with whom I had only been friends on line. I will not list all the people for fear that I will leave some out, but it was great renewing old acquaintances and making new ones.
At the banquet Sally and Kim Poor were given an accolade by Gene Cernan. He said that of all such events he had been at, SpaceFest 3 was the best. Sally was given a standing ovation for the work by Kim and herself in organizing the event (I enjoyed meeting the whole family including their kids, Kim's sister and her son). I agree with Gene and I hope that in two or three years there will be a SpaceFest 4. All in all, it was a blast.
MCroft04 Member
Posts: 1634 From: Smithfield, Me, USA Registered: Mar 2005
posted 06-05-2011 09:46 PM
Dave, Is that it? Kidding of course. wish I had attended!
SteveG Member
Posts: 48 From: Scottsdale, AZ Registered: Nov 2001
posted 06-05-2011 10:04 PM
Just an FYI....anyone who sent me mail order for the show...your items are already packed and ready to be mailed. Everything should be in the mail on Monday or Tuesday. (I ran out of customs forms for the overseas folks and am waiting for two emails back).
Everyone should be happy with the results. Again a thanks to Kim, Sally and Lisa from Nova! Also thanks to Al Hallonquist who really made the day easier for me with everyone's orders.
Gilbert Member
Posts: 1328 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
posted 06-05-2011 10:09 PM
Wow! What a great event. I just got home so I will post more later. I vote for Tucson as the permanent home for Spacefest.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4437 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-06-2011 05:51 AM
First SPACEFEST - it was great meeting the "astro's" and other CS Members, plus got to temporarily satisfy craving for sigs.
albatron Member
Posts: 2732 From: Stuart, Florida Registered: Jun 2000
posted 06-06-2011 01:06 PM
Got home about 3 AM, but wanted to throw a nickel in.
I have the best of both worlds, and the most frustrating role at Spacefest.
As the floor producer at the event, I get to interact with and see old friends (astronauts and fellow space nuts). It's busy and my dogs are killin me from not getting to sit and constantly moving, but it's well worth it.
The ONLY downside is, I missed all of these great talks. That's the frustrating part.
The venue - bar none - was THE best venue of any space show ever. The view outside my room was breathtaking.
The line up - and ancillary things (art show, exhibitors, Heritage auction) - what can you say?
Cernan nailed it. By the way, any YouTube videos yet?
A bit of poignancy for me was no Paul Calle. I'd become close to Paul and Chris and I truly missed Paul's presence and him. being with Chris helped make up for it.
Buzz had some surgery a few weeks ago, hence the wheelchair.
Thanks to all who helped make it a success. Kim and Sally did get a WELL deserved standing ovation, and are the best. Friends, persons and space promoters.
A special tip of the mad props beanies to Rob, Randy, Lisa and the rest of the Novaspace staff.
AND to the volunteers. You guys (and gals) made it work at the event.
Thanks for the wonderful report David - it was very well written and caught the essence perfectly.
I hope Mssrs. Haise (especially, first chance I had to spend a lot of time with Fred, what a NEAT guy), Lovell, et al, enjoyed it enough to return.
Thanks Kim and Sally!
Grounded! Member
Posts: 367 From: Bennington, Vermont, USA Registered: Feb 2011
posted 06-07-2011 10:45 AM
My wife and I got home from Spacefest late last night. We could not be happier with the experience we had there.
Living out in the "boonies" as we do, neither of us have never met an astronaut and I was a bit nervous at the idea of actually rubbing elbows with these legends.
They all seemed quite happy to be there and as one astronaut put it... "it's a reunion for us and we are enjoying ourselves".
They were all very friendly and made us feel at ease, especially Ed Gibson and Fred Haise with whom we talked about grandkids and fishing and other fun stuff.
I also would like to mention Sy Liebergot who had a good spot... right between Fred Haise and Jim Lovell. It was great meeting you Sy. My kids love your hats.
The staff and facilities at Starr Pass are top-notch!
A big thank you to Kim, Sally, Rob, Lisa, the rest of the Novaspace staff and to all the volunteers that made this event possible. You guys must all be exhausted! If there ever is a Spacefest 4, I will gladly come as a volunteer.
A perfect ending to a perfect trip... We sat with Andy Chaikin (a fellow Vermonter) on the Chicago to Albany leg of our flight home. It doesn't get any better than that does it?
chet Member
Posts: 1506 From: Beverly Hills, Calif. Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-07-2011 12:11 PM
My daughter and I had an exhilarating (and exhausting) time! This was our second such event and it managed to exceed the first by leaps and bounds. A fantastic (and at times overwhelming) gathering, where we had the honor to shake hands with some legends for the first time, as well as others we had the pleasure of meeting before. And of course so many other wonderful people as well, like the volunteers and so many more who worked to make the fest and auction go as smoothly as it did (at least as we saw it).
Last, but certainly not least, the venue was amazing; it was great to float around the "tube pool" and hit the jacuzzi to unwind and relax after a busy day of taking everything in.
Our congratulations and thanks to all for putting together such a remarkable experience.
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 06-07-2011 02:11 PM
Here are a few of my photos. I left home my "good" (and bulky) camera this time, so the photos aren't of the greatest quality, but they still evoke images for me!
First, we took the tour to Kitt Peak. Here's a view from the dome of the 4-meter reflector:
Dick Gordon and Gene Cernan, having WAAAAAY too much fun, as always:
Dick Gordon was confronted by many embarrassing reminiscences, to which his response was always, "I don't know what you're talking about!" Here's one I brought up: a paper bag, that was saved by one of the techs in the LRL when the Apollo 12 crew had to submit fecal samples in advance of the mission. Dick had written on the bag, "That's one small bolus for Dick, one giant feces for Micro! Best wishes, Dick"
Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood signed my car's license plate (luckily, I have just moved to North Carolina, so I can frame this Virginia plate):
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
On the 45th anniversary of Gemini IX, Tom Stafford presents Gene Cernan with a "Buzz Aldrin - Rocket Hero" T-shirt:
Sunday panel - Edgar Mitchell, Jim Lovell, Al Worden, Dick Gordon, and Al Bean talk about their memories of Apollo:
What a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow collectors and our heroes, and to hear hopes for an exciting future in spaceflight. The mood of the conference was mixed and varied considerably depending on who you talked to. Andy Chaikin gave a brutally frank assessment of how we got where we are today (ask him sometime about the "self-licking ice cream cone") but also offered hope for the future in the new directions that are opening up for us.
I came to Spacefest feeling pessimistic. Now I realize that my mood has shifted to some feeling of loss for the past, but hopefulness for the future. The panel on Sunday morning that addressed the future of manned spaceflight said that in 100 years or so, it will seem like we just took a pause after the first phase before moving into the next phase and exciting new directions. It doesn't feel good to us right now because we're living in that gap. I just hope I live long enough to see what emerges!
Thanks again to Kim and his outstanding team!
ilbasso Member
Posts: 1522 From: Greensboro, NC USA Registered: Feb 2006
posted 06-07-2011 02:12 PM
A couple quick clips of Tom Stafford and Gene Cernan talking about Gemini IX at dinner Saturday night.
gliderpilotuk Member
Posts: 3398 From: London, UK Registered: Feb 2002
posted 06-08-2011 07:41 AM
What more can one add to David's excellent report? Nice to meet you David, plus all the others I'd not met before... Rizz, Jeremy Theoret, Matt, Andy, Lauren, Gilbert, etc. and those I had met before... Mint, Al H, Scott, "Dr" Steve, Doug (my co-conspirator on the water-slide), Charles, Brad (of course!) and others too many to mention.
Great venue; astronauts on top form with plenty of time to chat - especially with Freddo and Jack Lousma. Superb banquet and outstanding speeches by Stafford, Cernan, Mark Larson; great talks and tours (desert museum was fantastic). Hot!
Thanks so much to Kim, Sally, Rob, Randy, Linda, Lisa, Al H. and everyone else who put on a top-class show.
Dave Clow Member
Posts: 236 From: South Pasadena, CA 91030 Registered: Nov 2003
posted 06-08-2011 03:11 PM
Just a couple of memories to add. These were unexpected benefits of attending:
Bumping into Andy Chaikin and Keir Dullea in the bar, and sharing time with this remarkable combination of experiences and sensibilities, was unforgettable.
Alan Glines, INCO from many Gemini and Apollo missions, was someone I'd never met. I recommend his book. Great guy too with an insider's take.
Finding Bill Hartmann painting in the near-empty meeting room on Sunday morning and talking at length with him and Charlie Walker.
Bringing Ed Gibson one of the Skylab posters by Kelly Freas, and his surprised gratitude.
One final note: it sounds like a small detail, but Novaspace's decision to issue name badges to us all worked once again as a great icebreaker. I had a dozen conversations this weekend thanks to those, and it made life a lot easier for the astronauts too. I'm told they'll be doing this at ASF this fall.
steelhead fly fishing Member
Posts: 29 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Aug 2010
posted 06-08-2011 04:19 PM
The meeting was awesome. As crowded and hectic as one might have thought it would be, it turned out to provide several different settings to interact with astronauts and speakers alike. There JW Marriott was a perfect venue. Kim & Sally put on a great event that will hopefully become an annual meeting.
MikeSpace unregistered
posted 06-08-2011 06:57 PM
Thanks to SteveG, just received this in the mail.
I bought it signed by Borman from Novaspace, had Lovell add the inscription at the ASF signing and had the rest sign at Spacefest. Photo now signed by 12 of the 24 who visited the moon, and 6 of the 12 who walked.
Rizz Member
Posts: 1208 From: Upcountry, Maui, Hawaii Registered: Mar 2002
posted 06-08-2011 10:49 PM
Still traveling east-bound from burning Arizona. Left Phoenix today above the smoke and haze.
These events get better all the time. The Starr Pass should be the new 'home' for Spacefest. The Novaspace gang are simply the best at what they do, and the astronauts, speakers and artists have my heart felt thanks for sharing there time, talent and experiences with all who attended. They are becoming like an extended family. The astronauts really seem to enjoy these gatherings too which makes the experience that much more memorable. Words can't really convey what takes place - I wish more people would attend.
Great also to see cS members. Some class acts out there, you guys are all the best!!!
Finally got to see some of Scott's hardware up close, what a fine collection he has - thanks for sharing it with everyone. Also thanks for pronouncing your last name for me - I've always wondered.
Looking forward to the next one.
Any word on dates for Spacefest IV?
wikicollecting New Member
Posts: From: Registered:
posted 06-09-2011 11:25 AM
Great pictures and fascinating stories. Maybe next time...
Spacefest Member
Posts: 1168 From: Tucson, AZ Registered: Jan 2009
posted 06-09-2011 07:08 PM
Spacefest III was the most ambitious yet. It's a week later, and I'm still catching up on sleep. We're still doing accounting, and the shop is a mess with boxes: Full, half-full or empty. It was a few months after Spacefest 2 before things got back to normal. We expect the same.
Everyone had positive comments, especially about the venue, Starr Pass Resort, its spectacular setting, luxurious appointments, and doting staff. It would please everyone if we made Tucson and Starr Pass Spacefest's permanent home.
Attendance was about 1,300-the best yet. Next time (?!!) we hope to get more local support from the local aerospace community. Most attendees were from outside the state.
The talks, (over 40) drew heavily from the large Arizona astronomy VIP contingent, as well as space scientists from JPL, Boulder,CO, and BYU, were all fascinating, especially the Apollo panel on Sunday. You could see the ebb and flow of the crowds in the main room, as talks got underway or ended.
The Thursday tours, and Friday Mt. Lemmon tour got high marks from all who attended. All tours sold out. The Desert Museum was a gem we inserted in the Kitt Peak tour. We were heartened by the overwhelming compliments.
The Kitt Peak group saw 'scopes close up, not relegated to visitor's galleries on the standard tour. This "insider's" tour was given by guests Travis Rector and Jim Scotti, two KPNO employees. Both Thursday tours had to be divided in two because of group size constraints at the facilities, still they went off like clockwork, thanks to our guides and bus drivers.
Food at the luncheons and banquet was first-rate. Alan Bean, the "First guy to eat spaghetti on the Moon" nabbed some leftover Italian buffet from the luncheon to take to his room."GREAT food!" said Alan.
The after-dinner star party was an unexpected success, and went on until after midnight. The hotel engineer had a large binocular Cassegrain, and made sure of the arrangements.
Hardware man Scott Schneeweis set up a display of LM panels,thrusters and heatshield Andy Filo brought a restored AMU (Astronaut Maneuvering Unit) which Gene Cernan was to fly on Gemini 9, 45 years ago to the day.
Producer Jeff Roth showed his documentary "The Wonder of it All" to an enthusiastic audience Friday evening, and had DVDs and posters at his vendor's booth.
The art show was a wonder; two "new" artists, North Carolina's Peter Thorpe and KSC fixture (and watercolorist) Ron Woods, stole the show and sold plenty. Ron also sold a large original at the auction. A couple of sweet, deserving guys.
Everyone I talked to was ecstatic. Commonly heard was "the time of my life." All the astronauts were happy, with the crowds, which were larger and steadier Saturday (Friday is usually busier.)
Spacefest IV? Maybe.
arjuna unregistered
posted 06-09-2011 09:57 PM
I want to second the thanks to Steve Gruber, with whom I entrusted a fair amount of money, despite never having met him, to get signatures of all the Apollo guys on a "In the Shadow of the Moon" poster.
Steve sent pics of all the astronauts signing the poster, and it came back yesterday in perfect condition. Steve, you really earned our thanks for doing this for all of us who just couldn't make it there to Spacefest.
So let the record show that Steve is a stand-up guy. Mahalo!
bruce Member
Posts: 916 From: Fort Mill, SC, USA Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-10-2011 07:05 AM
I second that emotion!
Gilbert Member
Posts: 1328 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
posted 06-10-2011 07:50 AM
I talked to Steve several times during the event. He worked his butt off getting all those signatures, and he deserves lots of praise.
HistorianMom Member
Posts: 105 From: Columbia, Missouri USA Registered: Nov 2010
posted 06-10-2011 09:48 AM
I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who took the time to reply to my queries before Spacefest, and to the Spacefest staff and planners for putting on an absolutely first rate weekend.
I went off to this event thinking that it was a gift to my son and that, while I wasn't planning to be bored, that this would mainly be "his" weekend. I think I ended up enjoying it as much as my son did.
We did the Titan Missile Museum/Pima Air and Space Museum tour on Thursday followed by the VIP reception, the lunch on Friday with Ed Gibson who stood in for Dave Scott (the only glitch in the whole weekend). We didn't know in advance that Scott was not going to be there for the lunch, and at first my son was pouting, but Mr. Mitchell and his wife were so gracious and interesting it was hard for him to stay mad for long (although he did NOT get Scott's autograph the next day as planned; he decided to get someone else's instead).
We saw The Wonder of it All, which I had seen once before; Aubrey was a little bored which surprised me until he told me that he'd seen it at least four times! I went out on the town of Tucson Friday evening and came back and played in the pool until it closed. We also went to a lot of talks; I made sure to see at least one history talk and one astronomy talk each day. I think we decided we liked Jay Gallentine's talk the best of the history talks and Carolyn Porco's the best of the astronomy talks -- not that any were bad!
Our highlight of the weekend probably came as I was taking Aubrey's copy of "Voices from the Moon" around to be signed by different astronauts.
He had marked pages for each astronaut to sign, and the page he chose for Dick Gordon was a photo Captain Gordon had taken of the Apollo 12 lunar module heading away from the command module toward the moon. There is a long quotation on the page of Alan Bean talking about his feelings of warmth toward Gordon as he was watching Gordon close the hatch (I hope that's the right term!). Gordon stopped to read the quotation; he told me that he'd never read that before and he was visibly moved; he took the book and called Bean over and they read it together and you could just tell it was an emotional moment for both of them. I got it all on my camera, but came home and can't find my cable to share them.
We had dinner with General Duke on the recommendation of several of you on the board who said he was good with kids. He talked Aubrey into applying for the Naval Academy; he's that good! You have to understand Aubrey comes from a long line of West Point graduates! And of course the Tom Stafford presentation of the Buzz Aldrin t-shirt to Gene Cernan is going to be legend for the next fifty years -- so I feel really honored to have witnessed it!
Sunday's Apollo panel was top notch, I really did feel like part of history the whole weekend. Thanks again for all the advice, and particularly to whoever it was who admonished me to concentrate less on autographs we couldn't afford and more on making memories -- sage and welcome advice!
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4437 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
posted 06-10-2011 08:51 PM
The banquet display:
Buzz with Andy Filo's AMU (no idea who the chick is):
Gen Stafford shopping for a good deal on slightly used CM Data Storage Equipment:
FFrench Member
Posts: 3161 From: San Diego Registered: Feb 2002
posted 06-12-2011 07:23 AM
It's great when the event venue looks exactly as advertised on the poster - this photo taken on the hotel grounds one evening.
Thanks to everyone who came to the talk, panel event and book signing with me and Colin Burgess - it was great to meet so many of you who I had never met before. Looking forward to the next one!
Spacefest Member
Posts: 1168 From: Tucson, AZ Registered: Jan 2009
posted 06-12-2011 07:48 PM
Click to enlarge:
DChudwin Member
Posts: 1096 From: Lincolnshire IL USA Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-12-2011 09:18 PM
I have always wanted to be an astronaut! Look who is standing upper left in the above photo.
SpaceAholic Member
Posts: 4437 From: Sierra Vista, Arizona Registered: Nov 1999
Posts: 1634 From: Smithfield, Me, USA Registered: Mar 2005
posted 06-12-2011 10:01 PM
Obviously Little Al is expecting high water; how did he get the pants up that high?
SteveG Member
Posts: 48 From: Scottsdale, AZ Registered: Nov 2001
posted 06-12-2011 11:59 PM
Thank you for the kind words Gilbert, Bruce and Burke. Myself, (and helper/good friend), Bryan made sure everything was done as close to perfect as everyone expected.
The overseas folks should start seeing their items this week, since everything went out on May 6th.
WAWalsh Member
Posts: 809 From: Cortlandt Manor, NY Registered: May 2000
posted 06-13-2011 01:02 PM
I would also add my appreciation for Steve's efforts. When the US Postal Service failed; Steve kept me informed and followed up on matters.
A stellar effort on his part and truly appreciated.
spkjb Member
Posts: 144 From: Merritt Island, Florida USA Registered: May 2011
posted 06-13-2011 08:52 PM
Kudos to Sally, Kim, Lisa, Rob and all NovaSpace staff and family/friends. WOW!!! What an EXTRAORDINARY weekend. The astronaut meet and greets were a surreal experience. 13 signatures from 7 astronauts was hard work but not as difficult as expected(lines not as long as I thot except for Dave Scott when he arrived late on sat.) Throw in interesting speakers, exhibits and an entertaining auction and it all made for great fun. The banquet, BBQ and speaker must not be left out or Astronauts Stafford and Cernan's nail biting tale about GT-9. The bad news is: I was having a highly entertaining talk with 2001 Space Odyssey astronauts but had to cut short to catch a cab to airport; they were a hoot! Cannot wait for SF IV!
Spacefest Member
Posts: 1168 From: Tucson, AZ Registered: Jan 2009
posted 06-14-2011 09:34 PM
Spacefest III Astronaut group photos ready here.
9.3x14, $18.95. FREE shipping in USA.
If you were one of the lucky few to be included in the photos, those pix will go out this week.
posted 06-04-2011 09:53 PM
Must be!
advertisement