Conference 7.286::space

By the way, I have NO affiliation whatsoever with this program.

I just figured readers of this note would be interested.

Enjoy!

Jim  }.)

How about a trip report for all us noters when you return?
    John Sauter

I was HOPING you'd ask!  I'll take good notes!

Jim  }.)

This is a short critique of my three-day stay at Space Camp.  The next 
note is a semi-technical brief about the details of the camp.  I also 
wrote a very long narrative which gives a 'feel' of what it was like to be 
there which I will add if there is any interest.

Also, you can get a good feel for some of the activities if you watch the 
new TV magazine, 'America', on Wednesday, September 25 at 4:00 PM.  They 
were filming all through the weekend for a show on the camp.

You may even see ME there!

(There is also a show working out of Baltimore that did a lot of filming.  If 
there is anyone in the Baltimore-Washington area with a VHS VCR, I would like 
to talk to you about making me a tape.  I don't have details yet, but I'll let 
you know.)

For those of you who want to know what Space Camp is, I can describe it in 
one word - Fantastic!  There are other words that apply...  thrilling, 
hectic, realistic, exhausting...

In brief, the United States Space Camp is a rewarding experience for all 
ages and all walks of life.  From 19 to 60, from doctors to housewives, 
anyone can learn about the U. S. Space Program from a point of view 
previously unknown except to the astronauts.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to be an astronaut, or if 
you have ever been curious to know if you have the 'Right Stuff', then you 
MUST attend Space Camp.

The camp was definitely the most fun I have had in a long time.  But it 
also gave me a feeling of accomplishment.  The long-range development 
plans for the Camp include new facilities and simulators, and I, like most 
everyone else that I attended the camp with, intend to go again!

There is interest!
    John Sauter

Technical Briefs on the U. S. Space Camp

If you are interested in applying to the Space Camp, write to:

	Adult Space Camp
	Alabama Space and Rocket Center
	Tranquility Base
	Huntsville, ALA
	
The camp cost me $350.  The registration materials came with a 30% 
discount coupon from Eastern.  With the discount the round trip from 
Hartford/Springfield, CT to Huntsville, AL (via Atlanta) cost $453.

The camps are on either Friday-Saturday-Sunday (FSS) or 
Sunday-Monday-Tuesday (SMT).  I arrived late Thursday night for the FSS 
flavor.  Space Camp counselors were on hand at the airport to provide 
transportation (they even provided transportation on Sunday night for 
campers with Monday flights so we could all go out to dinner, since dinner 
was not served on Sunday night).

The camper quarters layout consists of 12-15 bunk beds per room.  Each bed 
has a lockable closet adjacent to it (bring your own lock).  Pillows, 
blankets, sheets, towels, wash-cloths and soap were supplied.  Electricity was 
available for shavers and hair dryers.

The camp was VERY busy.  There was no time to do exploring or reading on 
your own.  Breakfast was at 7:00 AM and training went until 10:00 PM.
The infrequent breaks were never longer than 15 minutes.

Campers were required to take a Space Shuttle general knowledge test in 
order to qualify for high-demand positions such as Mission Director or 
Commander.

There were 40 people there in all and I assume that the camp size is held to 
that number because of limitations of the facilities.  There are two teams of 
20 people each: Discovery and Challenger.  Each person has two jobs: a ground 
position in Mission Control and a flight position on the shuttle.  Each team 
flys two missions so that each person is on the ground for one mission and on 
the shuttle for the other.  Positions are Commander, Pilot, Mission Specialist 
1 and 2 (EVA), Payload specialists Alpha, Bravo, Charlie (Space lab) and 
Delta, Echo, Golf (Space Station).  On the Ground you have Mission Director, 
Launch and Landing Director, Flight Director, Weather and Tracking, 
Communication, Commercial Payload Representative, and Principal Investigators 
1, 2 and 3.

As for the facilities, what little I saw of the Museum and facilities was very
nice.  The facilities were open to the public the full duration of the camp. 

The food was typical camp food - no hot dogs, no steak.

During the mission, everyone wore flight suits.  You could purchase your suit 
for $65.  Everyone received a velcro-backed, cloth embroidered name tag that 
attaches to a velcro patch on the flight suit.

At the awards ceremony everyone received their 'wings', an attractive metal 
pin, and a certificate of graduation.

Space camp is not for relaxing.  During the mission there is a lot of pressure 
to perform.  At night it was all most people could do to make it to their 
beds.

If you have other questions, don't hesitate to send me mail or leave a note 
here if you think others might be interested.

Jim  }.)

Interest?!??  (slobber, slobber)

Just a tad...  (drool, drool)

- dave

Here is the 1985 Adult Space Camp Fall Schedule:

Friday-Saturday-Sunday			Sunday-Monday-Tuesday

#1	Sep 20, 21, 22			#2	Sep 22, 23, 24
#3	Sep 27, 28, 29			#4	Sep 29, 30, Oct 1
#5	Oct 4, 5, 6			#6	Oct 6, 7, 8
#7	Oct 11, 12, 13			#8	Oct 13, 14, 15
#9	Oct 18, 19, 20			#10	Oct 20, 21, 22
#11	Oct 25, 26, 27			#12	Oct 27, 28, 29
#13	Nov 1, 2, 3			#14	Nov 3, 4, 5
#15	Nov 8, 9, 10

I do not have any information which indicates a winter or spring camp schedule.

More follows soon.

Re: .4

Not to sound pushy, but do you plan to post that narrative soon?

- DAVE

re .9

ASAP!  I wrote the article on the plane on the way home.  I have just gotten 
it on the Rainbow and I am working on the final cut.  Unfortunately, I just 
started a new residency which is slowing me down, but SOON!  I promise!

Jim  }.)

I sent away for their brocure, and received it last night. It
contains several photographs, which I won't try to reproduce
here, but since it isn't copyrighted I will render the
introductory material from the main body of the text. 

``Registration for the treee-day Space Camp for adults is on a
first-come basis.  If you've always wondered what life inside the
space program is like, come on up and sign up today for the most
exciting adventure this side of Earth orbit. *While program
material might not be challenging enough for pilots, engineers,
and aerospace trained personnel,* the broad range of subjects and
experiences brings a unique "astronaut experience" within the
grasp of housewife and layman alike. 

``Featured in "Life" magazine, "Esquire," USA Today newspaper and
"Good Housekeeping." 

``DAY ONE:

``Your three-day adventure into space gets off to a fast start
today after Registration and Check-in at Space Camp. 

``A Team Leader gives an orientation on the Space Shuttle and how
the mission simulation and astronaut training activities will be
conducted.  Participants learn that the shuttle's propulsion
system--including the main engines, orange fuel tank and solid
rocket boosters--was developed in Huntsville by NASA and its
contractors.  Campers are divided into two teams--Challenger and
Discovery--for their training program and simulated mission.
Flight assignments are made, giving each a role in mission
control and in the on-board crew. 

``The first of three training periods begin.  The 40 participants
are divided into groups...''

The brocure goes into detail about the training, but I'd rather
read Jim's description of what happened to him.
    John Sauter

Re: .10

Sorry about that.  You said that you already had it "written" in a previous
note - it never occurred to me that you meant on paper!  I had assumed all
I had to do was prod you to reply with the file...  (heavy sigh)

- dave

Excerpts w/o permission from Time Magazine (Oct. 14, 1985)

American Scene:  In Alabama: The Right Stuff

    The launch went well.  The space shuttle Discover lifted off with
    a jolt and rapid rat-a-tat-tatting blast, and then some roll and
    yaw and another jolt.  The solid rocket booster fell away, and the
    shuttle climbed up out of the atmosphere.  Soon the mission
    commander and pilot saw the earth's curved horizon before them in
    the orbiter's front window.  The crew, dead serious now in the
    early moments of the flight, proceeded in efficient monotones
    through checklists, opening and closing switches, scanning the
    warning lights on the cockpit panels, coordinating with mission
    control.  Fourteen minutes into the flight, Houston relayed a
    message of congratulations from the President. 

    Then the flight grew livelier.  Things went wrong by the alphabet.
    The RCS (reaction control system) locked in the firing position.
    The GPC (general purpose computer) went down. Fire broke out in
    the APB (aft payload bay).  Mission Commander Larry Cerier of
    Chicago and Pilot Bill Parker of Friendswood, Texas, worked out
    the problems coolly.  The right stuff.  They even got a little
    cocky.  They began to try out banter over the radio in the style
    of deadpan macho that astronauts affect.  When the fire started,
    Parker took emergency steps (activating switches to spray the area
    with a chemical fire retardant) and offered a nonchalant little
    witticism: "Uh, that's a Roger, Houston... We have standby
    marshmallows on board."  The mission calmed down and Commander
    Cerier improvised in a low-key astronautical style: "It's a pretty
    view from up here ... Looks like Miami's going to have a nasty
    shower, Houston." 

    Collective fantasy play is fascinating.  Four-year-olds display a
    genius for it, but their parents usually have trouble managing the
    suspension of disbelief.  The adults flying the shuttle mission at
    the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala., however, gave themselves
    up to an absorbing hallucination of adventure: Walter Mitty in
    zero gravity.  Most of them fell into their roles with amazing and
    rather endearing conviction.  They put on power blue NASA flight
    suits and duck-billed hats with gold braid on them.  They threw
    themselves into training. When it came time for their shuttle
    missions, they imitated precisely the cadences and vocabularies
    they had heard so many times on television beaming in from their
    weightless heroes. 

[the article continues to describe the camp in more detail...]

 - dave

I just saw a posting *somewhere* about the adult Space Camp program.  I 
mentioned this to a friend of mine [who just hit 5 of 6 numbers in the Mass 
Megabucks] and he wants to see if he can go.

I can't remember where I saw the details.  Here?  Usenet?  Help!

Also, my 15-year-old brother-in-law is interested in the high-schoolers 
program.  Does anyone have any info or a place I can write to in order to 
get some?

Thanx,
dj

    
    	I have just read this old note and it has got us into wondering if
    these camps are still run � �
    
    	The main interest is really for teenagers but I'm sure most Grown
    ups are still kids at heart.
    
    	Where can I find out any info. ??????
    
    
    
    		Thanks Bob Miles

    U.S. Space Camp, U.S. Space Academy (Level I and Level II), and
    Aviation Challenge are all going very strong (both for youngsters
    and adults).
    
    Reservations (have your credit card ready): 1-800-63 SPACE
    
    For an information packet: call 205-837-3400, or write to:
       SPACE CAMP Booklet Offer
       P.O. Box 1680
       Huntsville, AL 35807
    
    
    [I've never attended Space Camp, but I did visit one while on a
    business trip to MSFC.  I've got lots of pictures, etc. of the kids
    there.  Looked like quite a bit of fun.    For another perspective, a
    recent (Spring '92?)  Air&Space issue had a cover story on Space Camp.]
    
    - dave

    Having recently attended Parent Child Space camp in Huntsville, AL this
    summer, we can only add a 'that was really a lot of fun'.  You could
    almost say it was a 'blast'.  We (spouse and my two children) attended
    the three day class located at the US Space and Rocket Center.
    Here is a short synopsis of the class:
    	Day 1(Friday)
    	11AM-1PM Orientation, Lunch(1/2 hour), Pictures  
    	1-5:30PM Shuttle orientation, mission practice, simulators, model rocket
    		construction, starlab
    	5:30-6:30 Dinner
    	6:30-11PM mission reading, shutttle lecture(adults), building space 
    		  structure(kids), private visit to museum
    	
    	Day 2 
    	6AM      wake up
    	7-7:30   Breakfast
    	7:30-11AMShuttle simulation  Mission one , model rocket launch,
    		 Visit to rocket park
    	11-11:30 Lunch
    	12-5PM 	 simulators, orbiter practice, IMAX shuttle film, mission	
    		 reading, museum time, Mars mission, Astronaut Speaker,
    		 (a real astronaut who answers the kids (& adults)
    		 questions)
    	5-6	 Dinner
    	6-11PM	 Shuttle simulated mission 2, another IMAX film, Adult
    		 lecture, and kids present their space station ideas
    
    	Day 3 (Sunday)
    	6-7:30 	 Wake up, Check-out, and Breakfast
    	7:30-10:30 Museum time, simulators, evaluations and graduation
    	10:30-12:30  Option bus tour of Marshall space flight center
    		(this tour was great, saw original redstone launch bunkers,
    full size mockup of space station Freedom, etc)
    
    The simulators mentioned above are:
    	-Multi-Axis training simulator(spins simultaneously on three axes)
    	-five degrees of freedom
    	-microgravity training chair
    	-1/6th gravity chair
    	-moonwalk simulator
    	-G-force simulator
    We stayed in the Habitat(a simulated space habitat enviornment0
    it had 'waste management facilities and H20 dispensers" to get you
    in the space mood(if you really needed it).  Be prepared, the beds were
    designed for kids(ie a little shorter than I'm used to).
    
    One final note:  While we were in class, there was an adults-only space
    camp underway.  It looked much more intense(more detailed missions)than
    we had for the parent child camp.
    
    Frank(who will go back to attend adult space academy)