If you’re in the Huntsville, AL area and are thinking of sending your child to Space Camp (specifically Space Camp as non of the other programs are eligible, it would seem), you might be able to get the trip for your kid at a cheaper rate than the standard $999.00.

There’s currently an auction going on eBay for one tuition to Space Camp. Even better, all proceeds go to charity.

The only caveat is that you have to pay for the auction in person in Huntsville (details are in the auction listing. As always, make sure you know what you’re bidding on before placing a bid).

The trip to camp must be used sometime during this summer.

Also, when deciding how much you’d like to bid, don’t forget that you might qualify for the $300 discount, making this auction worth only $699.00. But it’s all for charity, so who can put a price on it, really (though I pretty much just did in this post).

I was looking through some old Space Camp memoribilla today and came across a photo in the 1988 of the recently-arrived Pathfinder.

No boosters, no External Tank. There it sat.

As you can see from the fresh paint job in this photo and the lack of paint and material in recent photos, the past 20 years have not been kind.

Space Camp is offering $300 off Space Camp and Aviation Challenge programs to workers and contractors at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center and the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal, both active and retired.

You must cite source code “CRD8” when making your child’s reservation.

Reservations must be made no later than July 18, 2008 and your child must attend a program no later than August 22, 2008.

This is a fantastic discount! If you were on the fence about whether or not to send your child, or whether or not you could afford to, hopefully this will make things a great deal easier to give your child a heck of a time!
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Not too long ago, the question was brought up on the HabForum, what ever happened to that poster?

First, a brief history.

Five years ago, I ran a little contest for visitors to the site.

Benji ended up winning a shiny new copy of SpaceCamp the movie and an STS-107 Memorial Lapel Pin. Yes, Hab1 is a generous place!

At any rate, Benji took it upon himself to collect funding from HabForum members to have a rather large poster printed up.

This is the result after a few early signatures:



Not bad at all!

The poster stayed at Space Camp, safe and sound, passing between a few counselors for safe keeping. Those on this site knew about it and usually knew how to find it. And so, during their week at camp, they would seek it out and sign it.

When I arrived in the Summer of 2004, I was able to take possession of this poster, and it has been with me ever since!

Back to present day, a number of signatures have collected upon it from many, many campers!

Here it is in its present day incarnation:



Quite a difference!

And so if you’re coming to Camp, be sure to let me know. I’ll get the poster there for you to sign.

And that’s what happened to the poster!

It will no doubt come as a great relief to many to find out that work is currently underway to repair Pathfinder.

Here are some shots taken yesterday that show how they’ve taped off the entirety of Shuttle Park and that they have equipment and manpower on the task.

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Odds are if you went to Space Camp in the late 90s or early 00s, you ran into Tony and/or Nathalie. They might have been your team leaders or they might have run you thourgh one of the simulators or, like me, perhaps Nathalie picked you up at the airport!

If you were one of the first to attend 8-day Advanced Academy, your missions were a direct result of many hours of work by these two.

If you’ve attended 8-day lately, you’ve still been exposed to much of the great work they did to prepare for the return of the Extended Duration Missions.

Tony and Nathalie left Space Camp in late 2004 never to return again. Until yesterday.

With no fanfare, while visiting the Huntsville area this weekend, Tony and Nathalie made their triumphant return to the Space and Rocket Center, if only for the afternoon.

Upon their arrival, they toured the entire campus. Four years later, it would no doubt seem as if they had never left. Because no matter how much things change, it always feels like Space Camp!

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Though most of us have already seen the list of the new class of Space Camp Hall of Fame inductees, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center today officially announced the new Hall of Fame inductees.

The official press release can be viewed here, but here are the names with details and photos to follow:

Friend of SPACE CAMP

• Oscar Holderer - Huntsville, AL
• Marlenn Maicki - Bloomfield, MI

Former Employee

• Lisa DeVries - Cocoa, FL

Former Camper

• Captain Phillip Smith - Seymour Johnson AFB, NC
• Vincent Vazzo - Huntsville, AL
• Specialist Josh "Safety" Whitfield - California

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It seems the Discovery mission isn't the only shuttle dealing with debris issues and damage.

Unfortunately, Pathfinder has spent many, many years outside in the hot and humid North Alabama weather.

Just last night, a massive piece of Pathfinder broke loose and fell off! The piece came from the belly of the orbiter under what would be the crew section. The External Tank is currently keeping the section from falling to the ground entirely.

Shuttle Park is currently roped off to visitors while they assess the damage.

As you can tell from the pictures, it's bad.

The Saturn V has finally been restored. Now it is clearly Pathfinder's turn.

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