More Space Camp Retro Pics

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Just because the 30th anniversary weekend is over doesn’t mean the retro train must stop!

Diane O’Keefe kindly sent along these photos from 1988!

Bus Tours to MSFC are Back

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While it’s been some time since the Space & Rocket Center got the go ahead to resume tours, there was the problem of the finer points of who would be allowed into the Redstone Arsenal as well as MSFC requiring that the Space Center provide handicap accessible transportation.

These details have been worked out, it appears.  The Huntsville Times is reporting that a Handi-Ride is being donated, in addition to the center using their normal busses to conduct the tours.

Tours to MSFC will be limited to U.S. citizens only, and government ID will be required for anyone 16 and older.

The Times article also state that while no large bags will be allowed on the tour, cameras and phones will be allowed.

It’s about time!

Space Camp Reference on The Simpsons

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I mentioned it when it aired (nine years ago), but I finally have a clip of the Space Camp reference from The Simpsons.

The reference occurs near the beginning if the episode, “I’m Spelling as Fast as I Can.”  This was the twelfth episode of the fourteenth season of The Simpsons.

Update: 20th Century Fox seems to have decided that 21 seconds from the Simpsons is too much for YouTube.  So much for fair use.  Check out the episode though if you want to see it for yourself.

More from 1991

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Former counselor Matt Hetman sent along a few more photos and a story from his time at Space Camp.

You can see his previous photos here.

Read on for the story, The “Donut Man” of Space Camp…

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Space Camp 30th Anniversary – Weekend Recap

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Space Camp celebrated its 30th Anniversary this weekend with a series of notable events.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

The 30th anniversary events started off on Thursday as Space Camp held its “Retro Night.”

Upon check-in, guests were greeted to a bag of swag:

30th Anniversary Swag Bag

The bag itself is a Space Camp / AC / USSRC reusable grocery bag.  Inside it was a Space Camp space pen, keychain, magnet, 30th anniversary Space Camp pin and, for alumni only, a Space Camp / Aviation Challenge Alumni challenge coin!

30th Anniversary Alumni Challenge Coin

The highlight of “Retro Night” at Space Camp involved, naturally, a public showing of SpaceCamp the movie.

SpaceCamp at Space Camp

As nice as it was to see SpaceCamp with an audience, the real treat of the evening came with the panel held afterwards.  Patrick Bailey, the film’s producer, sat down with the Space Center’s CEO from 1985, Ed Buckbee, and Lee Sentell, a technical advisor to the film and Space Camp’s marketing guy circa 1985.

Because the film did not realize the box office success for which it was destined, I suspect this might have been the first time in a quarter century that anyone involved in the making of the film sat down to talk about it!  Such a rare event deserved to be preserved for posterity, and so it was!

Overall the night was quite festive, with a mix of 80’s retro and Space Camp retro.  Some went for the neon colors and big hair, while others went for old Space Camp garb.  Space Camp even managed to dig out enough of the old powder blue shorts and ringer tees to outfit the night’s support counselors.

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Stephanie and Al Talk Space Camp

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Stephanie Abrams returned to New York to resume her Weather Channel duties after an exciting weekend of getting inducted into the Space Camp Hall of Fame as part of the 30th anniversary of Space Camp.

This morning on Wake Up with Al, Stephanie and Al talked about this past weekend, and showed a few snippets from Friday evening!

Check it out!


 

Space Camp 30th Anniversary – SpaceCamp

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Space Camp kicked off their 30th anniversary this past Thursday evening with “Retro Night,” and a public viewing of SpaceCamp.

Harry Winer, the film’s director, was  unable to attend, but sent along a short video, played before the move, sending his best wishes and brief thoughts on the movie.

After the showing the film’s producer and author of early drafts of the script Patrick Bailey joined Lee Sentell and Ed Buckbee to give their thoughts on the making of Space Camp.

Lee was one of the technical advisors on the movie as well as the Director of Marketing for Space Camp from 1982-1992.  He also serves on the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, the governing body that oversees the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.

Ed Buckbee was the CEO of the Alabama Space & Rocket Center as well as Space Camp from their inception through 1994.

It was an incredibly exciting event because I highly suspect that, because the film never found commercial success during its theatrical run in 1986, this was probably one of the few times anyone involved in making the film sat down to talk about it.  And that’s a shame, because it really is, if nothing else, a fun movie!

Fortunately, you didn’t have to be in attendance to hear the panel.  I present to you video of that event, recorded both for your enjoyment as well as for posterity.

80s À gogo Redux

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I just received yet another team picture from the 80s.  You keep sending them, I’ll keep posting them!  Especially during this, the 30th birthday of Space Camp!

Mark Lopa wrote to me with the following:

Hello Vincent,
I just found my group picture from Space Camp. I was a pilot on the Challenger Level II team in April 1985. I’m the middle person in the second row up from the bottom wearing the gold watch. (Why I was wearing it I have no idea.) I can’t believe how long ago that was. I still have my hat and t-shirt, although the shirt doesn’t quite fit these days. I was in the eighth grade at the time.
Thanks, Mark!
What’s especially interesting about this photo, from a collector of artifacts’ perspective, is that I have never before seen that sweatshirt design.  Very neat!

Mark Lopa's 1985 Level II Team Photo
If you’d like to see the full resolution picture, click here.