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SPACE CAMP on MySpace Alumni Andi symbolizes every SPACE CAMP and AVIATION CHALLENGE alumnus. Andi loves space trivia and flight jet simulators. Andi represents the kid that made you laugh every moment at camp, as well as the super-smart camper that read the “Throttle Up” manual during the very first night. Being a SPACE CAMP graduate is a point of pride for so many alumni, and that is what Alumni Andi is all about. Since September, Alumni Andi has facilitated alumni communication by introducing information about the 25 th Anniversary, current USSRC events, SPACE CAMP and AVIATION CHALLENGE trivia, and the importance of a strong alumni community. The group of friends she has assembled may be small in comparison to the nearly 500,000 alumni, but big things happen on her MySpace page. Just this month, an idea from an alumnus was launched as a contest for the 25 th Anniversary. The purpose of the #1 Space Camp Fan is to find the most excited enthusiast of the USSRC camp programs. Both SPACE CAMP and AVIATION CHALLENGE alumni can compete, showing their spirit in a short video clip that will be judged by Alumni Andi. Whether you attended in Alabama , Florida , California , Canada , Turkey , Japan , or Belgium , you are eligible to compete. For more information on Alumni Andi, SPACE CAMP on MySpace, or the #1 SPACE CAMP Fan contest, please visit SPACE CAMP on MySpace and #1 SPACE CAMP Fan. Alumni Spotlight After his last session, Vincent searched the internet for anything SPACE CAMP-related, sadly discovering little information – only a few pages of camp experiences and some photos. While the SPACE CAMP Web site provided great program overview, it offered zero interaction with other alumni. Vincent wondered about a Web site on which to exchange SPACE CAMP ideas, opinions, and questions and showcase space memorabilia. So, with much dedication he created Hab1.com and placed it on the internet on February 1, 2001.
In the summer of 2004, Vincent got to fulfill another dream of serving as a SPACE CAMP counselor. He was thrilled to spend three months influencing the lives of hundreds of campers. The 25 th Anniversary celebration will be Vincent's first trip back to camp since then, and for him, summer cannot come quickly enough. While Vincent is a little sad about being absent from SPACE CAMP for three years, thanks to his interaction with other alumni on Hab1.com , he has never really felt that far from home. Renovations at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center The IMAX SpaceDome will be closed during the month of January for renovations. The IMAX dome screen, along with the 10 years of dust that has accumulated on it, will be cleaned. Carpet, both on the theater floor and walls, is being replaced as well; and carpet in the SpaceDome lobby will be replaced with tile. Theater seats will also be replaced with newer, more comfortable models.
New showers in the SPACE CAMP Habitats : USSRC staff members have recently replaced the older, public showers in the Habitats with new, private models (pictured below). Campers will now be able to bathe and change with greater privacy.
25 th Anniversary Update 1.) Nomination criteria and nomination forms for inductees to the SPACE CAMP Hall of Fame are now available online. Please visit our Web site to nominate the alumnus that you think belongs in the SPACE CAMP Hall of Fame! 2.) Read more on our Web site about Tom and Elaine Kallay, parents of SPACE CAMP alumnus, Michael, who, in an effort to be closer to their son during his week at AVIATION CHALLENGE, purchased a summer home on Lake Wheeler . 3.) Commemorative 25 th Anniversary merchandise is now available on our Web site. Merchandise includes Polo shirts, lapel pins, and mission patches. Please visit www.spacecampstore.com for more information. 4.) Order forms for the official 25 th Anniversary rings and pendants are available on our Web site and at the USSRC gift shop. These special, celebratory pieces, designed by the Balfour Company of Austin , Texas , allow alumni members to proudly commemorate their SPACE CAMP experience. Order yours today from Balfour! |
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Vincent says he would not be where he is today without SPACE CAMP. While staring down college applications in high school, SPACE CAMP encouraged him to embrace his digital tendencies and chose a career in Computer Engineering. In 2005, Vincent received a degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), one of the top schools in the country for Computer Engineering. For Vincent, SPACE CAMP emphasized how much the space program drove the advancement of computer technology. So when the time came to make a career choice, Vincent felt confident that he could truly make a contribution to human endeavors in space. And he just might! After graduating from UIUC, Vincent got a job as a Computer Engineer at Lockheed Martin Corporation, recently named prime contractor for project Orion, the next manned spacecraft.
During renovations, the IMAX lens projector will be upgraded. The new IDO lens will not only increase the focus and clarity of the images, but also the amount of light projected onto the screen. The USSRC will also be 
installing a Mopix close caption system for hearing impaired guests. A projector installed at the rear of the theater will beam captions onto reflectors secured in the seats' cup holders, allowing guests to better enjoy their IMAX experience. 
