SPACE CAMP Hall of Fame

This summer's most exciting 25th Anniversary event finally arrived on June 13, 2007: the SPACE CAMP Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction Ceremony. Actor William Shatner served as Master of Ceremonies and NASA astronauts Dr. Story Musgrave and Jim Halsell spoke to a crowd of over 700 guests. Attendees included Huntsville City Mayor Loretta Spencer; Miss Alabama Rebecca Moore; Miss Teen Alabama Canden Bliss Jackson; #1 SPACE CAMP Fan, Laura Boyle; various corporate sponsors; former U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) employees, SPACE CAMP alumni, and friends; and many more.

The evening proved to be an unforgettable night of laughter, memories, and honor. Those inducted into this year's inaugural class included Dr. Wernher von Braun, Edward O. Buckbee, Dr. Georg vonTiesenhausen, Dan Oates, Amanda Stubblefield, Dr. James Rice, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, and Penny J. Pettigrew. This year's induction ceremony was greatly enjoyed by all and set a high standard for years to come.

Dr. Georg vonTiesenhausen receives his plaque	Dan Oates receives his plaque
Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger speaks at the press conference	William Shatner, USSRC CEO Larry Capps, and ASSEC Chair Irma Tuder chat before dinner

Alumni Spotlight

In 1992, Beth Favor visited the Astronaut Hall of Fame and literally stumbled upon SPACE CAMP's Training Center Floor. Excited that SPACE CAMP truly existed, she picked up a program guide and asked her mother if she could attend. Immediately, her mother agreed, but only if Beth raised the money herself. Not exactly the answer that Beth was looking for, but determination far outweighed a monetary hindrance. Beth began working with a family business, as well as doing odd jobs, to raise money for tuition and

Beth and Damon then

transportation. Finally in October 1993, at the age of 13, Beth boarded a plane in Pennsylvania to attend Level 1 SPACE ACADEMY. After an amazing experience learning about NASA's vision for space exploration, Beth decided to return to Camp, as she had made several great friends during the week. One friendship in particular with Damon from California proved to be a lasting relationship. He and Beth decided to return to Camp the next year at the same time so that they could be on the same team. After her return home, Beth immediately began saving money for the next trip. In October 1994 Beth and Damon returned for their second SPACE CAMP session.

In 1997, Beth received a degree in Accounting. After three years in the field, she desperately needed a break and, in the summer of 2000, decided to work as a SPACE CAMP counselor. One summer turned into three-and-a-half years as a counselor for SPACE CAMP, SPACE ACADEMY , and Parent/Child camps, as well as acquiring a supervisor position for weekend programs. Working at SPACE CAMP left such an impression on Beth that she returned to college at UAH for a degree in Elementary Education. Beth left the USSRC in August 2003 to begin her student teaching, after which she moved to Mississippi to live closer to Damon, the boy she had met at SPACE CAMP in 1993. They were married in February 2004 and now reside in North Carolina .

Beth and Damon now

Beth says attending and working at SPACE CAMP surrounded her with some of the most passionate and inspirational people she has ever met. These characteristics that she first saw as a camper in her own counselors inspired her to return to Camp, work as

a counselor, and go on to become a teacher. In fact, when Beth's husband found out he was deploying to Iraq in 2007, she could think of no place that she would rather spend the summer away from her husband than SPACE CAMP. For Beth, SPACE CAMP has become her family. Her experiences with Camp have taught her to never give up on her dreams. Camp is where Beth met her husband, and it is now where she draws her inspiration to teach.

Harry Potter at the Space & Rocket Center

The USSRC will be showing Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix in our IMAX Theater at 12:01 AM on July 11, 2007. Projected attendance per day for the first two weeks of the film is 1,000 to 1,250 people. Therefore, advance tickets are available for purchase online at www.spacecamp.com . Subsequent showings of the film will be held:

Sunday -Thursday: 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:45 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 10:00 a.m., 1:00p.m., 4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m., 9:45 p.m.

Please reserve your tickets early, as these showings are expected to be sellouts!

Rocket Roll

The USSRC is hosting another exciting event this summer. After years of fund-raising efforts and contributions from generous donors, the mighty Saturn V, the rocket that launched man to the moon, is being moved to its new home. The public is invited to attend this historic moment on Tuesday, July 10, at 9:30 a.m. at the USSRC, when the Saturn V rocket will begin its journey to the Davidson Saturn V Center. Robert M. Lightfoot, Deputy Director for Marshall Space Flight Center, will speak at this "launch" ceremony, called Rocket Roll. Marshall Space Flight Center is coordinating the move that is expected to take four days. Accenture is sponsoring the event, which is free and open to the public. The USSRC encourages all alumni that are available to attend this thrilling day in USSRC and American history.

Saturn/Apollo Reunion

The Fourth Annual Saturn/Apollo Reunion will be held on Friday, July 13, 2007, at the USSRC. Dr. Buzz Aldrin (Apollo 11), Walter Cunningham (Apollo 7), Dr. Owen Garriott (Skylab and Spacelab), Dr. George Mueller (Deputy Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight 1963-69), and Steve Cook (Director of the Exploration Launch Projects Office, Marshall Space Flight Center) will be featured guests.

Pratt & Whitney Rockedyne is the title sponsor for the Reunion , which will begin at 5:00 p.m. Dinner will be served from 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and a brief program will be held in Rocket Park at 6:45 p.m. Halsey Foodservice and SAIC are contributing sponsors.

Advance tickets are available online at www.savethesaturn.org , at the NASA Exchange, or at the USSRC ticket desk. Ticket price is $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and under. Children under 3 are free. Tickets at the door will be $25 for adults and $15 for children. We are expecting a large crowd, so please reserve your tickets today!

THE UNIVERSE on the History Channel

An exciting new television series is coming to the History Channel on Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m. Using cutting-edge computer graphics, this series brings the universe down to earth to show what life would be like on other planets, and to imagine what kind of life forms might evolve in alien atmospheres. Episodes examine how discoveries were made and the scientists and explorers who dared to venture into the uncharted territory of the universe. Tune in to the History Channel to learn more!

25 th Anniversary Update

The USSRC will host special guests, including USN (Ret.) Commander Trish Beckman, NASA astronauts Bob Springer and Dr. Story Musgrave, and Major Jill A. Long, for our Thursday Nights in the Museum . These meet-and-greet receptions, which are sponsored by Lockheed Martin, are open to the public and free to the first 120 guests. The evenings will include autographs and book signings by our speakers and light refreshments in the museum. Visit the USSRC ticket desk to reserve your free passes today!

Adult Alumni SPACE CAMP sessions are taking final reservations! The closing SPACE CAMP session, which will conclude our 25 th Anniversary celebration, will be August 2-5. Program costs including housing will be $399. Cost without housing will be $349. For more information, please visit www.spacecamp.com.

For a limited time, alumni can order our SPACE CAMP 25 th Anniversary Postal Cachet. These special caches, hand cancelled with a custom 25th anniversary mark and envelope, feature Star Wars stamps (two of fifteen pictured at right) and are available to alumni for $6 each, which includes shipping and handling. We will take specific cache requests, depending on availability. There will be no limit on quantities of caches purchased. To order your 25 th Anniversary Postal Cachet, please go online at www.spacecampstore.com or call catalog sales at 1-800-533-7281 ext. 120.

SPACE CAMP celebrated its half-millionth trainee on Friday, June 15, 2007. Turning a page in SPACE CAMP history, the trainee was 10-year-old Samantha Rice of Port St. Lucie , Florida . Samantha said she never imagined doing anything else with her life other than being an astronaut. She attended SPACE CAMP courtesy of the Thomas Holman Memorial Scholarship Fund, named for a 6-year-old would-be camper who died a year before he was old enough to attend. Samantha's teachers at Manatee Elementary describe her as a positive and enthusiastic student who demonstrates excitement for subjects such as science and math, but Samantha says her favorite thing "ever" is the Space Shuttle. As SPACE CAMP's 500,000th trainee, Samantha received a free SPACE CAMP tuition, as well as one of the SPACE CAMP 25th Anniversary flags flown aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery earlier this year.