Mobile Quarantine Facility

An Apollo-era artifact found in the woods of western Alabama? The first clue about this missing relic came from space – cyberspace. In March 2007, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) received an e-mail indicating that a unique, historic artifact had been discovered in a remote area in Perry County, Alabama. USSRC officials were skeptical. Could one of the nation's most unique artifacts, long believed to be destroyed, really be sitting in a wooded area in western Alabama? But the e-mail proved true; a Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF), one of the four decontamination units used by NASA astronauts in the Apollo program to help protect the public against alien “moon germs,” surfaced in a fish hatchery just outside of Marion, Alabama. This particular unit (shown below) was used by Apollo 12 astronauts after their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in 1969.

The MQF represents an interesting chapter in the Apollo story, as cautious scientists, perhaps influenced by stories found in science fiction, believed the nation needed to take steps to protect against an alien moon germ that could potentially wipe out our planet. Thus, the MQF was built to isolate astronauts returning from the moon.

Recently acquired by the USSRC, the MQF has been relocated to our facilities here in Huntsville , and USSRC officials are eager to begin restoration work on the unit. Years of exposure to the elements have taken their toll on the MQF; the interior of the facility has also been gutted and refitted for different uses by various organizations over the years. After the USSRC conducts a detailed evaluation of the unit, we can then determine the cost of restoration.

For more information on the history of the MQF, how the USSRC became aware of its presence, or how you can donate to its restoration, please visit www.savethesaturn.org.

Alumni Spotlight

Since early childhood, Francis French was incredibly interested in spaceflight. However, growing up in Northern England , the space program (both American and Russian) seemed a little out of reach. “It was always something in which other countries participated,” Francis remembers. Although his parents encouraged a deep interest in the subject, Francis never really felt like he would be personally involved in it. But little did Francis know that his parents would soon present him with the gift of a lifetime.

In the summer of 1989, just weeks before he was scheduled to leave for college, Francis' parents arranged for him to attend SPACE ACADEMY in Huntsville , Alabama , as part of a summer backpacking tour around the United States.

For Francis, the opportunity to see the very rockets and spacecraft that made history in the U.S. space program was an absolute thrill. The illusion of simulated spaceflight training was also incredibly powerful – Francis enjoyed serving as a mission specialist and listening to radio reports between the commander and mission control. “It was easy to believe I was truly in a moving, working, flying machine,” he recalls.

One thing, however, was not an illusion for Francis – teamwork at SPACE ACADEMY . He loved working with the diverse group of people from all around the country and even made some good friends throughout the course of the week. In the days before e-mail, Francis stayed in touch with many friends by exchanging letters. One friend, Erin Rogers, from Redlands , California , became particularly important to Francis, and they remained in close contact over the years following SPACE ACADEMY . Francis came back to the U.S. to visit Erin, and she, in turn, visited him in London. But on one London visit something changed: a relationship grew out of the friendship, and in November 2007, Francis and Erin will be celebrating ten years of marriage. When the couple informed the USSRC about their special union, they were told that, to the knowledge of the Center, they were the first students to meet their future spouses at SPACE CAMP.

Francis' marriage brought him to the U.S. not only to live out his relationship with Erin but also to take the lessons learned at SPACE ACADEMY and pursue a professional career. Francis had already begun a career in museum education and science writing, but living in the U.S. allowed him to be in direct contact with the space program as it happened. Francis began hosting astronauts at museum lectures, working with NASA and JPL on space events, and interviewing astronauts for magazine articles. Eventually, both of these career elements flourished until, at the beginning of 2007, Francis published two books on manned space history – Into That Silent Sea and In the Shadow of the Moon .

At this time, Francis was also working for America 's first woman in space, Sally Ride, as her Director of Events for festivals around the country. One of these festivals led Francis back to Huntsville in 2006, as the USSRC was a key partner for this event. The festival served as an opportunity for Francis to revisit the Center for the first time since 1989! Several camp counselors even volunteered to tour him around the Habs, allowing Francis to again see the very staircase where he and Erin had sat and talked during their evenings at camp.

Transformed from a wide-eyed, first-time camper, Francis was now able to appreciate the USSRC in a professional capacity, and in his role as an author, he enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of the Center's impressive Skylab trainer accompanied by Skylab and Shuttle astronaut, Owen Garriott (pictured above). An experience such as this would have been unimaginable to Francis in 1989, but thanks to his initial SPACE ACADEMY experience, Francis was able to return to the USSRC as an adult. “The fact that it happened is, in large part, due to the excitement and imagination that SPACE ACADEMY sparks in all of its students,” Francis says. “I have a lot to thank the Center for.”

Francis French currently serves as Director of Education at the San Diego Air & Space Museum .

Saturn V Update

Huntsville's Saturn V 500D/F, the moon rocket that until recently has been on display at the back of Rocket Park, has been successfully moved into its new home inside the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the USSRC.

In late August, workers hoisted the last component, the Command Module and Launch Escape System, into place high above the floor of the new facility. It joins the Service Module, Instrument Unit, and three booster stages already in place to form the complete lunar rocket vehicle.

Construction on the Davidson Center continues on schedule with completion expected in November of this year. At that time, USSRC staff will begin erecting new exhibits inside the building and working towards the grand opening celebration that will be held on January 31, 2008 – 50 years to the day after America 's first orbiting satellite, Explorer 1, was launched.

The 68,000 square-foot Davidson Center not only will house the massive Saturn V, preserving it for future generations, but it will also feature a 350-seat auditorium, complete commercial kitchen for night functions and special events, and dramatic displays that highlight Alabama's crucial role in America's space program.

We will continue updates on this project as construction progresses.

Recruiting counselors for the USSRC

This fall USSRC officials will be working with colleges across the country to recruit students and former campers for the upcoming hiring season. We will be looking to recruit approximately 120 counselors to begin employment on January 14, 2008. Applicants must be at least 20 years of age and have successfully completed 30 hours of college credits. In addition, the USSRC is looking for alumni who are willing to be ambassadors and conduct recruiting sessions at their local colleges and universities for spring 2008. For more information on how you can serve as a SPACE CAMP ambassador, please contact Charity Nehls at charityn@spacecamp.com or apply online at www.spacecamp.com/hr. GOT HEROES? Apply today to become a SPACE CAMP counselor and make a difference in the life of a child.