Space Camp (United States)

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center and Space Camp (formerly U.S. Space Camp) in Huntsville are operated by the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission, which is a state agency whose members are appointed by the Governor of Alabama.

The non-profit U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation is a separate entity and members of its board are not appointed by the governor. It is responsible for scholarship fund-raising and the licensing of camps outside the United States. There are a number of internationally licensed Space Camps, including Space Camp Turkey, Space Camp Canada (known as "Camp Spatial" in French), and Space Camp Belgium.

Space Camp Florida opened in 1988 and shared facilities with the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Florida, both of which were operated by the now defunct U.S. Space Camp Foundation. The Space Camp facility closed in 2002, due to low attendance leading to financial difficulties. About 50,000 children attended the camp during its run, but in its final year as few as 14 participants filled 276 slots.[3] The Astronaut Hall of Fame was sold to Delaware North and currently remains open as an added attraction to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with several simulators previously used by the camp now available to all visitors.[4]

Space Camp California, operated by the now defunct U.S. Space Camp Foundation was located at Mountain View, California and opened in 1996. Space Camp California closed its doors January 6, 2002, also due to financial difficulties.[5]

The Space Camp Hall of Fame began in 2007 during the 25th-anniversary celebrations. According to the website, the hall was "designed to honor graduates, former employees and supporters who have distinguished themselves in their respective careers or made considerable in-kind contributions in an effort to help further the goals of the Space Camp program."[6]

Space Camp offers scholarships for children who have disabilities, academic talent, leadership skills, or financial needs or other disadvantages.[11]

In cooperation with teachers of visually impaired students, Space Camp operates a week-long Space Camp for Interested Visually Impaired Students by providing the same experience to visually impaired students as sighted students. Adaptations are made to the computer systems campers use in activities and simulations to provide speech and large print output. Adapted materials, including handbooks translated in Braille, and equipment are used during the camp.

In cooperation with teachers, Space Camp operates a week-long program for deaf and hard of hearing students by providing the same experience to hearing-impaired students as hearing students. Communication is supported by a dedicated team of American Sign Language interpreters as well as through visual and written media. To allow equal access to the audio of films, most museum & camp movies have open or closed captions; the theater provides a rear-window captioning system. To augment or replace microphone/headset technology, students use live stream video between mission control and the shuttle simulator.

In addition to participating in typical camp activities and simulations, students often have the opportunity to meet and interact with deaf adults who work in science-related fields and learn about the many contributions deaf individuals [13] such as Annie Jump Cannon (astronomer),[14][15] Tsiolkovsky (considered of a "father of Rocketry"),[15][16] and Dr. Thomas Wheeler (deaf NASA aerospace engineer)[17][18] have made to astronomy, space exploration and science education.

Other programs include corporate programs, programs for adults and educators and educational field-trip programs for school groups, and the X-Camp outdoor leadership camp. There were also special alumni sessions during the summer of the 25th anniversary.

Occasionally themed camps have been offered, usually in conjunction with museum exhibits. During the summer of 2010 a Jedi Experience camp was offered in connection with the museum traveling exhibit Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.[19]

U.S. Cyber Camp[20] announced in 2017, focuses on Cyber Security.

Aviation Challenge, or AC, is an umbrella branding for a set of aviation oriented camps at Space Camp, consisting of three main programs for children from ages 9–18. As an aviation oriented camp the fundamental teaching aids are computer based flight simulators, which are intended to train attendees to fly, act, and think like United States Air Force, Navy or Marine fighter pilots.

There are simulators at Space Camp, such as:

• The MAT (Multi-axis trainer) – Simulates disorientation, similar to the Multiple Axis Space Test Inertia Facility (MASTIF) developed for Project Mercury
• The 1/6 Chair – Simulates walking on the Moon
• The 5DF Chair – Simulates the frictionless environment of space in five degrees of freedom
• The MMU (Manned Maneuvering Unit) – Simulates working untethered in a frictionless environment, such as during Extravehicular Activity (also known as an EVA or Spacewalk).

Space Camp additionally uses rides or attractions that are on site at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center as instructional tools. While these are not true simulators, the use of these rides is designed to allow the rider to better understand some aspect of space travel. The Space Shot simulates liftoff, and the G-Force Accelerator simulates the G-forces put on astronauts while re-entering the Earth's atmosphere or during launch.

The Spacedome IMAX Theater provides a venue for presenting some of the space and science oriented films produced through the IMAX camera/projection system. The theater is part of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center museum complex. As Space Camp is operated by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, it makes regular use of the theater.

Space Camp Habitat 1 facility

If a Space Camp program takes more than one day, campers stay at the space camp's Habitat 1 or Habitat 2. Habitat 1 is a large building designed to house young people. It is manned by staff and has full CCTV. Male and female campers are usually assigned to separate floors.

Aviation Challenge trainees stay in Habitat 3 where they are required to maintain military standards to their bays and racks. There are two floors to Hab 3. Males live on half of the ground floor and all of the second floor. Female trainees stay on the other half of the first floor. The bays are named after famous aircraft carriers. The camp has a cafeteria where campers receive meals.

• Astronauts and cosmonauts:[21]

• Samantha Cristoforetti in 1995 aged 18, while a foreign exchange student.[22]
• Robert Hines in 1989 aged 14.
• Aleksandr Lazutkin attended Space Academy for Educators in 1999.
• Sandra Magnus attended a weekend Adult Space Academy in 1991 while a student at Georgia Tech.
• Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger aged 14.
• Jasmin Moghbeli attended Advanced Space Academy in 1998 aged 15.[23]
• Barbara Morgan visited Space Academy for Educators in 2003 and took part in a simulated space mission.
• Beth Moses attended Adult Space Academy in 1989.
• Kathleen Rubins dreamed of becoming an astronaut as a child and did chores around the house to earn her trip to Space Camp in seventh grade.
• Aleksandr Serebrov attended Space Academy for Educators in 1999, more than four years after his retirement.

• Alyssa Carson, space enthusiast who has attended all of the Space Camps, first attended Huntsville in 2008[24][25]
• Chelsea Clinton, daughter of then President Bill Clinton, attended the International Space Camp in 1993.[26]
• Karenna Gore, daughter of then Senator Al Gore, in 1985.[26]
• Amy Carter, daughter of former President Jimmy Carter.[26]
• Actors Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen attended during production of The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley.[26]
• Jacob Roloff, of the reality television series Little People, Big World, in 2009[27]
• Musician Bruce Springsteen's children have attended multiple camp programs.[26]
• Actor Austin O'Brien in 1997.[26]

• The cast and crew of Apollo 13 visited Space Camp during pre-production.[26] Tom Hanks, who portrayed James Lovell in the film, would return in 2006, as his son was attending at the time. Hanks also ate breakfast with some German rocket scientists.[28]

• SpaceCamp (1986) portrayed youngsters on a fictional adventure at the camp.
• Beyond the Stars (1989) a drama about a teenager (Christian Slater) who befriends a gruff former astronaut (Martin Sheen).
• The Case of the U.S. Space Camp Mission (1996) a direct-to-video film starring the Olsen twins.
• Stranger Than Fiction (2006), the protagonist's friend (Tony Hale) says the camp would be at the top of his bucket list and that "You're never too old to go to Space Camp, dude," and later inspects a brochure about programs for adults.
• A Smile as Big as the Moon (2012) a television movie based on a teacher's memoirs.[29]
• Space Warriors (2013) a television movie about Space Camp trainees who help rescue three astronauts stranded in orbit.[30][31]

• Chuck, season 2, episode 9, "Chuck Versus the Sensei", John Casey sarcastically refers to Space Camp as being where all the cool kids go.[32][33]
• Dexter's Laboratory, season 2, episode 12c, "Ol' McDexter", Dee Dee attended a camp similar to space camp while Dexter attended an Amish farm camp.
• Eastbound & Down, season 4, episode 3, Kenny Powers refers to Space Camp when trying to get his son to pat a wolf.[34]
• Eureka, season 4, episode 18, "This One Time at Space Camp...", candidates for a space mission tell a selection panel of their pasts.
• Family Guy, season 11, episode 9, "Space Cadet", Chris Griffin attended Space Camp.
• Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, season 1, episode 19, "Ruff Ruffman Spaces Out", featured the show's contestants, the FETCHers, sent to Space Camp to take part in astronaut training.[35]
• The Goldbergs, season 3, episode 22, "Smother's Day", Adam dreams of going to Space Camp.[36]
• Grounded for Life, season 4, episode 28, "Space Camp Oddity", Brad tells Lily about his space-camp girlfriend, Lana.
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien (2010), the host sent his sidekick, Andy Richter, to Adult Space Camp.[37]
• Nickelodeon game shows often had trips to Space Camp as prizes, including Double Dare, Finders Keepers, Get the Picture, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Nick Arcade and Think Fast.
• The Simpsons, season 14, episode 12, "I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can", Nelson Muntz claims to have visited Space Camp during his summer holidays.[38][39]
• Southern Fried Road Trip, season 1, episode 2, "Space Camp, the Final Food Frontier", featured Adult Space Camp.[40]

• Unleashed in Space (1999), The Super Adventures of Wishbone, Book 3.