| United States Space Camp | |
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| Towering rockets in the Rocket Park are a daily sight for campers at Space Camp. | |
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| Location | Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Coordinates | |
| Opening date | 1982 |
| Management | U.S. Space & Rocket Center |
| Other Facilities |
Further information: Space Camp
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| Website | http://www.spacecamp.com/ |
U.S. Space Camp is owned and operated by the Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission d.b.a. U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. "Space Camp" refers to both the actual camp and a family of related camp programs offered year-round by the facility. The camp provides residential and day camp educational programs for children in various age groups and adults. These programs include space oriented camp programs, aircraft themed Aviation Challenge camps, and outdoor oriented X-Camp programs, with the intent to promote science, engineering, aviation and exploration.
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Space Camp was founded in 1982 as an educational camp program for children using the United States space program as the basis to excite children in the areas of math and science. The idea for the camp came about as a result of a discussion between Dr. Wernher von Braun and Edward O. Buckbee. During public appearances, Buckbee has stated that the camp was the idea of Dr. von Braun who was touring the U.S. Space & Rocket Center with Buckbee in 1977 when he noticed children studying rockets and making notes. According to Buckbee, von Braun commented "We have band camp, football, cheerleading; why don't we have a science camp?"
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 and its members are appointed by the governor.
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 of 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. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center Foundation is in the process to license additional camps in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, India, and Malaysia.[1]
Space Camp Florida opened in 1989 and shared facilities with the Astronaut Hall of Fame in Titusville, Florida. The Space Camp facility closed in 2002 due to low attendance leading to financial difficulties. Some 50,000 children attended the camp during its run but in its final year as few as 14 participants filled 276 slots.[2] The Astronaut Hall of Fame was sold and currently remains open with several simulators previously used by the camp now available to all visitors.[3]
Space Camp California was located at Mountain View, California and opened its doors in 1996. Space Camp California closed its doors January 6, 2002, also due to financial difficulties.[4]
Summer 2007, marked the 25th Anniversary of Space Camp and the related programs. Space Camp used the 25th Anniversary to celebrate the history the space program, the camp and all of alumni who attended the camp. The summer of 2007 marked several milestones in the camp's history. In its first 25 years, its mission had been to excite young people to study math, science, and technology. The 500,000th camper, Samantha Rice, graduated June 15, 2007.[5] The U.S. Space & Rocket Center added to the museum the Space Camp Hall of Fame. The first inductee was Dr. Wernher von Braun.
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]
| Inductee | Class |
|---|---|
| Dr. Wernher von Braun | 2007 |
| Ed Buckbee | 2007 |
| Dr. Georg von Tiesenhausen | 2007 |
| Dr. James Rice | 2007 |
| Amanda Stubblefield | 2007 |
| Dan Oates | 2007 |
| Penny J. Pettigrew | 2007 |
| Captain Phil Smith, US Air Force | 2008 |
| Oscar Holderer | 2008 |
| Lisa Devries | 2008 |
| Vincent Vazzo | 2008 |
| Josh Whitfield, US Army Ret. | 2008 |
| Marlenn Maicki | 2008 |
| Jim Allan[7] | 2009 |
| SGM Jerry Gleason, US Army Ret.[7] | 2009 |
| Robert Pearlman[7] | 2009 |
| Francis French | 2010 |
| Major J. David Hnyda, US Army | 2010 |
| Danny R. Jaques | 2010 |
| Dr. Andrea M. Hanson | 2010 |
Program names are used to define the age or focus group for which the specific program targets, with Space Camp referring to both a camp program and the parent organization. The camp offers numerous programs for various ages and durations of visit. The majority of attendees visit during the summer, though spring and fall often see many school group visits, parent and child bonding camps, and adult or corporate programs.
Space Camp is offered for children between 9 and 11 years old, and typically runs from three to six days. The curriculum is designed to balance an emphasis on education with a spirit of fun. Children enrolling in Space Camp have the option to choose from one of three tracks, each with its own unique activities and areas of study: space, aviation and robotics.
Space Camp was the first of the camp programs offered, which is why it is used as the umbrella organization name. From the small groups that attended in 1982 it has grown to more than 500,000 graduates in week long programs.
Space Academy is a program intended for ages 12–14, offered in six-day sessions. Trainees (campers) attending in the summer may select from different track options.
Advanced Space Academy is designed for 15–18 year olds. There are two tracks offered: Pilot and Mission Specialist.
The program was originally known as Space Academy Level II and was started in Fall of 1987.
The Parent/Child Space Camp program allows parents or guardians the opportunity to attend Space Camp with their child aged 7–12 years. The program is three to four days and includes activities in which the adult and child work together.
Parent/Child also has an Aviation Challenge option. Pilot/Co-Pilot is designed for the young fighter pilots and their adult heroes. Offered during the summer months.
In cooperation with teachers of visually impaired students, Space Camp facilitates 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. Special materials, including handbooks translated in Braille, and equipment are used during the camp. It is a fully participatory program intended to immerse students in an environment not limited by sight. For many students, SCI-VIS may be their first opportunity to interact with others of similar abilities. Referencing what may be a common sentiment among attendees, a SCI-VIS slogan is "Just because I can't see the stars, doesn't mean I can't reach for them."
Space Camp offers several other programs. These include corporate programs, programs for adults and educators and a variety of educational field-trip programs for school groups. There were also special alumni sessions during the summer of the 25th Anniversary. Space Camp also started a new camp called X-Camp, an outdoor leadership camp.
Occasionally theme based 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.[8]
Aviation Challenge, or AC, is another umbrella branding for a set of aviation oriented camps at Space Camp. It consists of three main programs for children from ages 9–18. As an aviation oriented camp the fundamental teaching aid are computer based flight simulators, which are used in training attendees to fly, act, and think like United States Air Force, Navy or Marine fighter pilots.
There are simulators at Space Camp, such as:
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 enables the rider to experience in a simulated fashion or better understand some aspect of space travel.
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.
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 constantly 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 one hall of the Hab. The bays are named after legendary fliers and military aces.
The camp has a cafeteria facility where "campers" receive meals with pre-provided daily meal vouchers and have the option to purchase additional food items.