American Dynasty

  T he final crew of the inaugural season for the American Heritage Discovery Space Center in the USS Discovery This is the final crew of the inaugural season for the American Heritage Discovery Space Center in the USS Discovery. The season was a great success. We ran flights for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade classes as a part of their science class curriculum. We had fifteen different classes split into two groups for 30 separate squadrons. Each group flew twice, making for sixty flights and 360 students served.   Each class attended an initial mission session which informed them of a problem to solve in a laboratory session. The 5th-grade class flew "Intolerance," In the first session, they encountered the Pannae and Pannou races. In their laboratory session, they tested the genetic codes of both aliens and learned that they were identical, which helped them counter the Pannou's racist claims.   In sixth grade, the classes flew "Children of Perikoi." After ...

Moving day from Renaissance Academy to the Underfunded Films Warehouse      The TSC Nighthawk (Terran Space Command - Farpoint Universe) was recently removed from active space service at The Space Place at Renaissance Academy in Lehi and moved to drydock at the Underfunded Films warehouse where it will be gutted, rewired, polished, oiled, de-radiated, and re-equipped with up to date computers.   The Nighthawk in Drydock for a full refit      The refit will be under the direction of Admirals Megan Warner and Matthew Long. Megan works at Underfunded Films and The Space Place.  Megan is the Nighthawk's Set Director. For those who don't know Megan, she was the Director of the Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center from June 2013 - June 2014.  Alex Anderson, Matt Long, and Megan Warner back in the day      Matt is the owner of Underfunded Films and a former Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center volunteer, supervisor, and F...

       Amazing is the word to describe the score given to The Space Place's Middle School (7-9th grade) Tiger Squadron.  The Tigers scored a whopping 178 points out of 100 possible in their last flight of the school year on May 6.  The squadron reached all the mission objects which gave them the perfect 100 points for the rotation. In addition, they earned 78 bonus points by completed several hidden objects we put into every mission but never brief the crew on those objectives.         My trusty calculator which has sat on my desk both as a teacher and Space Center director for the last 30+ years shows the final score when all points were added in.  You old Christa McAuliffe Space Education Center volunteers and staff should recognize the calculator; many of you used it repeatedly over the years :)       The Tiger Squadron's score report was signed by Bracken Funk, myself, and the squadron.  Copies were...

     Saturday, May 7th.  The staff of the Christa McAuliffe Space Center gathered for an early, pre-private mission breakfast. The fixens were good; sausages, waffles, fruit, bagels, and scrambled eggs.        Gone were the old staples of a Space Center breakfast; Gogurts, Tampico, and nearly all you could eat Walmart glazed donuts. The Space Center has come a long way.           A television was brought in to ensure the younglings had a screen to stare at just in case face to face conversation led to awkward pauses.  Old cartoons from their collective childhoods was on the line up.        Matt and Tabitha Ricks made it a family outing by bringing their young daughter.  There was a sea of outstretched arms wanting to hold her.  She represented the next generation of Space Center volunteer.           It was good seeing Jon Parker doing something...

The Starship Voyager was busy with public missions on Saturday.  A prom group occupied the starship Saturday morning.  Saturday afternoon was reserved for an adult group wanting the Voyager experience. The group was made up of space edventure enthusiasts. They are regulars at the Christa McAuliffe Space Center. Saturday was their 2nd visit to the Voyager for a 5 hour mission.  Going on a Bracken Funk and Megan Warner Voyager mission is to experience perfection in the art and science of space edventuring.  While I pioneered and perfected this form of techno-storytelling over the last 38 years, I proudly admit there are some practitioners who have mastered the art and science of space edventuring far beyond my capabilities.  These folks are master storytellers, excellent actors, and encouraging supervisors. In addition to those things, a master in the art and science of Space EdVenturing is someone who can also write and produce outstanding missions. It is a perso...