What the heck is Space Camp???
"Always wanted to be an astronaut but were too old for Space Camp®? Adult Space Academy® is an adventurous, two-night experience allowing trainees to assume roles in hands-on, interactive space missions and learn what it’s like to train as an astronaut."
http://www.spacecamp.com/space/adult
Not to be confused with the 1986 movie, this camp was actually started from the idea of Wernher von Braun (aerospace engineer whose most famous accomplishment being the design of the Saturn V rocket which propelled us to the moon) that children (and adults too!) should have an experience to get excited about space. The camp was started in 1982 and now there are multiple different camps available- Space Camp, Robotics Camp, Aviation Camp.
The camp I will be participating in is a 3-day camp with registration on Friday and "graduation" on Sunday. From what I have found on internet searches, this appears to be the lodging arrangement.
Having lived in the dorms at SDSU for 2 years and in a sorority house for 1 year, I should be able to manage just fine.
Some of the activities I will participate in include:
-model rocket construction & launch
-training in astronaut simulators
-1/6th gravity chair
I'm actually a little hesitant on trying to find out more specifics because I think some of the excitement of it all is not knowing what to expect.
It's gonna be awesome!
Why the heck am I going to Space Camp???
After getting married, the discussion eventually comes up about if/when to start a family. Chris and I certainly want to have children, but we also recognize that it will be a huge life change. One of the questions that came up was, "What do we want to do before we start a family?". It was then that I decided I wanted to fulfill a childhood dream of going to Space Camp.
Since I was a young child I have been fascinated with space. My Dad was the one who helped me to get interested in science and space. I loved to read as a kid and I remember wanting to read a "big" book. My Dad recommended "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell and since then I have read numerous others. Apollo 13 was (and still is) one of my favorite movies. Going to see it with my Dad and brothers is a special memory for me. I haven't done a very good job on keeping up with current happenings with NASA (I've read mostly about the early US space program from the start of Mercury through Apollo), but I'm really looking forward to learning more about the space shuttle, the International Space Station, satellites, and just general aeronautics.
As camp approaches, I will continue to keep you all posted on my thoughts as well as any new developments or exciting information. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss anything!
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