The HabForum

I would love to see early photos of the Space Center & Space Camp. I know many of you here on the forum have been to camp over the years & your life has been impacted by the Space Center & Space Camp. Please share on this thread some of your photos for all to enjoy!!

We used to have a Hab1 photo portal full of old pics submitted by members but it went down. I had a lot of my old photos scanned in but lost them when my HDD crashed a few years back. I'll see if I can rescan them. I have a ton of old literature too I could scan. For now, you might check out Richasi's Space Links http://www.richasi.com/SpaceLink/camp.htm, he's got some of the old newsletters scanned on there.

Here are a few I've found online:



I find some of these odd, I assume there was no line where the public couldn't go? Looks like you'd be able to just walk right in there. Lots of room with those sims, I can't envision that room looking like that today, as stuffed as everything is in there now...

The first picture is the old training center - the bubble - which you see in SpaceCamp: The Movie.

Second is the Museum as it looked back in the day. It looked like that in 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1991 when I visited. By 1995, by next visit, they'd darkened all the windows and put in Apollo exhibits. That building has remained "dark" ever since then, which is a shame because I used to love being in that building.

Third is "new" Training Center Floor, the way I remember it best, circa 1991. There was no AstroTrek Building, and everything - and I mean everything - took place right there. The "fence" as you round the corner from the museum building into the Camp area is the same, only where there are shuttle noses and space station modules, sat the MAT and 1/6th chair. This picture is taken from the "steps", where we all used to be gathered to listen to lectures and receive instructions on what we'd be training on next. The public could come no further, but it wasn't nearly as sealed off as it is now. Before, you could stand there and watch - or sit in the cafeteria and watch.

Now there's really nothing to see.

Richasi wrote:Third is "new" Training Center Floor, the way I remember it best, circa 1991. There was no AstroTrek Building, and everything - and I mean everything - took place right there. The "fence" as you round the corner from the museum building into the Camp area is the same, only where there are shuttle noses and space station modules, sat the MAT and 1/6th chair. This picture is taken from the "steps", where we all used to be gathered to listen to lectures and receive instructions on what we'd be training on next. The public could come no further, but it wasn't nearly as sealed off as it is now. Before, you could stand there and watch - or sit in the cafeteria and watch.
Now there's really nothing to see.

Different world, now.
Back then, watching the kids doing the SC stuff would be considered cool. Now, nobody wants anyone watching the kids do anything, and anyone doing so is assumed to be sick.
When I was going through SC in September, we were suting up for a mission (putting flight suits on over street clothes, that is) on the steps in front of the Endeavour nose and some of the public stopped to watch. I heard one of the trainers tell one of the spectators that they normally have the kids do that out of public view, but as we were all adults, they don't have 'all that much to worry about'.

The "open" training center floor was largely responsible for helping me sell my parents on sending me to Space Camp when I was a kid. You could see everything, and my parents finally "got it". Later on, visiting the museum as an alumni, it was nice to be able to watch the trainees as they went about their missions or training, listen in on a team getting a bit of instructioning from a crew trainer, and "relive" some camp memories.

I understand the need for security, and having the TCF closed off like it is probably helps to make the more insecure parents feel better about leaving their kids there for a week. But for me, it is kinda sad to visit and not be able to observe the activity as much as you once could. I'm glad they started offering visitors a tour of the TCF and Hab, but I wonder if I would have been able to convince my parents to wait for that tour back in '89 had the TCF been closed off then. Hmmm.

I'd guess that training center picture is more like 88 or 89 than 91 so its even older. Key features that tell you this. Columbia still has a nise in the front it was later chopped down to just the crew compartment. The motion based Endeavour sim which came along in 1990 is nowhere to be seen. The Space Suits by 1990 were off in a room by themselves now used as an office it was over to the side just outside the training center it was later used for Columbia mission control which in this picture is still next to Columbia. also their appears to be some form of airplance cockpit simulator over by Enterprise i've seen them in old training center photos but they were not there when i was there in 91.

As for the old museum picture and why they darkened the museum. I have heard but don't know how true it is that the Skylab solar array replica on display was starting to build up electricity because sun was hitting it so they had to darken the museum area. I could not remember if it was dark in 91 or not. I know that pictures is sometime pre 91 though because they still have a real mercury capsule and the flying bedsted in the museum both were gone by 91.

It's not 1988. I have pictures of 1988 and it's close, but not quite. This would be more of 1988: http://www.richasi.com/SpaceLink/Camp/full/scan0024.jpg
This is the way I remember the floor in 1991: http://www.richasi.com/SpaceLink/Camp/full/scan0029.jpg
So, since the picture doesn't have Endeavour in it, it must be 1989 or 1990 then - good catch.

Interesting theory on Skylab... I hadn't heard that. I always assumed it was because of the new exhibits they put in at the time. I really, really didn't like it. I'll have to check my pics from 1995, but, I don't recall Skylab being in the museum building then...

Skylab was in the building till atleast 96 i don't remember if it was in 98 or not but along with skylab was a large solar panel that remained there well into the 2000's and believe was still there even in 2007. Your right on the training center floor the link you just posted looks like right after the new floor opened around 88 or so the previous pic is still pre 91 but 89 i would say is probably likely for it. the second link you posted i'd say is 92 because Columbia mission contol is no longer next to Columbia which it was next to it in 91. However campers still are seen in colored visors so its not yet 93 when they changed to hats for all trainees.

One other clue the second pic is 92 is the trainees in the back working with the LDEF replica i remember it being mentioned in a space camp news sometime between my 91 and 93 trip. But that second link is much closer to 91 than the others.

I was just doing a quick web search and found this persons Space Academy Level 2 album from the late 80s. Shows some shots of the training center some of the sims including Atlantis in her glory days post movie and pictures from around space camp. http://lovelyrita-mm.com/2009/02/moar-space-camp/

Also found an early museum picture dated 1970. Pre Space Camp I know but fascintating to see. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alaba ... _Floor.jpg

Richasi wrote:It's not 1988. I have pictures of 1988 and it's close, but not quite. This would be more of 1988: http://www.richasi.com/SpaceLink/Camp/full/scan0024.jpg
This is the way I remember the floor in 1991: http://www.richasi.com/SpaceLink/Camp/full/scan0029.jpg
So, since the picture doesn't have Endeavour in it, it must be 1989 or 1990 then - good catch.

Interesting theory on Skylab... I hadn't heard that. I always assumed it was because of the new exhibits they put in at the time. I really, really didn't like it. I'll have to check my pics from 1995, but, I don't recall Skylab being in the museum building then...

Richard, you nailed it in this post. The first pic is 1988 and the the other pic is def 1990 since it includes the Endeavour sim and the MARS ride in front of Enterprise.

The windows of the museum were indeed tinted to prevent the Skylab solar array from activating! If my memory serves me correctly, the solar array was there right up until the Star Wars travelling exhibit arrived in 2009. I think they had to move it out to make way for that, or at least hide it. The solar array was originally part of the Skylab trainer display which is now in the Davidson center. I'd love to see it added back to that display, but you know there would still be the same issue of sunlight in that room as well.

Boomerang wrote:I was just doing a quick web search and found this persons Space Academy Level 2 album from the late 80s. Shows some shots of the training center some of the sims including Atlantis in her glory days post movie and pictures from around space camp. http://lovelyrita-mm.com/2009/02/moar-space-camp/

Woohoo, a Hab Room with the circular wall without the bench, and actual desks to work at!

The Skylab solar array is still there as of last Saturday. It's been folded up to make room for traveling exhibits.

Richard, you nailed it in this post. The first pic is 1988 and the the other pic is def 1990 since it includes the Endeavour sim and the MARS ride in front of Enterprise.

Again the devil is in the details here. The second pic is 91 at the earliest but probably 92. In 91 Columbia Mission control was still right next to Columbia at least as late as late July. Granted it may have moved later that year which could make this 91 but it's likely 92. The LDEF sattelite came after my 91 trip as it was mentioned in one of my space camp news newsletters. And the campers are wearing colored visors which means it predates 93 when they were changed to really ugly hats. This could be late 91 but i doubt it it is likely 92.

Does anything one have some early photos when the Saturn Five was placed at the back of the main building or any information on it?

This is the oldest picture I have of it, taken a few months after the rocket was placed in the park, in June 1969.

It was on loan from the Smithsonian, until it was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987. This assured the vehicle would stay at Sprocket for good!

I'm sure Sprocket has some construction/installation photos somewhere. I for one would love to see them!

Great Picture, the first time I seen it was early 1972, Thanks for sharing!!

The Wikipedia page has various shots of that Saturn V test article throughout its history, to include the display at the USSRC: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SA-500D