How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

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carmine
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How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by carmine »

Hey Everyone,
I just got back from my first time, and of course I want more! A bunch of us are chatting on the facebook group. I think a decent amount of people would like a weeklong (5 days?) for adults.

Any idea who we can talk to to make this happen, or what minimum amount of people, etc.?

Thanks!

-Carmine
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by Hotdog »

I think something is being planned for October. When something is announced, you can bet we will be talking about it here!
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

I got an email from Terri at Space Camp's sales department a couple of weeks ago and confirmed that indeed, "train with an astronaut" will be offered this year, on October 9-14.
8)
So, who's up for this? My wife and employer have both given me the green light (my wife will stay at home as she has no interest in this for herself).
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by carmine »

Is there a link to signup for this? Or is it not announced yet?
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by majtom7 »

carmine wrote:Hey Everyone,
I just got back from my first time, and of course I want more! A bunch of us are chatting on the facebook group. I think a decent amount of people would like a weeklong (5 days?) for adults.

Any idea who we can talk to to make this happen, or what minimum amount of people, etc.?

Thanks!

-Carmine
There is one already listed for August. The October one was supposedly going to be added to the schedule in mid-April.

The adult weeklong camps tend to be very price sensitive. If USSRC charges what it actually costs, they are unable to fill the camps. Yet when they take a loss like they did last year, they set customers' price expectations too low.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

carmine wrote:Is there a link to signup for this? Or is it not announced yet?
It won't be on the site for a little while, I was told. But I was assured that they have that hard date for that week.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by gt0163c »

p51 wrote:It won't be on the site for a little while, I was told. But I was assured that they have that hard date for that week.
I wonder why they're waiting to officially announce it and let people register for it. I'm pretty sure by this time last year a bunch of us were registered and some were already researching flights, figuring out accommodations before/after. A few might have already packed bags. :)
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

Beats me what's up with that. But as soon as they post it, I'm going for it.
For week long programs, you have:
A: An August program, with no astronauts
B: An October program, with astronaut(s)
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to make a decision there, does it, especially how hot and humid it is there in August?
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by carmine »

My birthday is October 12! If that camp is the 9th to 14th or something that would be AMAZING.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

carmine wrote:My birthday is October 12! If that camp is the 9th to 14th or something that would be AMAZING.
Sounds like a moral imperative to me!
The email I got from Terri said that the price tag for the week-long 'train with an astronaut' session will be around $1700 but she wasn't 100% sure of the final amount.
NOT cheap, I'll give you that. My wife said, "I just want to be clear with you on this, you are not going to be doing that [meaning, the week-long train with astronaut camp] every year!" And I couldn't say she didn't have a very valid point with that. That's a lot of coin.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by TahoeMinx »

carmine wrote:My birthday is October 12! If that camp is the 9th to 14th or something that would be AMAZING.
Mine's on the 25th, so it'll be a little early, but maybe we can celebrate together! I wonder if we can go to the Octoberfest going on at the Rocket Center?

I also received an email stating the camp would be the 9th through the 14th. Does anyone out there know if there's a minimum/maximum enrollment for this?
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by gt0163c »

TahoeMinx wrote:I wonder if we can go to the Octoberfest going on at the Rocket Center?
Depends on your team's schedule.
At Adult ASA last year, my team did LDM (Long Duration Mission - the 12 hour one) on Thursday. So we didn't have the opportunity to do the Octoberfest. I heard that the other teams, who did LDM on Wednesday, went for dinner that night and enjoyed it.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by Conan »

I was there last October and it was amazing. But, as you say, it is a lot of coin so I will be on Team Vandenberg this year. I will be jealously watching for your reports and photos. Enjoy!
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by majtom7 »

p51 wrote: The email I got from Terri said that the price tag for the week-long 'train with an astronaut' session will be around $1700 but she wasn't 100% sure of the final amount.
I believe that is what they charged last year. My understanding is that they took a loss so it will be interesting to see what the final price is and how the schedule compares to last year.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

I wonder if anyone from "Hoot Camp 2015" might be thinking of going in for this version in 2016? Some pals of mine went and while they had a great time, I got the impression they were worn out afterward. As I understood it, the days were long and while rewarding, they seemed to be tiring as well.
I remember the 4-day alumni session in 2014 and those days were pretty long and I was exhausted by the end of it. I'm thinking a 7-day experience of a similar nature would make me think back to my Army days, to 'dig deep' for mission accomplishment...
Conan wrote:I was there last October and it was amazing. But, as you say, it is a lot of coin so I will be on Team Vandenberg this year.
For those of you who don't get that reference, look here: https://habforum.hab1.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=2720
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by gt0163c »

p51 wrote:I wonder if anyone from "Hoot Camp 2015" might be thinking of going in for this version in 2016? Some pals of mine went and while they had a great time, I got the impression they were worn out afterward. As I understood it, the days were long and while rewarding, they seemed to be tiring as well.
I was at Hoot Camp 2015 (but Bob Springer was with us more than Hoot...so, Springer Camp? Wolf Camp?). The days were very long and packed full. I definitely needed a good bit of time to recover after I got home. But it was worth every minute and every penny. A really great experience. Unfortunately I won't be going back this year. Partly due to cost and partly due to schedule (both impacted by a trip to Africa this fall). But for those who are able, I definitely recommend going. It's a great time...just make sure you schedule some time to recover after returning home.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by TahoeMinx »

Last time I called I was told to check back after the 15th regarding the October ASC. Is it me, or does it seem to be taking forever for them to post this? I've already cleared the time off, but I really wish I could start making my flight arrangements before prices go up. ... Also, does anyone know if there's any chance they would cancel this later?
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by p51 »

TahoeMinx wrote:Last time I called I was told to check back after the 15th regarding the October ASC. Is it me, or does it seem to be taking forever for them to post this? I've already cleared the time off, but I really wish I could start making my flight arrangements before prices go up. ...
You and me, both. Good to know on the 15th, I'll keep an eye out for it then as I (amazingly) got the time off and my wife said we had the money set aside (again, with the clear understanding I am not going to be able to do a week-long program every year, which I agree is a little too much for me to ask).
TahoeMinx wrote:Also, does anyone know if there's any chance they would cancel this later?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't any of them be cancelled?
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by TahoeMinx »

Correct me if I'm wrong, but can't any of them be cancelled?
Good point. I'm just wondering whether there's a minimum/maximum for this program. It just seems to me that if they really wanted to fill this program they'd make it available to book sooner. I can only speak for myself, but I usually need a fair amount of lead time to plan for vacations. If it's cancelled because of not enough participants, I would assume they refund your registration, but what about airfare? Flights from my area can be difficult to find, and I'll need to book it just as soon as I can confirm my registration.
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Re: How do we get an Adult weeklong to happen?

Post by majtom7 »

"We reserve the right to cancel a session date if participation numbers are not adequate. You may select an alternative session date, or you may request a full refund of tuition paid. Cancellations of sessions will occur a minimum of four weeks prior to the session."
TahoeMinx wrote: I'm just wondering whether there's a minimum/maximum for this program.
Many years ago, I was told that 8 was the minimum. Luckily we had 8 left after a corporate group of 10 dropped out.
TahoeMinx wrote: It just seems to me that if they really wanted to fill this program they'd make it available to book sooner.
I agree. The unofficial scuttlebutt on when such a camp will be placed on the official schedule is usually off by a month or more.
TahoeMinx wrote: If it's cancelled because of not enough participants, I would assume they refund your registration, but what about airfare?
They'll keep at least $50 of your registration as that is stated as nonrefundable from the start. They will reimburse none of your travel costs. You may want to look into travel insurance, depending on the airline, your ticket, etc.

BTW, I was surprised that Chickenfoot failed to sell out both of its shows this past weekend at Harrah's.
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