vintage Space Camp memorabilia!

Mdanner423 · Post by **Mdanner423** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:51 am

When i was at Space Camp a few months ago they still had a couple of light blue flightsuits that were much much cheaper then the dark blue. Between 1/2 and 1/3 the price. Some of them had the ASA patch on front instead of the standard US Space Camp patch.

--Matthew

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:13 am

LB206 wrote:
As far as a post return to flight endition of the operators mannual i dont believe there was anything after the revised edition that you mentioned. I bought my copy in 96 all thge info was still pre challeger era stuff dont think they ever did a 3rd edition,

I remember briefly in '88-'89 seeing one that said "Revised for '88" in the upper right corner. So I know there was a 1988 edition. Probably a rarity to find nowadays

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:21 am

Hmm... there were no light blue flight suits available when I went in 2004. I still have mine from 1998. I tailored it to fit better since they didn't have the size I actually wear.

I like the royal blue flight suits better. I remember the counsellors wearing them in 1998 and 1999.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:01 am

I think the one we have is the most revised operators manual. Most of the return to flight stuff didnt start getting released till later.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:06 am

I just looked at my operators mannual again it is the revised and updated edition from 1988 and still none of the post challenger changes are listed yet. except one of the control panel notes a change in one set of switches post challenger. And it list OV-105 as challengers replacement being under construction but doesnt even have a name for it yet.

As far as the light blue flight suits when i was there in 2005 they still had some for sale in the gift shop and i think they were discounted. I almost bought one but opted for the flight jacket instead. The reason i don't like the royal blue ones is more of a guy thing. It only has one front zipper the old ones had 2 that way you could use the rest room without having to unzip the whole front. Again not an issue for the ladies but for guys its a pain.

des · Post by **des** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 8:13 pm

What do you mean it isn't a pain for us!! We have to take the thing off to use the bathroom! I think a two piece would be nice. I think I would buy a very light jacket instead of a flight suit. But I don't knwo what the carry these days. I still have my jacket but it is lined and has cuffs to keep the wind out.

I would also buy a discounted flight jacket, but I think you would actually have to go there to get it. I have to take mine up quite a bit to wear it.

--des

LB206 wrote:As far as the light blue flight suits when i was there in 2005 they still had some for sale in the gift shop and i think they were discounted. I almost bought one but opted for the flight jacket instead. The reason i don't like the royal blue ones is more of a guy thing. It only has one front zipper the old ones had 2 that way you could use the rest room without having to unzip the whole front. Again not an issue for the ladies but for guys its a pain.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:30 pm

Ok i guess it can be a pain for women too but at the same time women have to do that anyway for a guy goig to a urinal its easier to have the two way zipper.

As far as the 2 piece suit since astronauts dont even wear flight suoiits on orbit anymore and havent since STS-61C i wou.lld like to see them sell the royal blue pants and or shorts like they do wear. That with a space camp polo shirt would be closer to what is worn thse days. And even if you wanted a 2 piece flight syit style look id say it could be done. In truth in the 80s the flight suit was worn on 2 days on orbit day 1 because it was what they wore fr the launch and then the last day for entry. The rest of the time was spent ussually in light blue shorts or pants and a NASA or nission insignia polo shirt but trhere was an option for a light blue jacket that could be worn that actually made the long pants look like a flight suit but was 2 pieces instead. The look is actually seen in the above mentioned space shuttle operatos mannual. Wow i know too much about this stuff.

des · Post by **des** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:55 pm

Haha! Well it is having to take the whole thing all the way off practically.

I noticed that the astronauts today go around in the most ugly colors. Honestly, I think someone should work on this.

I see them in wierd green or blue shirts and so on.

I do recall the pants (or shorts) and polo shirts as well as the light jackets sometimes. Also they wore socks and sometimes mucklucks (socks with leather soles). I think they didn't always wear shoes to avoid hitting something but lately I have seen them in shoes. Yes, i'll also like to see them sell the royal blue pants or shorts. I have some space camp shorts. They are the oddest affairs, and I can't imagine them really fitting anybody. They have tight elastic but the actual shorts are very very wide almost like a shirt. I wear them once a year I think, and they are in perfect condition.

--des

LB206 wrote:Ok i guess it can be a pain for women too but at the same time women have to do that anyway for a guy goig to a urinal its easier to have the two way zipper.

As far as the 2 piece suit since astronauts dont even wear flight suoiits on orbit anymore and havent since STS-61C i wou.lld like to see them sell the royal blue pants and or shorts like they do wear. That with a space camp polo shirt would be closer to what is worn thse days. And even if you wanted a 2 piece flight syit style look id say it could be done. In truth in the 80s the flight suit was worn on 2 days on orbit day 1 because it was what they wore fr the launch and then the last day for entry. The rest of the time was spent ussually in light blue shorts or pants and a NASA or nission insignia polo shirt but trhere was an option for a light blue jacket that could be worn that actually made the long pants look like a flight suit but was 2 pieces instead. The look is actually seen in the above mentioned space shuttle operatos mannual. Wow i know too much about this stuff.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:54 am

True i forgot the shoe thing typicly on orbit they only wear socks dont really nreed the shoes since you're not walking on anything inside the orbiter.

Funny thing about the royal blue flight suitsd astronauts wear these days on the ground. Astronauts have had them since the early days of the shuttle program. In the 80s dark blue was wormn on the groud and light blue in flight. Reason most people were familiar with the light blue besides all the crew photos and walk outs is that the closer the crew got to launch they started wearing them instead on the ground too. Also an intresting piece to note you wont see a payload specialist in the 80s in a dark blue flight suit. Reason being they not being career astronauts and only typicly being assigned to 1 flight with a couple of exceptions werre automaticly issued the light blue suits instead. You will see pictures out there of Christa Mcaullife and Barbra Morgan trraining for STS-51L wearing the light blue suits right along side their astronaut crew companions wearing dark blue.

b52murph · Post by **b52murph** » Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:41 pm

When I dig out my old photos, I'll dig out my binders, wings, and hats/visors too and take photos of them. I know I still have them all in a box. Sadly, I wore each of my flight suits so much that I *think* that I wore them all out. Either way, none of them would fit me today.

I do still have a dark blue Nomex flight suit that I bought from "Barrier-Wear Co." in Colorado in either late-1989 or early-1990 before I went to Academy II. This one is an unusual design; it has zippers instead of velcro on the arm cuffs and an extra zipper on the right leg. I'll take a shot of that too... Cheers!

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 11:17 am

Yes, if Space Camp made royal blue 'flight pants' like the ones we see on STS astronauts, with all the fun pockets, I might pick up a pair. (That being said, they never have size XXS or XS in anything at Space Camp, so I doubt they would fit me, but I could try to alter them.)

And regarding flight suits and PEVA's, they are a pain to take off and on to use the toilet but it's worth it. I love wearing my flight suit!

As for the zippers on the arms and legs - my light blue flight suit has zippers at the wrists and ankles to widen the hand and feet holes. They seen a bit odd, but I use them when I roll up my sleeves.

des · Post by **des** » Mon Mar 26, 2007 1:50 pm

Yes, I have to hem up the "small". The arms and legs are too long. The small is more like a medium, but I'd guess the youth sizes would run too narrow. I haven't seen the zippered arms and legs, but they aren't too wierd an idea for what you are describing.

The pockets, now that is what is great about the flight suit. I used to go around without a purse. Everythign, except a camera, which I had a carrier that I could throw over my shoulder, went into the pockets. I even velcroed up a couple pockets so that stuff couldn't be picked out or wouldn't fall out.

--des

SpaceCanada wrote:Yes, if Space Camp made royal blue 'flight pants' like the ones we see on STS astronauts, with all the fun pockets, I might pick up a pair. (That being said, they never have size XXS or XS in anything at Space Camp, so I doubt they would fit me, but I could try to alter them.)

And regarding flight suits and PEVA's, they are a pain to take off and on to use the toilet but it's worth it. I love wearing my flight suit!

As for the zippers on the arms and legs - my light blue flight suit has zippers at the wrists and ankles to widen the hand and feet holes. They seen a bit odd, but I use them when I roll up my sleeves.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:21 am

Hmmm... and I find the arms and legs too short... (Tis the case with most shirts I buy, and I am only 62" tall! - with monkey arms...)

And yes, the pockets on the flight suit are awesome! I could fit my camera into one of them. When I wear my flight suit to events people are always amazed at what I can pull out of my pockets - keys, my wallet, all sorts of space trinkets, books, cameras, pens, ID tags, etc.

I still haven't figured out what the snap pocket on the leg is for though - it is so tall and skinny. Maybe a glow stick? Hmmm... Has anyone found a use for that pocket yet?

monkeynautt · Post by **monkeynautt** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 1:11 pm

A flashlight. It can come in useful during the mission.

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 4:05 pm

Oh, good idea! I had one of those too, a mini maglight but I couldn't find it for the EDM.

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 1:42 am

OK i found some more NASA brochures in my archives!

Here is a Marshall Space Flight Center brochure from 1991. Also included is a Space & Rocket Center brochure from 1988!!

I found many other NASA brochures from the 1980s and early 90s recently. KSC, Langley, Wallops Island, Astronaut Hall Of Fame just to name a few!!

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 6:51 am

I would love to see the Langley brochure or brochures. That would have been our old visitor center the place that got me hooked on space as a kid

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 7:36 pm

LB206 wrote:I would love to see the Langley brochure or brochures. That would have been our old visitor center the place that got me hooked on space as a kid

You've got mail

des · Post by **des** » Tue Apr 03, 2007 10:19 pm

Oh these old brochures are so nice! So much nicer than the pdf files I have downloaded. At least they could make the pdf files better, but there was something cool about having these brochures that are tangible with glossy images, etc.

I have an old Space Camp article (1983!!) with old pictures of the red jackets. The kids all seem very advanced, 12-13 year olds who want to be neuroscientists. Heck I doubt I knew what a neuroscientist was at age 12!! (Of course, not sure there *were* neuroscientists when I was 12, but that's quite another subject.

)

. --des

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Wed Apr 04, 2007 5:58 am

Thanks hotdog. that brought back alot of memories. Man i miss that place sometimes even though the current visitor center is alot bigger and fancier.
I too have an old Life magazing featuring space camp in it from the mid 80s things definately look diffrent. One opictrure i always see and think boy they would never do that again is campers testing blood sugar as part of an expirement in spacelab.