Review of July 2006 HAL5 Public Lecture
One Night in Huntsville: The Space Camp Hall of Fame Awards
by Bart Leahy, June 13, 2007.
Award-winning actor and famed star of Star Trek William Shatner presided as the Master of Ceremonies as six founders, friends, and graduates of the camp became the first inductees in the inaugural Space Camp Hall of Fame Awards this evening. Founded 25 years ago by Huntsville's adopted "rocket man" Wernher von Braun and historian Ed Buckbee, Space Camp has been memorialized in a 1986 film and in the personal experiences of its 500,000 graduates.
On this anniversary occasion, the Camp decided to found its first Hall of Fame awards to honor individuals who have contributed to, worked for, or participated in its 25-year effort to bring space experiences and education to young people from all over the world. The six inductees included:
The late Dr. von Braun himself, whose award was accepted on behalf of his family by three-time Space Shuttle astronaut Dr. Jan Davis, a native of Huntsville, who was inspired by his efforts during the Apollo program.
Historian and author Ed Buckbee, who, inspired by his discussions with von Braun, helped establish and acted as the first director of Space Camp.
Georg von Tiesenhausen, a German rocket scientist who emigrated to the U.S. in the 1950s and who became a regular and distinguished lecturer for Space Camp classes.
Dan Oates, a teacher of the blind from West Virginia, who helped establish the first Space Camp program for visually impaired students.
Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, a Space Camp graduate and enthusiast who became the second "educator in space."
Amanda Stubblefield, a repeat graduate of Space Camp, who is now helping U.S. and Russian astronauts at Johnson Space Center prepare for Expedition 15 to the International Space Station.
Penny Pettigrew, another dedicated "Space Camper" who, inspired by her time in Huntsville, got a degree in chemistry and now works for the Ares I First Stage office.
Dr. Jim Rice, a former Space Camp counselor who helped design the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, now well past 1,200 days on their "90-day" missions. Rice once had a teacher tell him that he was "shooting too high" in his wish to be an astronaut.
Tuxedoed and suited men and finely dressed women entered the event in the North Hall of von Braun Center under an arch of lights. On either side of the arch was a member of the Space Camp team gamely dressed in "space suits" and seated in a "freedom chair" or gyroscope chair from the Camp. Other members of the Space Camp staff were on hand in astronaut jump suits to answer questions. Each numbered table included a lanyard and name tag for the participants. Dinner was filet mignon and shrimp with green salad and an almond-flavored cake for dessert.
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The most common question I've gotten since I attended this event was, "What was Shatner
like?" Let me explain it this way: a good emcee makes the audience comfortable, keeps the
event moving along, maintains a light and enjoyable atmosphere, and when appropriate,
injects a light dose of humor or empathy for the participants. When said emcee is also
famous in his own right, he needs to exercise special care not to let the event become
about him. In this, Mr. Shatner was masterful. Aside from his screen roles, I had not seen
him "live" before. He provided just the right touch of appreciation for the award winners
and modest, self-deprecating humor. (His expression when Dr. Price shared his joy at
watching "Captain Kirk" when he was 10 years old was priceless.) It was a pleasure to
watch him in action; for him, this was most likely a small, humble job, yet he made the
evening enjoyable for everyone, and for that he is to be commended.
With half a million graduates and lifetimes of incredible experiences to its credit, I
anticipate that Space Camp will have many more individuals to honor in the future.
Bart Leahy is member of NSS and HAL5 family. He now works as a technical writer for NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.
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