Admiral Wes Kinsey Safely Docks the Magellan at Williamson Starbase and Heads Planetside.
Admiral Wes Kinsey has come far since his first volunteer mission on the Magellan on July 22, 2018. He's gone from a wet behind the ears blackshirt volunteer to a Magellan flight director all in the span of nearly 6 years. He is an example of setting goals early and working diligently until those goals are achieved.
As you read in last week's Troubadour post, Wes is going planetside to serve an LDS mission to Texas. Starfleet has lost a good officer and the good folks of Texas a kind soul who will soon come a'knocking at their doors asking what they know about Mormons and would they like to know more? :). You can see in the photo above, Wes is assembling the right attire for a Texas mission. He is sporting a good, wore in pair of cowboy boots. Ladies and gentlemen, officers and crew of the mighty Starship Magellan, Wes gathered his staff and volunteers on the bridge for a final farewell speech yesterday as he signed off on his last mission. "Today marks a momentous occasion in the annals of our journey through the cosmos. As I stand before you, I am filled with a profound sense of gratitude and admiration for each and every one of you who has contributed to the success of our six-year expedition. We embarked on this odyssey not merely as a crew, but as a family united by a common purpose: to explore the uncharted reaches of space, unravel the mysteries that lie beyond the stars, and, most importantly, to safeguard the citizens of the Federation from the threats that lurk in the cosmic shadows. The Magellan has been our steadfast companion through the vastness of the unknown, and together, we have faced challenges that tested our mettle and strengthened our resolve. As I bid farewell to this remarkable staff and volunteers, I am confident that the legacy of the Magellan will endure. Our adventures will become the legends that inspire future generations of explorers, and the bonds we forged will stand as a testament to the strength of unity in the face of the unknown. To my fellow Flight Directors and Supervisors, you are the beating heart of this vessel, the guardians of the Federation's ideals, and the architects of our shared destiny. I am honored to have served alongside such an extraordinary group of individuals, and I have the utmost faith that you will continue to direct missions of courage, laughter, and purpose. May the stellar winds guide you, the cosmic currents carry you, and may the spirit of exploration always burn brightly in your hearts. Farewell, my friends, until our paths cross again in the vast expanse of the cosmos. Godspeed, and may the Magellan continue to sail the seas of the infinite with pride and purpose. Admiral Wes Kinsey, signing off.
Wes's words were so moving that his staff and volunteers dropped to their knees and pleaded for him to stay. "What will we do without you?!" cried young Charlie.
"You'll do fine young man," Wes consoled and then turned to the worshiping assembly to offer his final blessing. "I've taught you all everything I know and now you must spread your wings and fly. Fly into that bright tomorrow." And with those words, he stood, composed himself, and walked steadfastly to the door to pass into the adventures that await.
Enjoy with me the last couple minutes of Wes's last mission on the Magellan before retirement. He got that last big cheer from the younglings. It was a great mission to go out on.
The Space Place's 3rd Grade Scorpions Finish their 2023-2024 Young Astronaut Club Long Duration Mission with Flying Colors
All of us at Renaissance Academy's The Space Place are proud as punch of our 3rd Grade Scorpion Squadron for their hard work over the last several months. Last Thursday they finished their 7 month long LDM mission in the Starship Voyager. As a team, they bravely defended the young Prince Horace and his bodyguard Dweeb from the evil space pirates. Their mission was to escort the prince from Earth to his home world Piddlewee of Uck. It was tough work at the beginning. Thorium ship controls are not easily mastered by 3rd graders, but they got the job done.
Bracken Funk, Director of The Space Place, was their final captain. Our 3rd grade squadrons are all captained by experienced members of the Farpoint Voyager Club at Renaissance Academy. We found having experienced, older captains makes all the difference in flying 8-9 year olds. Bracken chose to be their final captain and was outstanding in the role. He, like all the other Center Directors, knows how to get right into a mission and brilliantly play any role needed. All of The Space Place's Young Astronaut and Voyager Club Squadrons will be finishing their LDM's over the next three months. Squadrons fly Monday - Thursdays from 3:30 - 5:30 P.M. and Friday's from 12:45 - 2:45 P.M. Voyager Club members from any Center are welcome to come on out and watch an LDM. It is fun taking a crew of students in grades 3 - 9 on missions that last 7-9 months. There are different mission for all grade levels. Once again, congratulations to the 3rd Grade Scorpion Squadron! More "Things You'll Never Hear at the Space Center" by Lindsey Hatch
I want to thank Lindsey for her contribution to this outstanding thread of things you'll never hear at the Space Center. Keep 'em coming folks. Next week we have an installment from the great Landon Hemsley himself from way way back.
Connor: The organ and classical music has no place in the hallowed halls of the space center. I found this 12 hour long ambient synth music on YouTube. That’s all I need to fly. (Connor is an accomplished organist and music enthusiast. He often found ways to sneak classical pieces into the missions he flew) Jake: I have actually a lot of thoughts about that, actually. You know what, I actually prepared a TedTalk style presentation to help drive my point home. Today I will address the topic of…… (Jake was a stellar supervisor to work with, but he is a man often of few words) Natalie: The Odyssey needs a much grittier feel. Cut out the piano music. Let’s get it dark and dismal (Natalie played some of the most beautiful music whenever she flew that was cinematic yet whimsical) Tabitha: Unto Dust is such a simple mission to fly, anyone can just pick it up and fly. Heck why not just fly it as a 2.5 hour on a whim? (Tabitha is one of the brilliant minds behind Unto Dust and knows it inside and out) Matt Ricks: I am above bit parts and will not be participating (Some of my core memories include Matt Ricks throwing on a costume and running on last minute onto the bridge and stealing the show) Matt Robinson: Maximus is such a dull mission, it has no place in the Galileo and should never be flown. (Matt consistently got soaring summer scores when he flew Maximus. I know he got a perfect score at least once that summer) Brylee Ann: Maximus is the best mission known to the Galileo!! Let’s revamp it this summer as our new extended camp. Let’s also make a mini 2.5 hour version. I just can’t get enough of it. (Brylee Ann has different feelings about Maximus and its integrity to the identity of the Galileo) Russ: I am dim, most definitely (idk… Russ was pretty lit I guess #IfYouKnowYouKnow) Micah: Volunteer, you did terribly. I have nothing but notes. The top of the list? Don’t be bad. Which you just did. (I am always amazed at how kind Micah is when working with volunteers. He does a great job at providing constructive feedback in a way that is kind) Galileo Staff: Our panel is working perfectly!! No problems!! We don’t remember the last time we’ve had to have it or Julie or Oreo fixed!! (We love our technology. One day it will love us back too, I’m sure) Lindsey: You kids better get off the ground during this away mission. We are going to walk orderly in line from one place to the next. Also I am so behind in this mission and I know this because I have my mission timings down to the minute. (If I at any moment, I can justify a ninja roll in a mission, you can bet we are going to be ninja rolling. I also notoriously get ahead by flying so fast and have to get creative at the end) Alexis: This doesn’t sound like a good idea Lindsey. Maybe you could just end early? (Alexis was always my partner in crime and was always willing to go with whatever unhinged ideas I came up with when I had too much time at the end) Orion: Muppet Treasure Island music is so unrefined and unbecoming for a space mission. (Orion often uses Muppet Treasure Island in his start up music) Scott: I don’t know, this character seems to have too much depth. (Scott loves to come and play during flights and enjoys diving deep into character psychology) Mitch: Al is from the heart of Germany. (Al is from CLEVELAND) Nolan: Let’s just stick to the status quo and keep everything the way they’ve always been. (Nolan always has ideas on how to push boundaries and try new ideas and solutions) Jon: Better cut back on the Dr. Pepper (the last time I went in the Cassini control room, they had a dedicated trash can for soda cans) Nathan: I think I’ll just sit calmly in this chair as I fly. (Often he would fly with limbs out in all directions. And has broken several chairs as a result) Michael B: That’s alright I guess. (Anyone who knows Michael knows that everything is FANTASTIC) James Smith: I’m able to shimmy up a hand railing AND keep my accent. (I remember very distinctly an extended camp where we had to get up a hall with laser dots and James was too tall to make it through and attempted to use the handrail as a cheat code. They exclaimed very loudly “AGH! I HAVE A CRAMP” (in their regular voice) “….. it ahhh hurt so bad I lost my accent”) Christine: I make every laser dot obstacle course as inclusive as possible! Gotta make sure everyone makes it through with ease! (See above) Josh Anderson: Each villain is distinct and complex. I believe every single one should have motifs and songs as complicated as they are. (Josh would use Vampire Hunters from Dracula for just about every single bad guy speech known to man) Erin: Why do we have to have so many different colors of shirts? Make it all a sea of black toned darkness, to match my heart (Erin was an EMT and rocked a red shirt. She also was one of the easiest people I have ever worked with and always made flights so fun) Dave Daymont: I will definitely not give a volunteer a microphone so I can check on the away mission. (My first time volunteering with Dave he tossed me the mic and told me to have at it. Never was I more terrified in my life. It was a pretty regular occurrence when he flew, but he did such a great job at making sure every volunteer felt included) Dug: I think we need more formality in this program (dug was one of the most carefree people when he worked with us! He always had a smile and always wanted to compare Chaco tanlines during the summer months) Imaginarium Theater
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AuthorMy name is Victor Williamson. I founded the Christa McAuliffe Space Center in 1990. I current teach 6th grade at Renaissance Academy and am the Space Center Outreach Coordinator (I take care of the volunteers). You can reach me by email: [email protected] Archives
April 2024
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