Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook. “I can selfishly say this is great for the Air Force because I would love for them to come follow in our footsteps,” Hough said.”But truly it’s just really great for the nation that we have places like this.” Michael Hough, 30th Space Wing commander, said the Vandenberg Launch Experience could plant a seed for children to consider aerospace careers. He also secured a $200,000 National Defense Education Program grant to expand the Vandenberg Launch Experience, suggesting funding could be used to add a celestial ceiling with space effects, a facade for the front of the exhibit or more kiosks to reflect other missions at Vandenberg.Ĭol. The Vandenberg Launch Experience fits the Air Force goal “to innovate for the future,” he said. Tom Stevens, technical director for the 30th Launch Group and STEM coordinator at Vandenberg, said the military has put $30,000 toward the exhibit in 20 and expects to provide more funding in 2018. “This is a good start to raising the imagination,” he said, adding he felt it was important to build a bridge between Vandenberg and the community. McCllelland St., marked its 22nd year and hosted 32,000 visitors in 2017, a number staff expects to climb in 2018 as the facility hosts several events related to the upcoming Mars InSight launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base.Ī Discovery Museum board member, Bill Thompson, first raised the idea for having a Vandenberg-themed exhibit. For 23 years, the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum has provided children with a space to play while learning about the Central Coast and developing important motor and social skills. “Everyone has worked to the very last second to make this a spectacular night,” Slaughter said. The effort included the museum’s advisory committee, Vandenberg Air Force Base’s 30th Space Wing, Vandenberg’s Training Device Design and Engineering Center, ULA, ManTech, and more. “What we have is a pretty amazing thing in our community,” she said. Making the Vandenberg Launch Experience involved using $65,000 worth of no-longer-needed equipment donated from United Launch Alliance Delta IV facility.Ībout $25,000 in funding also came from ULA, Honda of Santa Maria and ManTech.ĭiscovery Museum Executive Director Chris Slaughter said the exhibit has involved a collaboration that first produced the miniature space shuttle for youths. The exhibit includes lights and sounds to add to the experience.
I think there is a lot we can do with it going forward.” “I think what we created here is a framework. With touchscreen and classic consoles, the exhibit shows the roles of launch weather officer, range safety officer and launch conductor, some of the critical jobs for getting a rocket off the ground.Įventually, the exhibit will be tweaked so all three consoles can communicate and work together to simulate teamwork required for a rocket launch. “But if they’re deeply involved in the hands-on experience and they’re learning by touching and feeling and seeing, they don’t even know they’re learning so that’s the best kind of all.”
“Sometimes education can be daunting and intimidating if you think you’re really learning math and science ” he added.
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