Centerline October 2011 - January 2012

earn about the science behind simple construction with the new traveling exhibit Bob the Builder™ – Project: Build It at the Virginia Air & Space Center. Bob

the Builder™ – Project: Build It offers a variety of hands-on activities based on the popular television series on PBS Kids. Bob the Builder™ brings a colorful world of machines, inspiring teamwork and green themes to life for children and families of all ages!

Step into a world where Bob the Builder™ and his Can-Do Crew work as a team to get the job done. The new traveling exhibit Bob the Builder™- Project: Build It teaches how to build a community while learning the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Bob’s team shares“green” themes and how to apply these ideas to everyday construction. Your family can work together to plant a garden, fix a sink, pump a well, operate machinery and design a blueprint. Most importantly, Bob teaches children that through positive thinking, team work and problem solving the fun in any project is getting the job done.

Sunflower Valley provides an intimate space where children can practice their own “fixing” with hands-on activities inspired from the popular animated show. Compare the roughness of stones with the smoothness of wood planks, choose the correct shapes to piece together puzzles, touch a wrench, hammer and a screw driver, see lights blink, hear horns beep and pick the best tools to get the job done.

October - January 2012

600 Settlers Landing Road • Hampton, VA 23669 • (757) 727-0900 • www.vasc.org

Educate, entertain and inspire explorers of all ages.

L

New Hands-on Exhibit now through January 2, 2012

Can we Build It? Yes We Can!Presenting Sponsor:

he Board of Directors of the Virginia Air & Space Center elected officers and welcomed two new members

at their annual meeting held July 26, 2011. Board officers for 2011-2012 are as follows:

Joining the Board for four-year terms are Scott C. Frazier, Director, U.S. Air Force Programs, and Hampton Office Manager from Lockheed Martin Corporation, Clyde E. McFarland, Jr., Senior Executive Vice President and CFO for TowneBank, and Jalaiah Unnam, Ph.D., President of Analytical Services & Materials, Inc.

The Board acknowledged the dedicated service of two outgoing members by conferring the title of Honorary Director Emeritus upon them. H. Lee Beach, Jr., Ph.D. and Gordon L. Gentry, Jr. each completed three consecutive terms of service on the Board of Directors, and provided leadership, advocacy and financial support for the Center’s efforts.

Also at the annual meeting, the Board of Directors adopted a new strategic plan to guide the Center’s growth over the next five years. Primary objectives established in Strategic Plan ’16 are to: (1) improve and expand resources; (2) increase visitorship; (3) improve science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, exhibits, attractions and entertainment; and (4) enhance the Center in the City’s development vision for Downtown Hampton.

How can you help the Center fulfill its strategic goals? Get an early start on your holiday giving and gain valuable tax deductions and credits through gifts to the Annual Fund or Virginia Air and Space Center Opportunity Program. Memberships make perfect gifts for the family—why not consider a membership for the grandparents so they can enjoy the museum all year with the grandkids? Visit our Imagination Station gift shop and check out the fun and educational toys and products that will delight the children, such as our new space and aviation Legos™, a moving kinetic solar system, and the ever-popular flight or astronaut suits. And of course, gift certificates make great stocking stuffers! So, please stop by soon and let us help you select the perfect gift for everyone on your list.

FROM THE DIRECTOR2011-2012OCTOBER - JANUARY

2 CenterLine October 2011 - January 2012

CenterLine is published tri-annually for members and friends of the Virginia Air & Space Center. The Center is a private, non-profit educational institution with a mission to educate, entertain and inspire explorers of all ages.

If you are interested in sponsoring any part of CenterLine, please contact Kim Hinson at 727-0900, extension 731 or e-mail her at [email protected]. Comments and questions concerning CenterLine should be addressed to Editor, CenterLine, Virginia Air & Space Center, 600 Settlers Landing Road, Hampton, Virginia 23669.

CENTERLINE STAFF Editor Kim K. Hinson

Co-Editor Megan S. Steele

Graphic Design Ann Marie S. Jenkins

Writers Megan S. Steele Jenny K. Kelly Denise Lineberry Toni Williams

Photographers Children's Museum of Indianopolis IMAX Corporation Ann Marie S. Jenkins Megan S. Steele National Geographic FilmsNASA LaRC/Sean Smith

SENIOR STAFFExecutive Director/CEO

Todd C. Bridgford

Deputy Director Kim K. Hinson

Director of Education Richard A. Byles, Ph.D.

Curator/ Director of Exhibits,

Collections & Facilities Allen R. Hoilman

Director of Administrative ServicesJenny K. Kelly

Director of Visitor Services

Pearl A. Osby

Director of Sales Danielle L. Price

Director of Marketing & PR Megan S. Steele

Todd C. BridgfordExecutive Director/CEO

T

facebook.com/vascnews

vascnews.blogspot.com

twitter.com/vascnews

Text IMAX to 269411

2011-2012 Board of Directors:• President – Robert E. Lindberg, Eng.Sc.D., President & Executive Director, National Institute of Aerospace• Executive Vice President – James Reade Chisman, J.R. Chisman Development Company• Vice President – Michael W. Braham, Vice President, Cox Business• Secretary – Stephen T. Smith, Director of Human Resources, Newport News Shipbuilding• Treasurer – Jean M. Yokum, President/CEO, Langley Federal Credit Union

Stay connected with VASC...

n September 23, 2011, NASA Langley hosted a Shuttle Celebration at the Virginia Air & Space Center. More than 650 guests attended, including STS-

135 Commander Chris Ferguson and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. Langley's Center Director Lesa Roe honored past and present civil service and contractor employees for their contributions to the 30-year Shuttle program.

"Whether it's to the moon, or to Mars, anywhere -- you have to fly at the beginning and you have to fly at the end, and that's what you all [NASA Langley] do as well any anybody," NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said. He spoke of NASA Langley's influence in grinding grooves into runways, the examination of launch abort and bail out capabilities, glue testing for heat shields and many of the center's research projects that were part of the shuttle program.

In good times and bad, NASA Langley was there. "After we lost the Challenger, your engineers tested the O-ring and came up with a whole new SRB (solid rocket booster) joint design," Bolden said. "After Columbia, over 200 Langley engineers contributed key engineering support for the massive return-to-flight effort.

"In both instances, you all used your expertise to help the shuttle program office understand what happened and how to avoid a similar tragedy in the future." The commander of NASA's final space shuttle mission, STS-135, Chris Ferguson visited the VASC for the first time. "It was displays like this, it was the air show down the street, it was the local air and space museum that really fired my soul, as I am sure it has into your souls," he said of the grand history of aircraft suspended from the ceiling. "There is no unimportant task that any of you do. You should be proud today. You made the shuttle successful," Bolden said.

ASA Langley Research Center and the Virginia Air & Space Center (VASC) welcomed hundreds of Boy Scouts to earn

their first ever robotics badge as part of a partnership between NASA and the Boy Scouts of America.

Scouts and leaders came to the VASC for the kick-off of a series of Robotics merit badge events on September 17. The event allowed local Boy Scouts to participate in special activities that will help them achieve portions of the new robotics merit badge. Scouts will have the chance to talk to engineers from NASA Langley and view demonstrations by NASA, the VASC, robotics teams and more.

To earn the robotics merit badge, a Scout is required to understand how robots move, sense the environment and understand what to do. Scouts will spend approximately 14 hours meeting the badge requirements, during which they will design and demonstrate a robot. The BSA anticipates more than 10,000 robotics merit badges will be earned the first year. The first 500 scouts to complete the robotic requirements may be awarded a merit badge that flew on the space shuttle Endeavour during the STS-134 mission earlier this year.

For more information about the robotics merit badge please go to: http://www.boyslife.org/robotics

NASA UPDATE

October 2011 - January 2012 CenterLine 3

NASA, VASC Helps Boy Scouts Earn Robotics Merit Badges

N

O

Three Decades of Shuttle: NASA Langley Was There Through It All

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the NASA Langley Shuttle Celebration getting his handprints

ready for bronzing for the Space Walk that is located outside the Virginia Air & Space Center.

Local boy Scouts listen to a presentation during the Robotics Merit Badge event at the Virginia Air & Space Center on September 17, 2011.

4 CenterLine October 2011 - January 2012

RIVERSIDE DIGITAL IMAX®

Thanks to Theater Sponsors:

or thousands of years, humans have believed that there were once flying monsters. In Flying Monsters 3D, Sir David Attenborough, the world’s

leading naturalist, sets out to uncover the truth about the enigmatic pterosaur. About 220 million years ago dinosaurs were on the rise to dominating the Earth, but another group of reptiles was about to take control of the skies-the pterosaur. After insects, the pterosaur was the first animal ever to fly. State-of-the-art, 3D CGI re-creates these spectacular creatures and the story of their evolution. Flying Monsters 3D is a groundbreaking film that uses cutting-edge technology to bring the story of giant flying monsters and their prehistoric world to life for audiences. With a pterosaur’s eye-view of a hyper-realistic prehistoric Earth, you will be immersed in the awe-inspiring challenges of prehistoric survival.

ea Monsters3D: A Prehistoric Adventure takes you on a journey through time,

82 million years to the Cretaceous period when an extraordinary diversity of marine life populated the vast ocean waters. Sea Monsters 3D explains how a change in the Earth’s climate and geography left ancient sea beds dry, revealing fossil evidence of this amazing and little known era. Follow scientists as they reconstruct the life of a baby female Dolichorhynchops, you can watch her grow and experience the challenges she faced. Sea Monsters 3D, utilizes computer-generated animations to reconstruct the complex puzzle of these prehistoric monsters using the magic of Digital IMAX 3D.

Opens October 7 in IMAX 3D

imax punch cardSee Five IMAX films,

get onE FREE!Ask admissions desk for details.

F

SEA MONSTERS 3DA Prehistoric Adventure 3D

S

Thanks to Theater Sponsors:WHEN DINOSAURS WALKED THE EARTH, MONSTERS RULED THE SKIES

October 2011 - January 2012 CenterLine 5

RIVERSIDE DIGITAL IMAX®

appy Feet Two 3D is the sequel to the Academy Award®-winning, animated smash hit Happy Feet. Join your favorite characters as they return to the

magnificent landscape of Antarctica in awe-inspiring digital 3D. Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem because his tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven, a penguin who can fly. Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model. Things get worse when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik learns of his father's "guts and grit" as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of fabulous creatures-from tiny Krill to giant Elephant Seals-to put things

REAL STEELOpens October 7

Real Steel is a gritty, white-knuckled, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone hi-tech. Hugh Jackman stars as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-feet-tall steel robots took over the ring. Charlie teams up with his estranged son Max Dakota Goyo to build and train a championship contender. The stakes are higher than ever before and Charlie is fully prepared to coach his robot to victory so that he can finally leave an unforgettable mark on the sport he once dedicated his life to.

PUSS in BOOTS 3DOpens November 4

Learn the story of Puss before he met Shrek, when he was a swashbuckling hero who protected the innocent. As Puss sets off on a journey with his old friend Humpty Dumpty who introduces him to Kitty Softpaws, a sly black cat who takes an interest in his journey. With his new sidekicks, Puss sets off on his most adventurous and dangerous journey ever.

Mission Impossible - Ghost ProtocolOpens December 16 - exclusively in IMAX theaters only!

When a terrorist bombing destroys the Kremlin, the United States government initiates a black ops "ghost protocol" and disavows the entire Impossible Mission Force. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his team are to be blamed for the attack, but are allowed to escape as part of a plan to enable them to operate in the dark outside of their agency. However, Hunt is warned that if any member of his team is captured during their mission, they will be charged as terrorists planning to incite global nuclear war.

HAPPY FEET TWO

HOpens Novemburr 18 in IMAX 3D

Thanks to Theater

Sponsors:

6 CenterLine October 2011 - January 2012

CENTER HAPPENINGS

• Herbs • Pumpkins • Mums• Live entertainment • Gardening Seminars • Handmade arts & crafts

• Fresh produce • Cooking Demos • Children’s activities, inflatables & more!

Saturdays, October 1, 8, 15 & 22Queensway in Downtown Hampton • 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

757-727-0900www.vasc.org/celebrationsbythebay

Barktober Fest (10/8)Pumpkin Carving Contest (10/22)

Saturday, October 29, 2011 • 4 to 7 p.m.• Safe trick-or-treating!

• Hampton Sheriff’s Department Child ID Program

• Make-n-take activities!

• Scavenger hunt and more!

• Costume Contest for all ages! (Contest starts at 5:15 p.m.)

Space is Limited! Admission is $5 in advance

& $7 day of event

• Plus, trick-or-treat in Downtown Hampton

from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Order tickets online @vasc.org or call 727-0900, ext. 705.

700 Settlers Landing Road • Hampton, VA 23669 • (757)727-9700

We have great things in store for you this fall & holiday season.

Discover for yourself why Crowne Plaza is the place to meet

The Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina elevates & surpasses the standard for hotels in Hampton, Virginia. Nestled between renowned Hampton University & the celebrated Virginia Air & Space Center, our lodging is the only waterfront hotel in Hampton, VA.

www.hamptonmarinahotel.com

Exhibits

IMAX

Special Events

20th Annual Halloween BashSaturday, October 29 - 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.Guests are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance by calling 727-0900, ext. 705 or order on-line at www.vasc.org

Trick-or-Treating in Downtown Hampton October 29 • 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Halloween Bash continues as families head downtown for trick-or-treating at shops and restaurants.

Veteran’s Day SaluteNovember 11, 12, 13, & 14 Free admission to all veterans and retired military

Exclusive Members’ Only Discount ShoppingNovember 19, 26 & December 3, 10 & 17Receive 20% OFF your total purchase!

Cosmic Kids Club

Saturday, October 1 - Geology ROCKS!

Saturday, November 5 - Science of Color

Saturday, December - No meeting - $5 off Winter Camps

Saturday, January 7 - TBA

Sigma Series Lectures

October 4, 2011 • 7:30 p.m.Keeping an Eye on the Shuttle During Reentry by Thomas J. Horvath,

November 1, 2011 • 7:30 p.m. - TBA by TBA

December 6, 2011 • 7:30 p.m.40th Anniversary Video Retrospective by Keith Henry

January 3, 2012 • 7:30 p.m. - TBA by TBA

October 2011 - January 2012 CenterLine 7

CENTER HAPPENINGS

Bob the BuilderTM - Project: Build It!New Traveling Exhibit!

Now through Jan. 2012

Opens Oct. 7 Opens Nov. 4

Opens Nov. 18 Opens Dec. 16

Opens Oct. 7 Opens Oct. 7

www.vasc.org

Tuesday - Wednesday, December 27-28, 20119 a.m. to 3 p.m. • $65 non-members/$60 members

Penguin Parade I (grades K-1)• Learn the different types of penguins that inhabit the world of Happy Feet 2.• Learn about their environment and the dangers they face.• Step into the world of penguins when you make your own penguin suit, learn to walk like a penguin, & do a Happy Dance!• Design and build your own penguin environment.

Penguin Parade II (grades 2-3)• Learn different types of penguins that inhabit the world of Happy Feet 2.• Learn about their environment & the dangers they face.• Design your own penguin puppet & give it a home in the cold North.

Ice Explorer (grades 4-5)• Learn different types of penguins that inhabit the world of Happy Feet 2.• Learn about their environment and the dangers they face.• Discover the ways we monitor our environment and how the ever changing ice of the North affects us. • Take a trip with a lost Penguin named Happy Feet and follow him as he makes his trip home. • Create your own penguin and design an icy home for it.

Thursday - Friday, December 29-30, 20119 a.m. to 3 p.m. • $65 non-members/$60 members

Bob the Builder 1 (grades K-1)• Explore the world of Bob the Builder with our traveling exhibit.• Design your own edible neighborhood.• Draw up your plans and watch them come alive!

Bob the Builder 1I (grades 2-3)• Explore the world of Bob the Builder and learn to work as a team. • Take your new found knowledge to create a city of forts!• Discover different building techniques through time, and use them in your creations.

Galactic Explorer (grades 4-5)• Become a Galactic Explorer when you discover your own planet.• Create a kaleidoscope rocket and experiment with an edible rover.• Use your imagination to invent a landscape & then build your own colony.

WINTER SCIENCE CAMPS

Call 727-0900, ext. 716 for camp information or register on-line at www.vasc.org/camps

Special Thanks to Community Partners:

Register for both camps & receive $5 OFF the total purchase.

600 Settlers Landing RoadHampton, Virginia 23669-4033

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

Hampton, VirginiaPermit No. 516

VIRGINIA AIR & SPACE CENTER HOURS LOCATIONThe Center is located at 600 Settlers Landing Road in Downtown Hampton. From I-64 take exit 267 to Settlers Landing Road. Proceed over the bridge; the Center will be on your left just past the Crowne Plaza Hampton Hotel;

the parking facility will be one block further on your right.

TELEPHONE: 757-727-0900 • FAX: 757-727-0898WEB SITE: www.vasc.org

Printed on recycled paper

PAID

GENERAL INFORMATION

Special thanks to COX Communications for providing the Virginia Air & Space Center telephone, e-mail and Internet services.

Please Note: The Riverside IMAX Theater at the Virginia Air & Space Center is open select evenings for special shows.

September 6, 2011 – March 25, 2012 *Monday: Closed (except for Monday Holidays) Tuesday - Saturday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday: noon - 5 p.m. * Special Winter Break hours (Dec. 19 - Jan 2) - check website for times

Opens November 18!Located in the VASC Outdoor Courtyard

Skating is only $7 per person! Bring your own ice skates or rent ours for only $3 more!

Check out these cool skating passes! Ice Skating Season Pass - Unlimited skating admission and skate rental from Nov. 18 through March 4 for only $55! Purchase before Nov. 17 for only $50 Winter Fun Pass - Includes ice skating admission and skate rental, exhibit admission, a regular or full-length IMAX feature, a ride in the Glacier Run SRV, Carousel rideAll for only $26! A savings of $6.50!

The Winter Fun Pass makes a great holiday gift or stocking stuffer!

Visit www.vasc.org for more informationwww.vasc.org

Downtown Hampton on IceHours of Operation:November 18 – December 18, 2011:Closed MondaysTuesdays – Thursdays: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays: 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.Sundays: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. *November 23 – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.*November 24 (Thanksgiving Day) – 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. *November 25 – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

December 19 - 23, 2011:Daily: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

December 24, 2011 - January 1, 2012:Daily: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.*December 24 (Christmas Eve): 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.*December 25 (Christmas Day): 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.*December 31 (New Year’s Eve): 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. * January 1: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

January 2 – March 4, 2012:Mondays & Tuesdays: closedWednesdays & Thursdays: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.Fridays: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.Saturdays: 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.Sundays: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. *Monday, January 2, 16 & 30, Feb 20: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.