The First 'Spacefest'
Hosted by Novaspace Galleries
Mesa, Arizona
17-19 August 2007
Novaspace Galleries, the
premier U.S. space artwork and astronaut autograph business,
headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, hosted their first ever
Spacefest in the summer of 2007. This convention offered
something new and thus far, unique, for the space enthusiast:
a 'triple treat' of meeting aerospace pioneers, a
space-themed art show, and a series of spaceflight-related
presentations from scientists and adventurers. Of course,
there were many space-themed vendors and clubs too. I've been
a very happy Novaspace customer since 1999, and have visited
them on several trips to Tucson. When I first heard of this
event in late 2006, I knew something special and exciting was
in store, owing to Novaspace's longstanding professional
relationship with many astronauts. Plus, as an award-winning
space artist himself, owner Kim Poor could certainly pull
together that entire community. Combine the talks by a dozen
'science celebrities' on everything from space health to
colonizing Mars, and you've got space geek nirvana! Being in
the company of hundreds of fellow space enthusiasts from
around the world (Scotland, England, Australia, Canada,
Mexico, Switzerland, Germany to name a few) was as good as it
gets.
(L to R: Skylab row
showing astronaut signing booths; featured artist Paul
Calle's works; vendor floor; Space Models' exhibit)
Perhaps the best part of
this experience was offering to serve on Novaspace's
volunteer crew. They certainly had top notch help from
enthusiasts all over the globe. Serving in roles such as art
gallery builder, photo seller, astronaut & test pilot
'go-fer,' and guest speaker 'introducer' made this an
incredibly delightful experience. Thank you to Kim, Sally,
Rob, Lisa (image right: center), Linda, Alina and Randy of
Novaspace, for the most fun I've ever had at a space-themed
event in my life. To my two closest volunteer colleagues
Peter and Brad: cheers, mates!
Bottom line up front:
this was a unique and wonderful event. Here are just a few
reasons that made Spacefest amazing: images of pioneering
space explorers standing together... The shot below has
Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Shuttle, including six
Moonwalkers!
(Image:left) L to R,
Back Row: David Scott, Jack Lousma, Charles Walker, Scott
Carpenter, Russell Schweickart, Edgar Mitchell, Buzz Aldrin,
Eugene Cernan. L to R, Front Row: Bruce McCandless, Alan
Bean, Charles Duke, Walter Cunningham
(Image: right)
Mitchell, Cunnningham, Aldrin (looking down), Carpenter,
Scott, Bean, Cernan)
"The Wonder of It All"
We attended a special
screening of this superb new documentary film from
Producer/Director Jeffrey Roth and his team. Jeff has given
us something truly fresh and unique, that finally answers
that most-asked question of "what was it really
like?" After a couple of decades of reflection, most of
the Moonwalkers have had the time to look deeper within
themselves when describing their experiences. Jeff spoke with
Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Ed Mitchell, John Young, Charlie
Duke, Gene Cernan, and Jack Schmitt. Their words and insights
say so much more in this film than any of the many
docu-videos I've seen. At the Spacefest banquet I jokingly
told Ed Mitchell this was the most I'd heard some of this
colleagues say... ever! He laughed, explaining that was the
whole idea, to sort of draw them out a little more. A nice
surprise was, by coincidence, sitting just behind Buzz Aldrin
and NASA artist Paul Calle during this screening. Though
prominently featured in the film, and known to be a very
animated speaker, when asked if he had any comments
afterward, Dr. Aldrin succinctly quipped: "Nice story,
Jeff!"
Mercury
- Gemini - Apollo
Charlie
Charles M. Duke, (Brig Gen,
USAF, Ret.) was the first Moonwalker I ever saw in person, when I was an Air Force officer trainee in 1985.
But this was the first time I had a chance to spend a little time
getting to know him. I met him at the reception desk of the
hotel, and several times on the convention floor. You cannot
imagine a more pleasant true southern gentleman. He exercises his
celebrity with great courtesy, and everyone at the show remarked
what a nice man he is, no matter how many items signed, or how
many stories retold. He took time to talk about what was going on
in the wonderful Moonpan shot he
signed, and spontaneously captioned the Lunar Rover training
picture (image: right). Plus, we chatted a little about that day
way back in '85, and the unfortunate fates of the wing commander
who accompanied him on that visit. As a collector, his signature
meant my Moon globe now has half the Moonwalkers, and each
landing mission represented. As an Air Force guy, I am very proud
to have served under and alongside gentlemen like him. (Apollo 16
Lunar Module Pilot)
Scott
M. Scott Carpenter (CDR, USN, Ret.) represented
the Mercury Seven at Spacefest. He remains a huge hit with the
younger space fans, with his grandfatherly appearance and
delightful manner. His status as one of just two now (his
colleague Wally Schirra departed this world in May 2007) means he
now carries the title of inspirational first astronaut with even
greater care. This year we spoke about his deep sea 'aquanaut'
service in the U.S Navy's Project Sealab, when he was detailed
back to the fleet after his space flight. We talked about his
relationship with CAPT George "Poppa Topside" Bond, the
father of Sealab program, as well as the great promise of the
early sea floor habitat efforts such as Captain Jacque Cousteau's
Conshelf project. And soberly, we noted the accident that struck
Sealab III, unfortunately ending the Navy effort. Commander
Carpenter holds two unique titles, and it was wonderful to hear
him share something of each realm he's experienced.
(Mercury-Atlas 7 "Aurora 7" Commander)
Buzz
Dr.Buzz Aldrin (Col, USAF, Ret.) was in a very
positive, almost light-hearted mood at Spacefest. He arrived
sporting a very different look than summer 2006 in San Antonio:
he'd grown a beard. With his NASA baseball cap and casual look, a
few folks didn't recognize him at first. (And yes, he was still
attending to some grooming matters as he arrived through the back
door.) Our chat was enjoyable as I got a couple pictures signed
for some young friends: Cassi, a Space Camp graduate I helped
sponsor, and Jason, who I'd served with as a docent at NASA
Langley. He smiled at his photos being given as gifts, and not
for my own collection. Being bearded myself, I told him the new
look suited him, and he laughed, advising me to tell this to his
somewhat more skeptical daughter-in-law/business manager Lisa. He
asked if I was familar with the expression "greybeard"
- the military/government term for a sage aerospace guru - which
is sort of a senior super-consultant. I said I thought so, and he
claimed he's now truly official in that capacity! And we talked a
little Air Force, since we both served the Big Blue. Yep, just
two guys with beards... except one is quite famous. (Gemini XII
Pilot, Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot)
Gene
The "Most Recent' Man
on the Moon is one tireless space ambassador. I don't think I
ever saw Eugene Cernan (CAPT, USN, Ret.) pause from smiling at
his fans, telling a youngster to reach for the stars, or signing
some prized artifact from a collector. He graciously still signed
his 1999 book for free, and I think Novaspace sold every copy
they shipped to the show. Other than making sure he was well
supplied with cold beverages, I only had a brief chance to chat
with him at this event. But that's OK, he's a great friend of
Novaspace... and Spacefest will be back! (Gemini IX Pilot, Apollo
10 Lunar Module Pilot, Apollo 17 Commander)
Dave
David R. Scott (Col, USAF, Ret.) and his lovely
wife Mag remembered me from dinner in San Antonio/UACC 2006, which is pretty doggoned wonderful given how
many thousands of people they meet, and scores of dinners they
attend. The first and only Air Force officer to fly a lunar
landing will always hold a special spot in the astronaut corps.
Because they were unable to attend Friday,
Saturday was 'their day' - with fans lined up very early to meet
them. And true to form, Col Scott smiled and posed, signed and
inscribed, practically nonstop the entire day. Mrs. Scott smiled
and said "We're alway up to the challenge!" We chatted
about the wonderful Air Force heritage/recruitment piece he and
crewmate Al Worden signed, and my wife and I presented, which now
hangs in the wing commander's office at Goodfellow Air Force
Base, Texas (image: right). This West Pointer and Air Force
leader smiled and quite sincerely told me: "Anything for the
troops!' And I couldn't help but smile that he still remembered
my little Sony digital camera - I told his wife he might like one
as a Christmas stocking-stuffer! (Gemini XIII Pilot, Apollo 9
Command Module Pilot, Apollo 15 Commander)
Al
Alan L. Bean (CAPT, USN, Ret.) will always be
known as 'the nicest astronaut.' His kind, open manner and humor
are matched only by his tireless patience with space enthusiasts
of all ages. He never missed a pleasant "howdy" in the
morning. At the breakfast buffett on the second day I asked his
pardon as I opened the sharp-edged lid of the bread cabinet. We
both laughed as I warned him of the tragic potential news
headline "Famous Artist Injured by Bagel !" I couldn't
believe I touched so many of his works, having helped hang
several pieces in his gallery section. He and his good
friend/astronaut classmate Walt Cunningham took a reflective
stroll through the gallery before the show began (image: left).
His delightful wife Leslie, assisting at his signing table, even
remembered me from a meeting in Tampa years ago. One surprise was
finding out he'd taped the CBS Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
the night before arriving at Spacefest. I'm glad I recorded this
enjoyable exchange - Ferguson seemed to be a closet space geek,
and was quite taken by the Fourth Man on the Moon. (Apollo 12
Lunar Module Pilot and Skylab 2 Commander)
Walt
R. Walter Cunningham (Col, USMCR, Ret.) was a
great guest at breakfast the first morning. As before, he kidded
this "poor Air Force guy," but told us some great
stories about being a young Marine aviator in Japan. He laughed
as he recalled himself and his manly squadron mates scaling Mount
Fuji, and being 'dusted' on the trail by a little old Japanese
couple. Walt was only the second NASA civilian astronaut, but
despite his scientific credentials from RAND Corp., he is a
fighter pilot through and through. We're posing with the
autographed audiobook copy of his very impressive book, the
"The All-American Boys." He reads it himself. Everyone
always asks "what were the astronauts really like?" and
"How do you live & work with thirty other
space-travelling overachievers?" His is an honest and
straightforward account of every bit of the astronaut business,
from the fiercely patriotic to the mildly salacious. He provides
blunt, politically incorrect appraisals of himself, NASA, and his
space colleagues. He doesn't ruin the astronaut myth, rather he
builds upon it, and then let's you in on what's behind the
curtain. Walt's spoken style is engaging, well-punctuated with
the right bits of humor and drama (I laughed out loud). The
unabridged length is perfect for extended enjoyment on a longer
drive. (Apollo 7 Lunar Module Pilot)
Rusty
Russell L. Schweickart
(former USAF), did multiple duties, signing Saturn rocket models
and photos, and posing for pictures as all his colleagues did.
But he also gave a very motivating and scientificially impressive
talk on the hazards of near Earth asteroids (NEA). Yes, we all
joke about the movie versions of this threat: "Deep
Impact" and "Armageddon," but he and planetary
scientist Dr. Dan Durda explained why we need to take a hard look
at a real problem. I'd never seen Rusty give a presentation
before, and was floored by his excellent and engaging style. I
bet he's honed his skills with high level government and academic
audiences, because he certainly can turn a complex physical
problem set into something normal folks and executives can easily
understand. Hearing workable spacecraft solutions always sounds
far more convincing from someone who's flown them. Though his
colleagues sometimes kidded him abouting hanging around with the
scientists, it's obvious he's combined both skill sets quite
well. (Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot)
John
NASA's most experienced astronaut was a hard man
to catch. John W. Young (CAPT, USN, Ret.) was a keynote speaker,
but because he chose not to sign autographs, he was a little less
visible around the event. That said, his address on flying to the
Moon, both then and now, was very well received. His
characteristic dry wit, and use of every astronaut cliche' in his
lexicon, meant he really slayed our captive space enthusiast
crowd. When asked about being the only man to ride the
Gemini-Titan (twice), Apollo-Saturn (twice), and STS Shuttle
(twice), and which one rode the roughest he replied: "Dunno,
my knees were shakin' during all of 'em." It seems a little
unusual that a man with 42 years of public service remains a
little shy, but he certainly did way more than his fair share for
his country, and I was glad to see him live - even if a handshake
was tough to get. (Gemini III Pilot, Gemini X Commander, Apollo
10 Command Module Pilot, Apollo 16 Commander, STS-1 Commander,
STS-9 Commander)
Ed
I said hello to Dr. Edgar Mitchell (CAPT, USN,
Ret.) as he arrived early on Friday. He noted the art gallery,
and I mentioned we had Al Bean's and Mike Collins' work already
on display. I was pleased to introduce that to him: he hadn't yet
heard his former colleague Mike was now painting. As I showed him
the Collins section, he noted the many south Florida themes, and
Collins' amusing work called "Snook 1 Launch," showing
a fish with a rocket plume, rising from the old Gemini launch
complex.
At our Saturday night
banquet, I had the great privilege of having dinner at Dr.
Mitchell's table. As the last member of Apollo 14 (Al Shepard and
Stu Roosa departed the earthly realm in 1998 and 1994,
respectively), his are unique first person insights on this
mission. We asked him for a 'flying with Al story' suitable for a
family audience. He told us that Al was the top-of-the-heap
professional astronaut and aviator we've all heard much about,
but that despite being mission commander, he was OK in the role
of student pilot. Now that seemed surprising! But, as Ed was the
Lunar Module expert, and far more experienced in that cockpit, he
became Al's LM instructor pilot. Dr. Mitchell
spoke of the first time in the simulator when he took his hands
off the translation controllers, and let Al take over... and
Shepard did beautifully. We also joked about the competitive
sports craze started when he threw the 'javelin,' and Al hit the famous golf shots, these being the first - and so far only - Lunar
Olympics. He still laughs out loud at Shepard's bragging rights.
He also talked about the tough calls in Apollo crew assignments.
Deke Slayton gave him a 'package deal,' in that he would fly 14,
but would have to come right home and back up 16, because few
astros were keen on 'dead end' assignments near the lunar landing
program's ending. He knuckled down, got back into the tough
training grind, and did his duty even though he knew one moonwalk
was all you get.
He also shared his encounter
with Moon hoax nut job Bart Sibrel, who entered Mitchell's home
under false pretenses and began his well-documented harassment.
This phony journalist, famous for getting punched by Buzz Aldrin,
literally got his ass kicked by Dr. Mitchell. Needless to say, we
cheered him for that splendid and appropriate action. (Check 'You
Tube' for "Astronauts Gone Wild.")
And what about this bonus:
scientist Curt Parkin, who was seated next to me, was an Apollo
14 ALSEP (Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package) member! He
was a principle researcher on the Lunar Portable Magnetometer
experiment, and finally got to thank Dr. Mitchell personally for
running his experiment on the lunar surface. He said he got years
of good data from it. Ed complimented Curt on having one of those
science packages that didn't take up too much of the crew's time
to operate! It was fun talkin' a little Moon science at dinner.
Our group was really looking
forward to hearing more about Dr. Mitchell's unique work since
Apollo. His explorations of psychic phenomena and several
parasciences are well known. I've read his book "The Way of
the Explorer," and listened as he gave a primer on the study
of conciousness and perception. I admit that certain concepts
were very tough for me to grasp, but his insights and brilliance
are obvious. To hear him frame a vision of this world as a whole,
rather than a place plagued by mankind's dangerous petty
tribalisms, was inspiring. He really has seen what so few others
have: this planet from afar, in it's true context in the
universe. He didn't sound utopian, but like someone who truly
experienced something profound. All that said, he's still a top
naval aviator with a great sense of humor. (Apollo 14 Lunar
Module Pilot)
Skylab
Joe
This was the first autograph
show for Dr. Joseph Kerwin, MD (CAPT, USN, Ret.). He was the
first man to carry the title "Science Pilot (SPT)." He
was a graduate of a Navy program that trained flight surgeons as
full up aviators, giving him some serious 'street cred' with the
pilots, even though he was recruited in the first 'hyphenated'
group of scientist-astronauts in 1965. He patiently waited 7
years to get a mission, and flew with with fellow Navy officers
Charles "Pete" Conrad and P.J. Weitz. These guys were
the "fix-it crew" that rescued Skylab, undertaking bold
and risky spacewalk repairs that saved the whole program. We
talked about what a blast he had flying with Pete - he
practically shot Conrad like an arrow as they strained a cable to
open Skylab's stuck solar wing. We also noted how the space world
still seems shocked at Conrad's untimely loss in 1999. Though I'm
obviously no doctor, we also shared observations on military
survival training, including both the physiology and psychology
of that niche business. Dr. Kerwin was very pleasant and
engaging, and had the bonus of Jayme Flowers Coplin's able
assistance (see below). (Skylab I Science Pilot)
Skylab Crews
(Image left: 'Skylab Reunion,' L to R, Alan Bean,
Jack Lousma, Paul Weitz, Joe Kerwin) This is another reason we
had so much fun: astros representing a whole NASA program just
kind of falling in together for a reunion shot. These space
station pioneers represent 2/3rds of the first two crews, Kerwin
& Weitz from Skylab I; Bean & Lousma from Skylab II.
I had the privilege of
previous meetings with these gentlemen, so had shorter chats with
them this year. Col Lousma and I talked about the joys of living
in the Texas Hill Country, where he's building a ranch. CAPT
Weitz asked me if I'm kin to National Football League coach Ken
Whisenhunt - unfortunately, no - and had to sadly advise him I
can't get anyone season tickets! And of course, you've likely
already read above about talking with smilin' Al Bean.
Shuttle
Charlie
Charles D. Walker, an astronautical
engineer, occupies a unique niche in the spaceflight record book.
He is that rarer brand of astronaut called Payload Specialist
(PS), and is the most flown PS in history, with three Shuttle
flights. PS's were recuited for very mission specific tasks, and
often worked under government contract rather than being actual
NASA or military employees. Charlie worked for McDonnell Douglas
(now part of Boeing) as lead for the EOS (Electrophoresis Operations in Space), a series of
medical manufacturing experiments on orbit. He has continued to
serve the space industry in a number of corporate and non-profit
leadership roles. I found him very outgoing, and he enjoyed
representing the early group of commercial space pioneers. (STS
41-D, STS-51D, STS-61B Payload Specialist )
Test
Pilots
These military and corporate aerospace
pioneers joined the already amazing group of fliers at Spacefest
- another unique plus in this event. These men constantly hung
themselves and their aircraft out over the line in pursuit of
"highest and fastest." But as an opening line in the
film "The Right Stuff" notes: "they were called
test pilots... and no one knew their names." Based on their
reactions, I think the test pilots were a bit surpised they had
fans - or at least so many folks seeking autographs, photos and
"war stories." Of course, the first two groups of
astronauts had notable test pilot backgrounds, and to this day a
test pilot school certificate remains a big plus for someone
wishing to to become a commander or pilot astronaut.
Bob
Bob Smyth worked for Grumman Aircraft
Corporation (now Northrop Grumman). A former Naval Avaitor, he went to work as a
corporate test pilot flying many of the Navy's hottest
"Cat" series fighters: the F9F Cougar, F11F Tiger, and
famous F-14A Tomcat. He was
also the first astronaut/pilot liaison for the Apollo Lunar
Module, before he moved to the commercial business jet side. What
surprised me was that he also served as an evaluator for pressure
suits, and some other unique ground-based Grumman proposals such
as the Mo-Lab (Mobile Laboratory) - a super Moon rover that never
got past the prototype or "Mobility Test Article" stage
(image: left). The tall spiral spring wheels were designed to
drive right over craters, rather than rolling into them.
Ray
Ray McPherson flew some of the most famous Boeing
aircraft: the B-47, B-52, the 747 "Flying Command
Post," and the unique YC-14 Short Take off and Landing
(STOL) expermental airlifter (image: right). The design,
sponsored by the Air Force under the Advanced Medium STOL
Transport program, was meant to replace existing short field
transports like the famous C-130 Hercules. It featured an
extemely efficient lift system, Upper Surface Blowing (USB),
based on the high-mounted engines exhausting over the upper wing,
with the airflow then turned downward by the flaps. Eventually,
the Air Force stuck with the C-130, but super-experienced fliers
like Ray kept pushing the envelope on cutting-edge designs.
Ken
Ken
Chilstrom (Col, USAF, Ret.) is a decorated combat veteran, and
truly legendary in the test piloting business. Following World
War II, he graduated from the very first test pilot class, along
with famous ace Dick Bong, Bob Cardenas, and Glen Edwards (Edward
AFB is named for him). In 1946, Col Chilstrom became chief pilot,
Fighter Test Division at Wright Field supervising some of the
most famous US test pilots in history: Pete Everest, Dick
Johnson, Chuck Yeager and Bob Hoover. He also flew captured
German aircrfat such as the ME-109, FW-190 & ME-262. In a bit
of early Cold War capability demonstration, he flew the very
first "jet mail" - a fast postal service demonstration
(image: left), in the P-80 Shooting Star: the U.S.'s very first
operational jet fighter.
Mission
Support
Jayme
Jayme Flowers
Coplin began her NASA career as an administrative assistant, as
secretary to Mercury Astronaut L. Gordon "Gordo"
Cooper. She is famous for this Apollo 10 photo, in which she
surprises the flight crew with a giant stuffed Snoopy doll
(image: left) as they walk through the ops building on the way to
the Astro Van. Snoopy was of course the call sign for the Apollo
10 Lunar Module, and was a safety mascot for the space program as
a whole. Jayme is just as gorgeous now as in this picture, and as
gracious as you can imagine. She served as Dr. Joe Kerwin's
support team at the autograph booth, and seemed a little
surprised at getting so many autograph requests herself.
(Astronaut Secretary)
Guest
Speakers
These are just a
few representatives of the exceptional science and entertainment
talents who addressed Spacefest.
Andy
This gentleman had huge rooms full of fans
everywhere he went, and the astronauts treated him like the close
friend he became... all for for very notable reasons. He did
something truly remarkable and inspiring: over the course of
several years of interviewing and talented authoring, he brought
the stories of the Moon Voyagers to life. "A Man on the
Moon," first published in 1994 to coincide with the 25th
anniversary of Apollo 11, is the most important living history of
Apollo ever written. If you only read one book on the people who
flew to the Moon - this is the one! A later Time-Life illustrated
edition adds even more to the experience with rare pictures. He
was the first to publish the real answers to "What did it
feel like to fly to, or walk on, the Moon?" We have all the
technical and crew debriefing material from NASA, so the astro's
words about their flights are well preserved. What we missed
prior to Andy's work is the human side of their experiences. Most
importantly, he reignited the spirit of Apollo for new
generations. And of course, brought us the basis for the
award-winning "From the Earth to the Moon" HBO TV
miniseries, produced by space enthusiast Tom Hanks. Andy has a
cameo role in Episode 1 as a TV news program moderator. (Author,
"A Man on the Moon")
Phil
Dr. Phil Plait is a well known space scientist,
author, and webmaster. His book and website "Bad
Astronomy" cover a range of
space science and related topics. But much of his notoriety comes
from the powerful tools he offers in the fight against
moon-hoaxers - those who think the Apollo program was faked. Can
you imagine such a huge government conspiracy to fool the world?
His straightforward scientific analysis, complete with images and
explainations, makes it easy to debunk those who think Apollo
enthusiasts are a big bunch of dupes! Many of us use his guidance
in public science outreach programs, and in our web pages. I
had the pleasure of introducing this gentleman's presentation, as
well as witnessing his skillfull correction of so-called
"experts." His professional insight, sense of humor,
and entertaining style made for an enjoyably packed house.
(Author, "Bad Astronomy")
Jerry
Jerry Doyle is a modern renaissance man. He has
been a businessman, a corporate jet pilot, a successful actor as
Security Chief Michael Garibaldi in "Babylon 5," and is
currently a nationally-syndicated radio talk show host. Despite
his celebrity, Jerry is a very down-to-earth guy (even being from
Brooklyn). His address to the Saturday night banquet crowd was
brief and funny - we later found out he was still suffering from
a flu virus, and barely made it to the event. In a room
surrounded by seven men who had walked on the Moon, a Mercury
astronaut, and scores of space program notables, he sincerely
noted he felt ill-equipped to tell them much of anything. He
jokingly added "well, I did live on Mars." (Host,
"The Jerry Doyle Show")
Astronauts
Reunite, Talk with Fans
L to R: Dave Scott and
Charlie Duke catch up on the latest; fans chat with Rusty
Schweickart and Buzz Aldrin; autograph seekers meet Charlie Duke
and Al Bean; Dave Scott and Ed Mitchell talk business; Bruce
McCandless and Scott Carpenter meet with space enthusiasts.
