Space Shuttle memories center stage at upcoming ShuttleFest in Brevard

by themoneyoffice2.com@gmail.com April 6, 2024 · Space / Space Exploration

For the third year in a row, the American Space History Museum and Space Walk of Fame is hosting ShuttleFest — a gathering of space workers and enthusiasts who wish to share stories, keep the shuttle’s legacy alive, and discuss the future of space exploration.

This year’s theme is “More than Just Astronomy Missions,” and promises interesting panels on the lesser known history of the Space Shuttle.

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What and When is ShuttleFest?

ShuttleFest is a fundraiser for the American Space Museum and the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation. The non-profit museum is filled with artifacts from the history of human spaceflight, led by people trying to keep America’s space history alive.

The idea for the fest was inspired by SpaceFest, an event which was held annually in Arizona by artist Kim Poor to celebrate astronauts and space artists. Since Poor’s passing in 2017, followed by the uncertainty of the pandemic, SpaceFest has not been held since 2021.

The American Space History Museum picked up with ShuttleFest in 2022.

The goal of ShuttleFest is to continue celebrating the workers on America’s space program in the city at the center of space history.

FLORIDA TODAY spoke with the museum’s program director and community liaison, Mark Marquette. He noted that as many Apollo astronauts and workers are no longer with us, it will soon be up to the shuttle workers to keep America’s space history relevant

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This is the goal of ShuttleFest, which the museum aims to celebrate every year around the date of the first shuttle launch – April 12, 1981.

This year, ShuttleFest will be held on Saturday, April 13.

Where in Titusville is ShuttleFest?

This year’s ShuttleFest will be held at Hyatt Place in Titusville, yet the museum hopes to outgrow the facility in the coming years. Marquette expects more than 100 people to attend.

Marquette described ShuttleFest as a conference-style event which features shuttle workers telling fresh stories about their experiences.

“We feel that shuttle workers are national treasures,” said Marquette. “It became logical that we could have an event that would eventually maybe draw the crowds that this SpaceFest did. But, instead of Apollo astronauts, we are going to focus it around the shuttle astronauts. There’s always fascinating stories about what workers did. You hear the headlines of what happened, but you don’t hear the fixes along the way to make a successful mission.

Which astronaut will be at ShuttleFest III?

This year, the shuttle astronaut in attendance is John-David (JD) Bartoe, who flew on STS-51-F in July of 1985. He only flew to space once before going on to become the director of operations and utilization in the Space Station Office of NASA Headquarters. From 1993 until 2005, Bartoe was the ISS Research Manager, overseeing the beginning of research onboard the ISS.

He also served as the principal investigator on the Astro-1 and Astro-2 astronomy missions, working alongside fellow astronaut Sam Durrance in the early 90s. Durrance, a passionate astronomer, and later Florida Institute of Technology professor, passed away on May 5, 2023. Durrance will be honored at this year’s ShuttleFest.

“There’s nothing like getting people together once a year that used to work on a spaceship,” said Marquette. “Although two of them (shuttles) were destroyed by the accidents, the three that remained live in the hearts and souls of those people.”

The Space Shuttle was not only critical in building the International Space Station, it was Space Shuttle Discovery which carried the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit, and the other shuttles carried astronauts out to service it on multiple missions.

The Hubble Space Telescope still operates, yet with the 2011 shuttle retirement, it can no longer be serviced.

Titusville ShuttleFest III details and agenda

The event will begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 13 at the Hyatt Place in Titusville. Admission cost is a $20 donation to the American Space History Museum.

The schedule includes:

At 9:30 a.m., a panel will be led by NASA electrical engineer, Scott Vangen, discussing the STS-35 and STS-67 missions. “How ‘Blue Suit’ lint created a first-time protocol for Shuttle communications” is the topic.

There will be a commemoration for the belated Sam Durance, followed by a Q & A.

At 11 a.m., “Shocking Discoveries by Space Telescopes” will be presented by Eric Pearlman of Florida Institute of Technology.

A lunch break will follow at 11:30.

At 1 p.m. NASA electrical engineer, Mikey Haddad, will speak on the topic of STS-34 and STS-41 – two missions which proposed the shuttle payload bay deployment of nuclear powered and liquid-fueled booster rockets for interplanetary missions.

At 2:30 p.m., world-renown space artist Chris Calle, photographer Mark Usciak, painter Ron Woods, and space mission patch designer Tim Gagnon will provide insight.

At 3:15 p.m. a “Look to the Future” panel with NASA, local aerospace company Vaya Space, and others will be held before bringing the event to a close at 4 p.m.

Contact event organizer Mark Marquette at marq@americanspacemuseum.org, or phone the museum at (321) 264-0434 for questions or more information.

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.