Reviewed by: Elizabeth Hobbs
Meet the Space Camp Hall of Fame, fly airplanes + more in Huntsville—Reunion Weekend, July 11-12
Reading time: 5 minutes
Sponsored
If you’re looking for a good answer to “What did you do this weekend in Huntsville?,” how about flying airplanes, walking on the moon and meeting the Space Camp® Hall of Fame?
Read on for all the details on Reunion Weekend, coming up at the U.S Space & Rocket Center. Plus, meet the man who never attended Space Camp® as a kid who’s now leading the Hall of Fame.
Meet Tim Bailey: Head of Hall of Fame
Tim Bailey’s childhood dream was to go to Space Camp®. However, his family couldn’t afford to send him, so he explored space through the pages of Worldview Encyclopedia books.
That was until he landed his dream job as a Space Camp® Florida counselor while in college at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This experience inspired him to change his major from Engineering Physics to Aerospace Studies, and it prepared him for a successful career in the industry.
“I am currently the Director of Inflight Safety for a group called Zero Gravity Corporation. We are a commercial company that promotes space tourism, conducts research and trains astronauts.
I’ve transitioned a lot of my crew trainer credentials from explaining to kids how mission simulators work at Space Camp® to training future astronauts and working with real scientists on projects.”
Tim Bailey, Head of Space Camp® Hall of Fame
Bailey has led a successful career at Zero Gravity Corporation for 22 years, and not a day goes by that he hasn’t remembered the impact Space Camp® had on his life.
Aside from taking his kids to Space Camp® in Huntsville in an unforgettable full-circle moment, he’s also reconnected to Space Camp® through philanthropy and leadership.
“One of my friends who went to Space Camp® is a pediatric cancer survivor, and he brought me back around recently. He really felt like Space Camp® reignited his excitement for the space industry and made him feel like he had a place in the world after surviving brain cancer.
We got a group together and started taking pediatric cancer families from around the country to experience Space Camp®. We are bringing some of those families for Reunion Weekend.”
Tim Bailey, Head of Space Camp® Hall of Fame
Bailey was inducted into the Space Camp® Hall of Fame in 2023, and this year, he’s leading the alumni as the Head of the Hall of Fame. One of his favorite parts about the new position? Reunion Weekend, of course! Read all about it below.
Space Camp® Missions, Top Gun + more during Reunion Weekend
If you’re not a Space Camp® alumnus, you might be asking, “What’s in it for me during Reunion Weekend?”
Nothing short of everything!
Reunion Weekend is open to the public—all you need to do is purchase a pass, and you can experience the flight sims, Space Camp® missions, dinner reception, Top Gun movie night and more.
Reunion Weekend schedule:
Day 1: Friday, July 11
- Hall of Fame Reception: 6PM in the Davidson Center
- Hall of Fame Dinner: 7PM in the Davidson Center
- P.S. five outstanding alumni will be inducted as the 2025 class of the Space Camp® Hall of Fame!
Day 2: Saturday, July 12
- Town Hall: 10AM in the Space Camp® Operations Center
- Lunch: 12PM at Astrotek
- Campus Wide Tours: 1PM
- Various Activities: 1PM
- Aviation Challenge®:
- Flight Sims (replicates the controls, systems and environment of real aircraft)
- Water Zip Line (150-ft. zip line with a water landing. Includes one time on the water Zip Line and a swim with remaining free time.)
- Free Swim (casual swim time in the lake)
- Space Camp®:
- Mission (mission to the International Space Station or train for a landing on the moon)
- MAT & 1/6 Chair (The MAT simulates a spacecraft/aircraft tumble + the 1/6 chiar shows campers what it’s like to walk on the moon. Closed-toe shoes required.)
- Aviation Challenge®:
- Break: 2:30PM
- Helodunker: 2:30PM (Simulates a crash landing in a helicopter and gives trainees water survival tactics.)
- BBQ Dinner & AC Birthday Party: 6PM at Aviation Challenge®
- Trivia & Top Gun the Movie: 7PM at Aviation Challenge®
Tickets range from $5 for specific events to $300 for all-access passes. Purchase your tickets now.
Why you don’t want to miss Reunion Weekend
Although there are many reasons why you should experience Reunion Weekend at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, here are three top incentives, according to Bailey:
- Seeing behind the curtain of Space Camp®, including the impressive facilities and simulators, plus a sneak peek at Adult Space Camp®.
- Learning from top space experts and aviation enthusiasts at the Hall of Fame reception dinner
- Getting a glance at Aviation Challenge activities like the helicopter Dunker
- P.S. 2025 is the Year of Aviation® at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center!
“If you come and see how cool the facilities are and how fun it is to be on teams and working on missions, I think you’ll realize, ‘Hey, space is for me, too. I could definitely come here and have a good time and learn a lot in the process.'”
Tim Bailey, Head of Space Camp® Hall of Fame
Grab your tickets now for Reunion Weekend at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center
Sponsored by:
Ad
