I am interested in hearing about people's first-hand experiences at Space Camp.

My team's simulated rocket blew up on the launch pad.

One time, at space camp, I stuck a robotic crane up my arse.

Looking back on it, I *could* have gotten a free trip if I had managed to win Legends of the Hidden Temple.

I actually enjoyed the low-budget version at Northwestern St in Nachitoches better than the real thing. I was one of those awkward nerdy types in middle school and found the real camp pretty overwhelming. It was a ton of pressure, so much so that a lot of it wasn’t very fun. I bet if I had gone when I had socially matured a little bit that I would have had a blast.

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One kid who was there claimed he won Legends of the Hidden Temple but still to this day believe he was full of shite.

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It was the major prize for most Nickelodeon game shows from the early to mid 90s. If you went anytime during that period, chances are probably high that he was telling the truth.

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It was the major prize for most Nickelodeon game shows from the early to mid 90s.

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Oh, we all knew that. We just thought this kid was lying about it.

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Having worked there, I can tell you the kids that enjoyed Space Camp most were the ones that were sociable and friendly, not the nerdy introverts who wanted to learn. There was plenty to learn but it wasn't life changing learning or anything. The friendships were what kids remember years later.

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I had a feeling that the curriculum was probably more geared to being an aerospace engineer rather than an astronaut per se.

The Huntsville Space Camp had Aviation Challenge, which was meant for older teenagers interested in becoming fighter pilots.

I have heard from other Space Camp attendees that those Aviation Challenge kids could be jerks to the Space Camp kids. But I imagine Aviation Challenge was probably what you wanted to attend if you were a thrill seeker.

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Is there anybody on this board who can offer first-hand knowledge of a) what they learned at Space Camp, b) was it enjoyable?, and c) was it worth it?

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I went in 5th grade but it took many a Saturday morning Krispy Kreme donut delivery to pay for it.

I absolutely loved it. I went to the one in Florida, so our trip included access at the Kennedy Space Center and we went to the beach in the same week.

I was part of mission control and we landed that shite like a boss.

I went in the mid-80's. We got to sit inside the shuttle Atlantis for a engine test on the pad. There was a malfunction and we were sent into orbit.

Went to Space Academy at 13. Had a hell of a good time. Living in Huntsville I had been to the Space and Rocket Center quite a few times, but getting to see it behind the scenes and after everything was closed was cool. I was the pilot for our first mission, and did some experiments on the space station for the second.

I remember one of our counselors woke us up every morning with "Wake up! Time to make the donuts!" Don't know why that stuck with me, but it did.