Apollo Mission To The Moon 2025-26-Student Project Thread-UPDATE 8/12/26 Pg28 New Thread link (Page 1 of 28)
Posted: 8/19/2025 11:08:00 AM EDT
[Last Edit: guns762][Edited]
 Well, here we go again! Thursday, students will be here and we will begin this whole adventure once again. I’ve been asked all summer, “What’s the Big Project” this year. I’ve struggled with that a bit this year. We again no longer have an empty canvas to start with. As we did last few years, we will be adding to an existing display. That has made the planning for this year more complex in some ways, and easier in others. The next room that needs updated is our Space Shuttle display. So, let’s get this adventure underway.    Many of you have contributed, followed along, and read these threads for the last 13yrs now. I would not even consider taking on another project without you all here to help us along and make this project better than we could ever imagine. I’ve been wanting to get to this thread for a week, but meetings, setting up my room, and getting gradebooks set up digitally has kept me from getting to it. Just getting this thread going always eases my stress. I know kind of where we want to go this year, but I need your brain storming ideas to really get us to the level we’ve been producing the last few years. You all will come up with crazy ideas, some of which will become major focal points in the display. I have that much faith in ARFCOM. A brief history for those who are new to these threads...... ARFCOM has been an essential part of the adventure my students' experience with the building of permanent, large installation projects here at our high school. I know that this year will be no different, and our success will be attributable to the incredible help that so many of you provide. This will be my 30th year teaching. These projects have rejuvenated my teaching style, given my students something they love coming to school for, and providing experiences that they truly value. We’ve had a bit of press the last year, and that is due to the support of this great community. I want to say again, THANK YOU! You are an incredible group of people and my students are lucky to have you on their team. Facebook video by my District Article in Cowboy Stare Daily My Art classes will again work with CAD students, Welding students, Woodworking students, and Robotic students to try to create our next display. For those new to our adventures, roughly 60-80 students from grades 9-12 will work the entire school year to build from scratch a permanent 3D display in an area roughly 14’wide x 30' long x 25’high. Some students might only spend an hour working on this, some three weeks, and some might spend several hours every day the entire year. Our last projects have ended up costing roughly about $4000-4300 each. The generosity in both funds, equipment, and advice in our previous years have made all the difference in being able to spend that much money on such a project. Since the U-Boat project(2015), ARFCOM has covered the costs of every single one of these projects. Not a single dime has had to come out of my classroom budget. We will again have to have a t-shirt sale(later, much later) to celebrate the adventure and raise the funds needed. The fundraiser will be near the end of the project, so not for almost a year. The last few designs have been pretty epic and no doubt, we should be able to come up with great designs. On to the important part…… Apollo Mission To The Moon 20-25-26 Our Space Shuttle will still be a centerpiece, but I want to see us add a lunar surface in one of the corners with the Apollo 11 lander on it. Many of you have asked for this over the years, and now is the time. The lander won’t be enough for us for the year, so I’d like to see us add the Apollo 13 command module/capsule in the space above the shuttle and over our “moon”. Our Robotics teacher came up with the idea of adding a shuttle lift off around the existing structure support column. I like this a lot but we may tweak that idea a bit. Finally, I’d like to add a little ancient astronaut sci-fi with either a jump gate, and/or maybe a model of the Battlestar Galactica. We could have some fun with that; we will see.    Where I’d like to see this go: -Lunar surface facing down from a corner with the Apollo Lander there…. Maybe Armstrong? -Light coming up/shining from behind it facing down, as our “sun”. -I’d like to see our Apollo 13 module with some movement to it. Spinning? Gas exiting, simulating the explosion.   -Maybe a model of the oxygen scrubbers they put together.  -Shuttle launch- Turn the column into a tower with a model of the shuttle launching, or maybe we have the X-37 launching instead? I kind of like the idea of having the X-37 in there instead of the shuttle. We can have a better model of the tower that way, and include something new, and not just another shuttle. His idea is to have the shuttle move up and down on the tower.      -Jump gate. Maybe have it lit up? Ship coming through it?    -Battlestar Galactica up high, maybe even have it doing the Adama drop maneuver?   -Wrecked cylon ship somewhere…..lunar surface? -Some models of our solar system somewhere up there too? I know you will all come up with even better ideas so let’s get this started. Post your ideas, pictures of what you might envision, or what you’d like to see us add in. Nothing is set in stone yet. My ideas are just a starting point. Students will be able to brainstorm starting Thursday, and along with your ideas, we can start sculpting out a design. I'll get a post up of our previous adventures and links to them shortly. This is a nice video produced by my district of what happens in my class: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1846Njp2TW/ |
come on
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Originally Posted By URSATDX: Are all of these models, etc., permanently displayed?  Yes, they have become quite a showcase when we have guests. Keynote speakers reaction after they are suggested to go see the "Artwork", is something like....."Yeah, ok  ,..... my flight leaves pretty soon, and I need to get going....." Then they turn the corner in one of the wings and .....  It's almost always the same reaction. Pretty fun to see. This year, the Superintendent asked me to come with them and give some background as they showed the keynote speaker around. |
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Maybe do something showing the progression from Mercury, through Gemini, to Apollo? I'm genuinely amazed that Mercury didn't kill anyone. Especially when considering just how primitive it all was then. Apollo only killed one crew, while the shuttle killed two. Maybe something to honor those killed? Underscoring the bravery and the dangers inherent in space flight. |
If you can't take the high road, occupy the high ground.
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Over the summer, we had a $100 donation from a group of ladies that came by specifically to see the displays. The great gals in the office gave them a tour, plugging in things that had been unplugged for the summer. We also got a $500 donation by my mother, so that was kind of cool. |
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Originally Posted By dorobuta: Maybe do something showing the progression from Mercury, through Gemini, to Apollo? I'm genuinely amazed that Mercury didn't kill anyone. Especially when considering just how primitive it all was then. Apollo only killed one crew, while the shuttle killed two. Maybe something to honor those killed? Underscoring the bravery and the dangers inherent in space flight. Good idea. We have some displays honoring the 2 shuttle missions that were lost. Adding the Apollo crew would make sense. |
I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.
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Originally Posted By Taom: Just amazing, I have followed several of these. Can we book a tour to see these????????  I've done that for ARFCOM members coming through the area. Many times, I'm gone during the summer, and that can be a problem. During the school year is best. Takes about 2hrs. 
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Already? Didn't we just finish a Panther and other stuff like 3 weeks ago? This needs to be in a corner, except a photo of the mountains around you in the very center with the outer 1' of the ring a double mirrored glass tunnel to make the center part look far way, or maybe make it some landscape but need the 1' of "tunnel" lights bouncing to make the distance fit. Leave the space ships out of this and only have the outer ring (inside the concrete/metal stargate) showing this plasma look, and then inside the "plasma" pictures of Bighorns, moon, planets, space ships, and other places by adjusting the tuning, which changes the rear projection image for center of stargate:
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The person who complains most, and is the most critical of others has the most to hide.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
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Originally Posted By brass: Already? Didn't we just finish a Panther and other stuff like 3 weeks ago? This needs to be in a corner, except a photo of the mountains around you in the very center with the outer 1' of the ring a double mirrored glass tunnel to make the center part look far way, or maybe make it some landscape but need the 1' of "tunnel" lights bouncing to make the distance fit. https://i.imgur.com/En31jBh.jpg Leave the space ships out of this and only have the outer ring (inside the concrete/metal stargate) showing this plasma look, and then inside the "plasma" pictures of Bighorns, moon, planets, space ships, and other places by adjusting the tuning, which changes the rear projection image for center of stargate: https://i.imgur.com/mgUQfXA.jpg These are cool ideas. They definitely should be fun to try to simulate. The 1" of tunnel is interesting. |
Somewhere you need to have a couple of thigh bones, and a monolith from 2001.  ETA: Put the monolith, monkeys and bones on the other side of brass's Stargate. Originally Posted By brass: Already? Didn't we just finish a Panther and other stuff like 3 weeks ago? This needs to be in a corner, except a photo of the mountains around you in the very center with the outer 1' of the ring a double mirrored glass tunnel to make the center part look far way, or maybe make it some landscape but need the 1' of "tunnel" lights bouncing to make the distance fit. https://i.imgur.com/En31jBh.jpg Leave the space ships out of this and only have the outer ring (inside the concrete/metal stargate) showing this plasma look, and then inside the "plasma" pictures of Bighorns, moon, planets, space ships, and other places by adjusting the tuning, which changes the rear projection image for center of stargate: https://i.imgur.com/mgUQfXA.jpg |
"Three, two, one, keyturn."
"If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." - Thomas Paine
I know the voices aren't real, but MAN do they have some good ideas!
"If there must be trouble let it be in my day, that my child may have peace." - Thomas Paine
I know the voices aren't real, but MAN do they have some good ideas!
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You and your kids are absolutely ho-lee shit talented. I've followed your threads off and on for years and every single one of those displays is fucking A M A Z I N G. I'm in awe of how cool they all are. Fucking Righteous.
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Tax this dick. - Ben Franklin (probably)
SPC James 'Jimmy' Waters - D Co 1-32 3BCT 10th Mountain, KIA Sartak AFG 2011
SGT Shawn M Farrell II - A Co 1-32 3BCT 10th Mountain, KIA Nejrab AFG 2014
SPC James 'Jimmy' Waters - D Co 1-32 3BCT 10th Mountain, KIA Sartak AFG 2011
SGT Shawn M Farrell II - A Co 1-32 3BCT 10th Mountain, KIA Nejrab AFG 2014
If you are doing the moon landing you have to put a subtle really small movie camera in the background or a sound stage door opening. It will be fun trust me. 
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RIP Jeff Reed. Tennessee Squire, Ga. Carry member, NRA,Non-puking 72 ounce drinker 2 of 6 Norcal call sign, Forgotten.
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Originally Posted By livinfree: OP is Teacher of the Decade. To achieve student excellence year after year is teacher driven. Amazing work. I have followed your threads, and I'm looking forward to this one. I wish you and your students a great school year. This exactly. Wish I'd had teachers like OP to stimulate my brain when I was that age. |
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. In the end, the one who wins is the one who thinks he can! - SCI, NRA
Team Ranstad
Team Ranstad
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Originally Posted By raffi383: Let me be the first to ask... Where can I order t-shirts? What do they look like? Are they done yet? Subscribed. Can wait to see how this one turns out. Jim, do you have a list of stuff you need that we could order for you?  I'll try to put together a list of stuff we can use over the next couple days. Not really sure yet, as I need to take an inventory again. I've been getting normal art materials ordered first. |
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Awesome!! ETA: My wife will be especially excited to hear about this. She grew up on the Space Coast in Florida and saw multiple Apollo launches when she was a kid. |
“A real man does not think of victory or defeat. He plunges recklessly towards an irrational death. By doing this, you will awaken from your dreams.” -- Tsunetomo Yamamoto
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OK, Arfcom, Here is your 1st chance to participate in our planning. I need some references for students to understand where I'm thinking we need to go with the project. If you've got the skills and a bit of time to do it, we need to have some images superimposed over the room photos, as a starting point. We may move things around as we encounter different problems, but this can get us started. For each of these, we want to try to fill the space as best we can; make things as large as we can, but reasonable. The column. I need a Falcon Heavy and launch tower, or Space Shuttle and tower over top of the pole, with maybe the vehicle already up to where the low ceiling starts.  In this corner, I'm envisioning the lunar surface..... almost a diamond shape, with a curve across the top......point of the bottom of the diamond in the corner? My worry is we may have to move the light motion sensor that is already up there. I've got a call into our Building Admin about doing that. I'd like to not cover the Reagan quote or the mural of the Earth too much. The LEM upside down, on the surface? Hanging just above the surface?  Stargate in this corner? Not sure what we put it on. Local landscape? Some mural paintings behind it?  Jumpgate over here in this corner. We will probably raise up the Russian Satellite(IKON) get it higher to make room for the new stuff.  Apollo 13 Command module and capsule near the wall, and above our Shuttle?  Maybe our Galactica hanging high and above on the far side of the Shuttle?  We may add to this wall also. It's one of the coolest things we have in the display. People go nuts when they see the medal, uniform pins, and the 1978 postcard that came with them. The patches, and selfies are pretty incredible too. The question is always....... "This is just in the hallway???????"   |
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Originally Posted By Mak_380: I remember the Sopwith Camel propeller post. You've come a long way, man. Good job! I'm not gong to ask about shirts. Toques? Scarves? Sheepskin jackets? (Grin, duck, & run!) May the pain of hot glue and millions of rivets fall upon you...... 
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I suggest we trade a question mark in for a maybe.
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What about a rotating image shown in the stargate, toggling to show past projects? Bonus points if you can make it look like the dragon is going to fly through it. |
WARNING-this post contains words or thoughts that may at some point be discovered by the state of California to cause cancer.
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Originally Posted By shack357: What about a rotating image shown in the stargate, toggling to show past projects? Bonus points if you can make it look like the dragon is going to fly through it. Hmmmmmm...... if we put another monitor behind the gate? With a round tunnel cropping it's shape into a circle...... it might allow us to do just that? |
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Originally Posted By Skopsko07734: It will be awesome as usual! Absolutely...what lucky kids to have you for their teacher...the town for that matter. 
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For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood from His workmanship, so that men are without excuse.
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Ye know, we did infinity lights on our Space tractor back in 2021. I'll bet we can use something similar in design for the jump gate. Anyway, should be a fun problem to mess with. On our launch tower, as much as I want to avoid it, we will probably havento md lean again around the base. I think we will use a much thinner layer this time, and just bend it around the disks. We will have.to have our launch vehicle closer to the top to start, so we don't have it getting g bumped too often. Still contemplating the shape of our lunar landscape tier coming away from the corner. Hmmmm |
