{"id":410274,"date":"2026-09-25T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410274\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T12:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:38:09","slug":"orlando-sentinel-150-panel-tackles-space-past-and-future-at-orlando-science-center-orlando-sentinel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/410274\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando Sentinel 150: Panel tackles space past and future at Orlando Science Center \u2013 Orlando Sentinel"},"content":{"rendered":"

As part of the Orlando Sentinel\u2019s series of special events celebrating the paper\u2019s 150th anniversary, the Orlando Science Center hosted a panel about space on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

The event brought together representatives from Kennedy Space Center, the Space Force and UCF as well as current and former journalists to talk about Central Florida\u2019s vital role in the nation\u2019s space endeavors.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights of the panel was the displays of former Sentinel photographer Red Huber\u2019s photo retrospective of his 37-year career with the paper, which he titled, \u201cThe Cape Chronicles.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think my commitment to document history, that\u2019s my job as a photojournalist, but I want to give our readers something different, and tell NASA\u2019s story in a different visual way,\u201d Huber said.<\/p>\n

He was able to earn the trust of NASA officials over the years, a relationship that led to access not seen from other venues over the years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had a commitment, a work ethic,\u201d he said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t believe I was getting paid to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

The images were projected on the science center\u2019s newly refurbished 8-story Dome theater.<\/p>\n

Jeff Stanford, vice president of marketing at the science center pointed out the venue has its roots in the space program as well, and was even once named the John Young Museum and Planetarium after the local astronaut.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started out in 1955 as a volunteer effort by a passionate group of engineers, teachers, community leaders. They knew that the next generation was going to journey to space and beyond, and to walk on planets beyond our own \u2014 that an entrance in science was its first step, and that cause took shape in a small museum in Lock Haven Park, just around the corner,\u201d he said. \u201cFrom there, the momentum continued to what we know now as Orlando Science Center.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A dazzling projection show is shown during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Orlando<\/p>\n

Orlando Sentinel executive editor Roger Simmons speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees watch during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/p>\n

Panel members, from left: Red Huber, Richard Tribou, Roger Simmons, James W. Draper, Philip Metzger, and Derrol Nail are pictured during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Philip<\/p>\n

Philip Metzger, director of the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research and Education at UCF, speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Derrol<\/p>\n

Derrol Nail, NASA Communications Office Commentator, speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A dazzling projection show is shown during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

James W. Draper, Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum Director, speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Attendees<\/p>\n

Attendees watch during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Roger<\/p>\n

Roger Simmons, left, listens as James W. Draper, right, speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A dazzling projection show is shown during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Orlando<\/p>\n

Orlando Sentinel space editor Richard Tribou speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Photographs<\/p>\n

Photographs by Red Huber are shown during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Former<\/p>\n

Former Orlando Sentinel photographer Red Huber speaks during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/p>\n

Panel members, from left: James W. Draper, Philip Metzger, and Derrol Nail are pictured during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Panel<\/p>\n

Panel members, from left: Red Huber, Richard Tribou, Roger Simmons, James W. Draper, Philip Metzger, and Derrol Nail are pictured during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\"Esteemed<\/p>\n

Esteemed panel members watch during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 17<\/p>\n

A dazzling projection show is shown during the Orlando Sentinel presentation of \u201cSpace: Past, Present & Future in Central Florida\u201d at the Orlando Science Center on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. This was one of several events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Orlando Sentinel. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The venue treated the more than 100 attendees to a sampling of the new Dome theater experience being offered at the center before moving onto the main panel discussion.<\/p>\n

Derrol Nail with NASA\u2019s Office of Communications talked about his role as the voice accompanying the agency\u2019s coverage of major launches from Kennedy Space Center.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d rather be an astronaut,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the coolest job that\u2019s ever been in my opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he enjoys diving into the nitty-gritty of the details for each launch, but the most remarkable mission he\u2019s covered came this year he said when Artemis II launched the Orion capsule with crew for the first time for their historic trip around the moon.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat moment when those engines lit, those RS-25s, at minus 7 seconds. Voom, that thing came to life, and then 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and off we go,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is the most incredible experience I think, besides the birth of my son.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Philip Metzger, now at UCF and director of the Stephen W. Hawking Center for Microgravity Research & Education was formerly with NASA and cofounder of KSC\u2019s Swamp Works innovation program.<\/p>\n

He weighed in on the Orlando university\u2019s role in the space program, first started to support NASA\u2019s efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cUCF, we were created to support the space program. We call ourselves SpaceU, Space University. \u2026 Six years in a row we\u2019ve put more graduates into aerospace than any other university,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He was excited about two faculty serving as principle investigators for the first time for a NASA mission, a rover headed to the moon. He\u2019s particularly keen on lunar mining and touted UCF\u2019s patents for moon base missions plans.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the person with the most insight on the history of space in Florida was James Draper, director of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe focus heavily on origin stories and milestones. And there\u2019s a lot this history that people just don\u2019t realize,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Florida\u2019s first rocket launch came in 1950 and has been host to thousands of rockets ever since. But that was almost not the case, Draper explained, noting that originally the nation wanted to make a site in southern California the home to the rocket proving ground.<\/p>\n

But an errant V2 rocket went off course out of White Sands, New Mexico, and landed near Juarez, Mexico.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Mexican government didn\u2019t take kindly to being accidentally bombed,\u201d he said. \u201cSo they settled for Cape Canaveral.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said that decision was enshrined by President Harry S. Truman after congressional approval with a document called Public Law 60.<\/p>\n

\u201cPublic Law 60 is like the charter document for the Space Coast and for Central Florida at large. It\u2019s like the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Federalist papers, all tucked into this little public law signed by the president, establishing the Joint Range Proving Grounds at Cape Canaveral,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Of course Florida allowed for year-round launches over open ocean and had a series of tracking stations 10,000 miles out into the Atlantic.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s how all of this started. Without Public Law 60, there\u2019s no Cape Canaveral Space Force Station today. There\u2019s not Patrick Space Force Base. There\u2019s no Kennedy Space Center and there\u2019s no multibillion dollar aerospace industry in Central Florida,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

More stories and features from the Orlando Sentinel\u2019s 150 years of covering Central Florida can be found at OrlandoSentinel.com\/150<\/a>. Sign up for our free history newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com\/newsletters<\/a><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Want more Orlando history? Buy a copy of the Orlando Sentinel\u2019s 150th anniversary book with 150 front pages from our 150 years.\u00a0Get it OrlandoSentinel.com\/150yearsbook<\/a> and see more anniversary merchandise at OrlandoSentinel.com\/150yearsmerch<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As part of the Orlando Sentinel\u2019s series of special events celebrating the paper\u2019s 150th anniversary, the Orlando Science…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410275,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[53370,114,266,115,139,141,140,53371,554,109,1769],"class_list":["post-410274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-flashbacks","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-news","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-orlando-sentinel-150","tag-science","tag-social","tag-space"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410274"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410274\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}