Space Camp has been bringing kids to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., since 1982. From famous entertainers to future astronauts and rocket scientists, they came by the tens of thousands. In fact, the camp numbers more than 700,000 alumni around the world. They still share is a love for a place where smart young people find their own team and realize they can do great things.

Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Space Camp

There's a good chance one of the first American astronauts on Mars will have gone through this gate to Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., and stayed in one of the "habitats" at left and right.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

The mission floor - 1980s

Space Camp has been around since 1982, and its main training floor has always been a cool place. This is the mid-'80s version. Since then, more than 700,000 campers have come here and to other locations in the Space Camp system.

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U.S. Space & Rocket Center

Today's mission floor

Here's today's training floor at Space Camp with space station modules and trainees positioned beneath "star curtains" of light.

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Space Camp photo

The Olsen twins

Celebrities have always loved Space Camp. In the 1980s, television's Olsen twins, Ashley and Mary Kate, posed in flight suits with astronaut Alan Bean. More recently, the children of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Hanks have come. Charlize Theron came to family camp with her son.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

"Space Camp" cast

"Space Camp" the movie was filmed at Space Camp, and the actors posed in front of the Saturn V rocket then displayed out on the grounds. The young boy at right is Joaquin Phoenix, who was called Leaf at the time.

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Space Camp photo

Serious fun

Visors were big in Space Camp's early years, and one thing that has stayed big is the headset.

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Early computers

Computers weren't born at Space Camp, but Space Campers have been using them on missions for decades.

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On the floor

Mission Control at Space Camp used to be on the training floor right next to the action.

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Funny walking

Not sure what's going on in this vintage photo of Space Camp trainees outside in the U.S. Space & Rocket Center's Rocket Park.

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Underwater training

The Underwater Astronaut Trainer, shown here in a vintage photo, is still in use at Space Camp. Fun fact: Actors Tom Hanks, Gary Sinise, Ron Howard, Kevin Bacon and Bill Paxton used it to train for the movie "Apollo 13."

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Meg McKinney

Hanging harness

Today, Advanced Space Academy trainees hang from harnesses for Extra Vehicular Activities (EVAs) outside a mock-up of the International Space Station's first unit: the Russian Zarya module.

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The Canadarm

Early space campers and those today perform EVAs involving a satellite, the open bay of a space shuttle and the Canadarm. Space Camp is moving beyond space shuttles towards Mars missions.

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Eric Schultz

Inside the habs

The public isn't allowed inside the habitats, but here's a glimpse of one hallway on May 11, 2016.

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Eric Schultz

Bunk here

Here's a promotional photograph of the inside of a room in one of the Space Camp's habitats today.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Chow line

Standing in chow line for meals is part of the camp routine. Today, one of the "sides" options is "star tots," star-shaped tater tots. Pretty tasty.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Pathfinder

You're never far from the space shuttle Pathfinder at Space Camp. The shuttle was built by NASA for weight and other tests. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center placed it on a real fuel tank and solid rocket boosters so visitors could see a "full stack."

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Astrotrek

Space Camp shares the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum, but a lot of training goes on in special buildings like Astrotrek. The airplane is an Air Force T-38 training jet used by astronauts.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

On a mission

Young people come to Space Camp to train like astronauts and work in realistic simulators on space missions. Here's the new Orion capsule simulator and the commander's briefing book.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Endeavour

The Space Shuttle Endeavour simulator isn't on the main training floor today because America isn't flying shuttles, but it's still at Space Camp and still used by younger trainees.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Strapped in

Trainees get a taste of astronaut training in equipment like the 5DF (Five Degrees of Freedom) simulator.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

MMU for you

This trainer is the Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), but you don't need to be a man to control its horizontal rolls.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Work the plan

A mission flight director concentrates on his plan as he directs his mission.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Mission control

One of the attractions of Space Camp for smart kids is meeting and spending time with kids like them, often for the first time. Here, a team works in mission control. They are talking to other trainees inside capsule and space station simulators.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

EVA assembly

Two space-suited trainees assemble a frame while riding in 5DF chairs on the main training floor of Space Camp.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Suited and booted

Space suits wait for trainees on the main mission floor at Space Camp.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Team work

Wearing their Space Camp T-shirts, this team is working inside an International Space Station module mockup.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Our turn next

Space Camp trainees wait just off the main training floor for their missions.

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Eric Schultz

Heading home

Counted and accounted for, Space Camp trainees head for home after their camp experience. (Eric Schultz / Rocket City Photo)

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Space Camp photo

One last thing

You didn't think we'd leave without a picture of Space Camp's famous Multi-Axis Trainer, did you? This device spins you up, down and around but keeps your center of gravity stable. It's popular on television shows, too, like this 2014 episode of the "Steve Harvey Show."

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Steve Harvey Show

Bonus video

Talk show host Steve Harvey tries the Multi-Access Trainer on his television show in 2014.