Blog

Dr. Debbie Blow Joins Us as First Director of Education

March 10th, 2023

Pale Blue Dot Ventures (PBDV) is pleased to announce Dr. Debbie Blow as the Director of Education for Space Base California, a new immersive destination dedicated to teaching the science and telling the story of the next generation of space travel. Dr. Blow brings over 40 years of education experience to oversee the development of Space Base California’s educational programs, including an innovative fifth and sixth grade science camp, as well as multi-day Mission Academy experiences for students of all grade levels, families, and adults.

Dr. Blow served most recently as the Interim Superintendent of the Lompoc Unified School District after an 11-year tenure as Superintendent at both Orcutt Union School District on the Central Coast of California (5-years) and the Cambrian School District in San Jose, California (6-years). She has also worked as an Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Principal, Assistant Principal, and ten years as a teacher.

A native of Wyoming, Dr. Blow earned her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership in California at the University of La Verne. She has extensive experience in curriculum and educational development, as well as developing innovative educational programs. As a school principal, she oversaw the opening of a new facility in the Encinitas Union School District, setting the vision and direction of the school, as well as overseeing the construction of the facility. She has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including Administrator of the Year and Principal of the Year.

Space Base California is a new education and entertainment destination that is proposed to be built on land adjoining the Allan Hancock College Lompoc Valley Campus, which was donated to the city in 1988 for space-based education. Immersive attractions will introduce guests to the skills and technology of humanity’s space-faring future. Space Base California’s Mission Academy will provide multi day adventures in STEAM education for all ages.

Pale Blue Dot Founder and CEO Steve Franck believes the project is perfectly timed. “You can look at your newsfeeds any day, and it’s clear that the public fascination with the next generation of space flight has never been higher. CalSpace will be a singular location that will advance the science and story of space exploration, engage our audiences and inspire the next generation. Debbie will help us build a facility that appeals to the regional education market, while helping younger generations take their first STEAM step into the global space industry growing right on our doorstep.”

Dr. Blow said: “I’m very excited for the opportunity to work on this project. It will truly be a unique learning experience for students (and adults) throughout the region. It will help students start to consider and explore future careers in the space industry. Depending on their aptitude, that could range from rocket design, mission management, payload integration, to manufacturing & production trade skills, and much more. But we need to spark that interest early at the 5th-6th grade level (and particularly for girls) so they take the right courses to prepare them for this future career track.”

Pale Blue Dot Ventures welcomes Dr. Blow as our first Director of Education. She has the unique credentials to develop diverse programs that champion California Space Base’s mission to Educate, Entertain, and Inspire.

Read the Full Press Release Here

Feature in Attractions Magazine

August 19th, 2021

We're thrilled to announce that CalSpace, our visionary space-themed destination, has been featured in Attractions Magazine! The article, written by Samantha Davis-Friedman, delves into the exciting collaboration between Pale Blue Dot Ventures and IDEAS, hoping to bring Space Base California (CalSpace) to life. It highlights the innovative STEAM education aspects and immersive experiences planned for CalSpace, set near Vandenberg Space Force Base. Read the full article to explore how we're blending entertainment with education to inspire future generations in space exploration.

Read the Full Article Here

Engagement with Valley of the Moon Partners as Strategic Advisors

March 15th, 2021

Pale Blue Dot Ventures (PBDV) has engaged Valley of the Moon Partners (VOMP) as strategic advisors for the California Space Academy (CalSpace) development. The recent update on CalSpace by Pale Blue Dot Ventures highlights strategic advancements. In collaboration with Valley of the Moon Partners, the project is seeking partners to enhance its vision. This includes exclusive hotel development rights, unique naming rights options, and a partnership for an industrial facility. These initiatives are set to augment CalSpace's commitment to blending education and entertainment in space exploration.

Read the Full VOMP Press Release

PBDV Reaches Milestone on Space Base California (CalSpace)

June 1st, 2020

Pale Blue Dot Ventures, Inc. has completed its experience design brief, creating the initial conceptualization for the project, a portfolio of possible elements, and early ideation for site planning. The design brief was developed by Pale Blue Dot’s creative team at IDEAS and shared informally with local stakeholders.

“The hallmark of our experience design work is our StoryJam process”, notes Bob Allen, IDEAS’ CEO and project Creative Director. “We spent one full day with a group of local community leaders, space-industry experts, writers, and designers and another with regional educators to harvest great stories pointing at how this project could be designed. That collection of narratives forms the basis of our initial design work.”

David Exline of Irvine, CA based Exline Design and Architecture is the team’s head of design. “The project is blessed with a unique site featuring dramatic California-canyon topography. Our early conceptual master plan has carefully placed our guest experience components around a central court, creating what looks like a futuristic outer-planetary outpost with clean, smooth building forms punctuated by functioning wind turbines, solar panels, and radar dishes rather than a traditional looking earth-bound campus. Building elements have been sited with careful consideration for views of rocket launch locations at Vandenberg AFB because this will be the premiere place on the US West Coast to watch rocket launches.”

Pale Blue Dot Founder and CEO Steve Franck believes the project is perfectly timed. “This past weekend, over 10 million people watched the first human launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center since the end of the Shuttle program 9 years ago. Thousands more flocked to Florida’s coast to see the Dragon spacecraft departure in person. The public fascination with the next generation of space flight has never been higher. NASA plans for a man and a woman to return to the Moon by 2024, and subsequently establish a deep space gateway to explore Mars. We hope to build a singular location that will advance the science and story of space exploration, and do our part to inspire the next generation.”

Pale Blue Dot Ventures completed its initial seed capital round, which advanced the project to this milestone, and is in the middle of a second fundraising round now. Next steps include critical market analysis, further design development, and to complete exclusive negotiations for the site, all leading to a detailed project development and operating timetable.

“I’ve never been more positive” notes Franck. “We want to tell this epochal story.”

Read the Full Press Release Here

Lompoc Record Article

April 26th, 2020

Our latest feature in the Lompoc Record highlights the resilience and innovation driving the CalSpace project. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, we've been granted an extension for our fundraising efforts, ensuring our mission stays on track. Discover more about how we're navigating these unprecedented times.

Read the Full Article Here

Pale Blue Dot Ventures and City of Lompoc Agree on New Space Park Pact

July 17th, 2019

In a City Council meeting last night, the City of Lompoc, CA agreed to enter into an exclusive period of negotiation with Pale Blue Dot Ventures LLC to develop, design and build a new space themed entertainment and education destination in the city. The memorandum of understanding enables Pale Blue Dot Ventures to complete a first phase concept and feasibility program that, when complete, will provide the basis for a negotiation with the city for an 82-acre site for the new destination experience.

“This is a huge step forward for the project”, stated Steve Franck, Founder and CEO of Pale Blue Dot Ventures. “While my team and I have spent nearly five years preparing and researching for this moment, NewSpace entrepreneurs have been accelerating the economics of space, fusing terrestrial tech with space applications. With mankind returning first to the Moon and then onto Mars in the next 5–15 years, we believe the timing could not be better. We are optimistic that the project will engage our guest’s passion for the next generation of space exploration. That will lead to extraordinary opportunities for immersive learning in all the scientific, art and emerging new technologies that will transform industries over the forthcoming decades.”

Pale Blue Dot Ventures has partnered with Orlando based brand and experience design firm IDEAS as its creative and design lead. With over 40 years of experience in destination design, branding and operations, IDEAS brings a savvy team to the project. Bob Allen, IDEAS’ CEO and Chief Storytelling Officer, points to a robust and growing tourism industry with travel and tourism spending in California totaling $132 billion in 2017--over 7M visitors and just under $2B in Santa Barbara County. Allen notes that the creative program has to evolve with clear market input. “Successful destinations have to be works of innovative creativity and the ‘innovation’ component, in our experience, is deeply connected to an understanding of our audiences, how they think and what they really value. All the early evidence shows us that Lompoc’s unique proximity to an active space launch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base and its location in the center of the coastal California tourism corridor provide some special chemistry to help tell an amazing story.”

Although not yet developed, Pale Blue Dot Ventures envisions a 6 to 8-hour guest stay with an experience portfolio leveraging space industry training technologies as well as best-fit augmented and virtual reality, theatrical, kinetic, and other themed entertainment delivery systems. The actual design program will be determined once the initial concept work is completed over the next year. The Pale Blue Dot team also includes Irvine, CA based Exline Design and Architecture and Orlando based Integrated Insight, a market analytics and consulting firm specializing in destination entertainment.

Education is at the center of the program and IDEAS’ VP of Learning Solutions, Kelly Pounds, points to experience with other immersive aerospace projects. “Engaging kids with these incredible adventure stories is a tested formula for learning that works. Instead of nagging them to “put down their phones, knock off the games, and take off their earbuds”, our new destination will offer a great reason to get out of the house and to a place where families can interact together, embracing science and technology as part of the enhanced experience. Our distinctive competency is blending the learning so well into an experience that the audience learns while being entertained, getting all the nourishment of the educational ‘broccoli’ with all the delicious taste of the entertainment ‘ice-cream’.”

Pale Blue Dot Ventures has begun meeting with potential capital partners and anticipates completion of the concept and feasibility phase of the project by Summer of 2020.

Read the Full Press Release Here