Good luck to the Shuttle Crew

[rob justice]

Sitting just now at 3 hours to take off - just been on the NASA site and I'm amazed to see whats involved in getting the Shuttle through its mission. Good luck to the crew - hope all goes well.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Amen to that. It's funny how shooting a spacecraft into outer space had become routine, and now the whole world will be watching.

[IROC]

Yep, stuff I designed is flying on this flight. I hope it goes well.

Mike

[Kevin Taylor]

They better keep any eye on the fuel gages.
The other day on NPR they were interviewing
some NASA dude and he said they can test
the sensors just by wiggeling a couple of wires.

Good Luck To All The crew.

K.T.
1973 911E 2.4 MFI
1983 911 SC

[gavinlit]

Mike - what did you design that's going up? Hope they all get up & back safely.

[IROC]

Originally posted by gavinlit
Mike - what did you design that's going up? Hope they all get up & back safely.

A few years ago I was the lead design engineer on a payload carrier called the LMC. It mounts across the Shuttle payload bay right near the aft bulkhead and allows for the mounting of experiments and other hardware. It is flying on this mission (and another one is flying on the next mission) and carrying a new CMG (Control Moment Gyro) and also the kit that allows the astronauts to repair the thermal tiles on orbit.

Here's a picture of them loading it into the Canister in the SSPF for this mission. The LMC is the big, white structure hanging from the lifting device and the CMG is the large, black thing on the left side of the LMC:

[gavinlit]

Wow - that must be a pretty nice feeling to know that something you've worked on will be heading up there. Would sure make me feel pretty warm inside - good on you. Hope it's a complete success.

Umm, silly question - why are the guys in surgical type outfits?

[id10t]

Just looked out the window - they are up and off.

(Funny how you can see the exhaust from Gainesville...)

[IROC]

Originally posted by gavinlit
Umm, silly question - why are the guys in surgical type outfits?

Well, the short answer is "cleanliness". All space flight hardware is cleaned to excruciating levels prior to integration into the shuttle - you're not even allowed to touch or handle it with bare hands.

The funny thing is that the Shuttle itself is not that clean. I've been in the payload bay and essentially all over the Shuttle (well, Endeavour, anyway) and it's pretty dirty in reality. I guess re-entry will do that. :>)

Mike

[Jims5543]

Originally posted by id10t
Just looked out the window - they are up and off.

(Funny how you can see the exhaust from Gainesville...)

We stood out in front of the office and watched. We are approx. 120 miles south of the Space Center and could see the flame and plume. We had a surveying instrument set up and took turns looking at it as it went up. Witht he instrument we could see the shuttle itself.

I miss working on Merritt Island and feeling the ground shake as it went up.

Congrats to NASA for another successful launch.

[singpilot]

A few years ago, I had the assignment to pick up a Gulfstream 2 after an engine change in Sanford, Florida. There were several adjustments to be made after engine runs, and it was finally cleared for a test flight. I filed a short flight plan (to service ceiling, 45,000 feet) in a hold at Vero Beach NDB beacon, not wanting to clog up the notoriously busy north south airways with my climb and descent. The FSS briefer told me that the shuttle was due to be launched about that same time. I went to the C-store and bought a disposable camera.

We climbed to FL450 in holding, took 24 minutes at a very light weight for a G2. We were monitoring Patrick AFB controllers, who were relaying the countdown. We saw the liftoff, and started a clock in the airplane. Those who know the area know that VRB is 35 to 40 miles laterally to the launch site. From the moment the shuttle cleared the tower until it went thru our altitude was 30 seconds. We could hear it as it went by. That is saying something in the cockpit of a G2. It went over our horizon (at that height, almost 400 miles) in 2 minutes. That is counting the visual refraction of the exhaust plume as it bends around the curvature.

Nobody spoke. I took only one pic, and it hangs on my workshop wall to this day. Over the years, I witnessed several launches, one at night; they were always the same. Awesome.

[IROC]

Yeah, I got to watch a launch from the VIP stands one time (as close as you can get - somewhere around 3 miles away) and the *sound* was so incredible it was making the sleeves of my shirt vibrate.

Everyone needs to experience a shuttle launch at least once in their lifetime.

Mike

[Jims5543]

I used to live in Cape Canaveral. 1 Block from the beach maybe 2 miles from the southern most limits of the Cape Canaveral Airforce Station. Which is East of KSC.

We used to get rocked out of bed when anything was launched at night. Car alarms everywhere would go off. You could read a newspaper in the light projected from the rockets, it was amazing.

I agree IROC everyone should feel this once in their life. Its like nothing else.

Singpilot - great story.

[Jims5543]

I did not go out to watch the Discovery launch much to my dismay now.

I was working in a machine shop at the time in Melbourne at the time which is about 60 miles south of KSC.

I knew something was wrong the moment I heard the multiple bangs on the walls of the building. Normally its a low rumble even 60 miles away. When the Discovery blew up the walls and roof of the building popped heavily about 3 or 4 times.

I shut down my machine and ran for a door and almost ran into another employee who was as white as a ghost running in to tell us what he was seeing. When I looked intot he sky it was the sickest thing I had ever seen until I saw the 9/11 attacks on TV. I was litteraly sick to my stomach.

To live in an area directly affected by the space program puts a whole different spin on launches and catastrophies. It directly effects these people. Not only personally but financially and emotionally. They are all proud of what they do and take it very hard when things do not go right.

[StevoRocket]

Respect is due - my thoughts are with the crew and the team.

[VaSteve]

I watched it from the bog auditorium today at NASA HQ. None of the bog guys were there - they were in FL. It was absolutely SILENT when that thing went up. Amazing. And then applause for the major events: Lift off, SRB seperation, tank seperation.

We were listening to the NASA channel feed: just information, no commentary. When they clicked it over to CNN, it was like night and day with all the talking heads doing just that. Ug!

[rob justice]

It may now be an old design and always being critised but on take off - she still puts on one awesome show.

[Mr Beau]

singpilot,

Any chance of posting the pic? Sounds great!

[singpilot]

When I get back to the left coast, I'll scan it and post it.