speeder Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 First and only time ever to have two at the pad ready to launch. The upcoming Atlantis Hubble repair mission will go into a higher orbit than can be supported by a space station refuge, and per NASA rules Endeavor must be ready for a rescue if required. Altogether apart from being my longtime job, I love these magnificent, overly expensive, and complex ugly airplanes - Sadly, I think most of the US public is Ho Hum about our manned space efforts. At the risk of getting too political, NASA spends about 0.5% of the national budget, and the returns in terms of scientific advancement and national prestige are well worth it. [End of infomercial] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rags Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 This post should put to rest any question as to why Rick's daily driver is a 2002 Lexus IS300 - Turbo 2JZ, 6-speed - daily driven monster and he is in the process of putting a 260ci Twin Turbo Buick Stage II in "Porkchop"! Rick, I guess they won't let you strap into one of those vertical flyers, huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wigenOut-S30 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 This post should put to rest any question as to why Rick's daily driver is a 2002 Lexus IS300 - Turbo 2JZ, 6-speed - daily driven monster and he is in the process of putting a 260ci Twin Turbo Buick Stage II in "Porkchop"! Rick, I guess they won't let you strap into one of those vertical flyers, huh? LOL HERE HERE!!! Rick thats a really cool pic man.. What I would give to be in zero gravity and see the earth from space!! God speed on this mission and I hope the rescue shuttle doesnt have to be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BayAreaZT Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I'm at Cape Canaveral AFS right now and I was planning on driving by to get a closer look at this spectacular sight for myself. Seeing the last shuttle launch in person was an awesome experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cygnusx1 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I am a big fan of the Shuttle program. I grew up with it and will miss it when it's gone. Nice picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globerunner513 Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I've always been fascinated by the whole space program. I remember my parents taking us on a vacation to Orlando when i was like 10, and got to tour the Kennedy center for a couple days. So awesome! Too bad we missed a shuttle launch by like a week. It's one of the top things i want to see still. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZR8ED Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 I've been going to the Kennedy Space Centre since the early 70's. I've seen a few rockets and one shuttle launch, and they were all very memorable. I even got a lucky look at the shuttle a year before the first launch, and when I did a public speaking speech in school (grade 3) I got in trouble for lying about a fabulous space airplane, and had to get my parents to straighten the teacher out. It would take another year or so before the first launch, and that teacher to hopefully think to themself "whooops he waaaas right" hehe My little story from my childhood....I got a C in public speaking..hehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
X64v Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 Awesome picture. What do you do in relation to those, Rick? For anyone who wants a good read on what it was like to be on a space shuttle crew back in the 80s, I'd highly recommend Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane. I really enjoyed reading it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 One of the top 3 coolest things ive ever seen was a space shuttle launch at night. I think it was back in 2003 when i was in school in daytona beach me and me and a few friends drove down on bikes to watch the launch. So bright and so loud. Just amazing. Im supprized rick hasnt strapped some sort of rocket onto a car by now!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zpizzaman20 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I grew up on the Space Coast and have seen many launches. The best ever was the night Apollo launch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxsleeper Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I guess being old has it's advantages. I have attended an Apollo Moon launch, night shuttle launch in 1990 (I think, when you get old you forget ), and then a daytime launch this past May. It is truly awesome to witness the raw power of these amazing machines. I made sure all 3 of my kids were there. I have been fortunate. My father was a physicist who worked for NASA beginning in 1960 until his retirement. My wife is currently a Chief Engineer for several science programs for NASA. I take these things for granted since I grew up listening/feeling the test firings of the Saturn IV rocket engines. Thanks for the photo. It is hard to believe that the shuttle is nearly 30 years old and was designed when computers were as large as a house. Just think, the computer that you read this board is more powerful than any computer used to put man on the moon. Just incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgkurz Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 First and only time ever to have two at the pad ready to launch. The upcoming Atlantis Hubble repair mission will go into a higher orbit than can be supported by a space station refuge, and per NASA rules Endeavor must be ready for a rescue if required. Altogether apart from being my longtime job, I love these magnificent, overly expensive, and complex ugly airplanes - Sadly, I think most of the US public is Ho Hum about our manned space efforts. At the risk of getting too political, NASA spends about 0.5% of the national budget, and the returns in terms of scientific advancement and national prestige are well worth it. [End of infomercial] I get chills every time I see a launch. Having two shuttles ready to launch is an incredible site. Let's just hope they don't have to use Endeavor. Thanks for sharing Rick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Me watch to much sci-fi. I want sooo much more. Yes this is the way we get there, I do understand. Per chance, what has come from actual space science? I mean being in space and related experiments that could not be figured out here. BTW if I was asked to go.....................HELLO HELLL YEAAAAAA!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwi303 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Thanks for the photo. It is hard to believe that the shuttle is nearly 30 years old and was designed when computers were as large as a house. Just think, the computer that you read this board is more powerful than any computer used to put man on the moon. Just incredible. I believe the computers in the shuttles were given an upgrade some time back they're running on intel 8086 chipsets IIRC, a direct predecessor to the x86 family of chips intel still make now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speeder Posted September 26, 2008 Author Share Posted September 26, 2008 What do you do in relation to those, Rick? I'm an operations engineer in a "back room" Telemetry Lab in the KSC Launch Control Center. We take in a multiplex of the ~ 10,000 measurements taken onboard and process them into a display of the specific temperatures, pressures, stains, etc. that the shuttle vehicle engineers need to monitor and troubleshoot their syatems. I've been in this business as a NASA contractor since Apollo 8, when I started as a telemetry technician/field engineer at downrange tracking stations. Since the start of the Shuttle program, I've done systems engineering for ground telemetry systems, and was a supervisor/manager for Launch Control Center data systems for 20+ years. My 40 -person group was the back room data operations crew that powers all the pretty KSC computer screens you see on TV. Several years ago I regressed my career and dropped back to night shift operations and have been happy with that - now I'm only responsible for my own work. Being a manager in today's corporate climate just is not my style - I've become a dinosaur. But one thing remains constant - I get a lump in my throat every time I see one of these things launch. It never gets old. One of the younger guys I work with asked me how we did something back in Apollo - and added, "Your computers were powered by steam back then, right?" Our computers downrange in 1968 only took up half a room! We had two to a room. They were UNIVAC mainframes. You needed a 1/2" socket set and two guys to lift out a drawer of 4K core memory. We had a total of 32K per computer. The onboard computers were '70s vintage things that were upgraded about 10 years ago - I'm really not familiar with their architecture but they are pretty basic. Some benefits of the space program are: 1. The developement of microelectronics - the need for light weight payloads in the 50s-60s yielded huge advances in size and speed of solid state devices. This driver probably advanced the developement of computers as we have them today by 10 years or more. 2. Power - Better batteries and fuel cells. 3. Medical reasearch - weightless conditions enable research not possible on the ground. 4. Economic and employment benefits of big government contracts to Aerospace companies 5. National prestige and pride. This list is nowhere near complete. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavyZ Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Looks like the biggest drag race in history to me Davy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warren Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Awesome picture. What do you do in relation to those, Rick? Rick likes to downplay his role by saying he took a step back etc. etc... But we all know he's really HybridZ's ONLY Real "Rocket Scientist"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
v8dats Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 Looks like the biggest drag race in history to me Davy haha i can picture the headline... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JIM73240Z Posted September 27, 2008 Share Posted September 27, 2008 nice pic. my sister works at johnson as a code jockey for the guys going up and for the iss. she has many programs on the shuttle and on the iss. nasa just rewarded her with a vacation last may to go see the launch. i hope that the gov keeps up the spending for nasa. the amount of knowledge we get in retun in unmatched. keep hubble up because the pictures are amazing. jimbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted September 29, 2008 Share Posted September 29, 2008 Some benefits of the space program are: 1. The developement of microelectronics - the need for light weight payloads in the 50s-60s yielded huge advances in size and speed of solid state devices. This driver probably advanced the developement of computers as we have them today by 10 years or more. 2. Power - Better batteries and fuel cells. 3. Medical reasearch - weightless conditions enable research not possible on the ground. 4. Economic and employment benefits of big government contracts to Aerospace companies 5. National prestige and pride. This list is nowhere near complete. Sorry if I get on a sociological rant, but I love to remind people of this - and more - how about VELCRO? MYLAR? cordless power tools... - when they complain theat we, the people, allocate too much money in space. I assure you, not one cent was spent in space. NASA's money pays the salaries of hard working physicists, doctors, scientists, floor sweepers, and ditch diggers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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