STS-120 - Page 2

shorty943 · 11-06-2007, 11:20 AM

Or maybe it is just good old human emotion. The balls of my feet still tingle sometimes, thinking of working aloft in swaying rigging.
It's got to be a similar, "Oh God, I hope I don't slip" feeling.
But, BIG TIME.

I don't think I would have a problem there. Working in a Space Suit I mean.
I've probably done as much, or more, time than some Astronauts, sealed up in white suits. Pitch black, poisonous atmosphere, things going bang, kill, destroy.
Space walk be a stroll in the park. Just don't slip.

And on your new role, Greg.
Sunday night our time, the Aussie edition of sixty minutes had a piece on Dr. David Thomas. It seems you and he, are working together in some way.
He has a role in the Orion Life Support Unit or some similar thing.

And STS-120 should be home by now?

Greg · 11-07-2007, 02:11 AM

I think STS-120 is coming home tomorrow morning. I've kind of lost track. Oops!

I don't think I know Dr. David Thomas but if he's working Orion life support, I probably have run across him somewhere. Not surprisingly, there are interfaces between the life support system and the EVA system.

shorty943 · 11-07-2007, 08:09 AM

Strange.
The first Aussie Astronaut. Adelaide boy.
Has done about 5 or 6 shuttle missions, including a stint on Mir.

You'll have to bump into him sooner or later.

shorty943 · 11-08-2007, 08:51 PM

All home safe and sound again.

Greg · 11-08-2007, 10:54 PM

Hooray!

I'm becoming quite wistful about the Space Shuttle now, knowing that there are only a few more missions and then the vehicle will be retired. Darn.

shorty943 · 11-14-2007, 01:11 PM

Yeah, I know that feeling.

My first, and only, destroyer was a Korean War vet.
Set gunfire records, won battle honours, tough little ship.
But, she had to be retired. Got old and worn out.

Greg · 11-14-2007, 04:44 PM

Omigoodness yes. I feel that way about just about every airplane and ship that has ever been retired. I can just imagine what it was like for Navy men back in the days of wooden ships, where a ship was good for maybe ten trips across the Atlantic.

shorty943 · 11-16-2007, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greg

Omigoodness yes. I feel that way about just about every airplane and ship that has ever been retired. I can just imagine what it was like for Navy men back in the days of wooden ships, where a ship was good for maybe ten trips across the Atlantic.

Then became a prison hulk in Sydney Harbour.

We have a small, tall ship grave yard in Port Adelaide. It's a sad sight, all those rusting iron ribs and decayed planks.
But, technology has left those old girls behind. And I don't know why.
Cutty Sark still holds speed records to this day for cargo shipping. A good wind and full canvas and she could reach over 30 knots. Most bulk ships are lucky to get their 50,000 HP engines to push 25.

Greg · 11-16-2007, 04:57 PM

Besides, the old rag merchants are cool! That alone is reason enough to build more of 'em!

shorty943 · 11-17-2007, 11:46 AM

Great big white clouds, coming over the horizon. They're beautiful.
They're quiet, down low in the hull you can actually hear the water hiss along the timbers. They move and talk to you. Each develops a sort of personality.

I reckon the Astronauts, would say the same about their ships. They would have to know them as intimately as we know ours.

Greg · 11-17-2007, 06:13 PM

Indeed they do! Their training starts with knowledge of the ship of the line but when they are assigned to a flight they start studying up on every nuance of the spacecraft they are actually going to fly. Each of the space shuttles we have is unique and each is carefully configured for its next mission.

Once upon a time I asked why we spend so much time teaching the astronauts about things they can't do anything about once they're in space. The answer: The Crew Wants To Know. Besides, even if they can't do anythign about it, some quirk in a system that they can't fix on orbit might help them resolve problems that they can do something about. And nowadays, if they have a problem that prevents them from landing, they can scramble back to the space station and use it as a safe haven.

I expect that this will not change with advent of the Orion crew exploration vehicle in the next decade. Orion won't have even a shadow of the Space Shuttle's payload capacity but each mission will be unique.

shorty943 · 11-18-2007, 07:29 AM

Many a long, off watch hour, was spent in training, tracing out and drawing our own set of ships system drawings. Every new type of ship we went on to, away we went on the system chase again.
Being engineering, we also made up fire and emergency crews. We had to know the ship, inside out, in total darkness. We needed to be able to place a hand on a control valve or lever, in total confidence, in total darkness.
We even trained in SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) equipment, with blanked out face plates, to be sure.

Can't be any different in space.

Greg · 11-18-2007, 01:06 PM

I don't know of any training in the dark, though I suspect that the space shuttle pilots could reach any of their controls from their seats without looking.

The problem with being in space in the dark in that you can never be sure what your body orientation is if you can't see.

shorty943 · 11-19-2007, 02:05 AM

How do you know you're not "dancin' on the ceiling"?

Greg · 11-19-2007, 11:24 AM

Ah, there's the rub! You don't.

Once upon a time, the film jammed in one of the nifty Hasselblaad cameras. This one on a Shuttle flight where they had the bunks aboard. Those things are light-tight, so the an astronaut took the camera into a bunk, using it as a darkroom so that he could fix the film.

He was successful in fixing the camera, but when he went to get out of the bunk, the door wouldn't open! He pushed and bumped and banged on the door for a few minutes. It wouldn't budge.

Finally, his elbow bumped the wall. It moved. He pushed on the wall, and voila! It was the door! Even in the tight confines of that little sleeping compartment, he was completely unaware that his body had rotated while he was in darkness!

shorty943 · 11-19-2007, 12:59 PM

Nice one. Up don't matter a damn, if there is no gravity to tell you which way is down.

Greg · 11-19-2007, 11:20 PM

Yup, there's just nadir and zenith, and most of the time either is as good as the other.

shorty943 · 11-20-2007, 04:31 AM

Umm, right. Zenith, I get.

And the other one is....

Not A Damned Idea Really?

Miros1 · 11-20-2007, 05:25 AM

Nadir is the opposite of zenith. If Zenith is up, nadir is down...

shorty943 · 11-20-2007, 08:14 AM

Thank you. So with Greg's and your, elucidation.

I now know that up is none existent and down can't be found.

Ain't space and science and stuff great?

11-07-2007, 02:11 AM	#22
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I think STS-120 is coming home tomorrow morning. I've kind of lost track. Oops! I don't think I know Dr. David Thomas but if he's working Orion life support, I probably have run across him somewhere. Not surprisingly, there are interfaces between the life support system and the EVA system. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-08-2007, 10:54 PM	#25
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Hooray! I'm becoming quite wistful about the Space Shuttle now, knowing that there are only a few more missions and then the vehicle will be retired. Darn. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-14-2007, 04:44 PM	#27
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Omigoodness yes. I feel that way about just about every airplane and ship that has ever been retired. I can just imagine what it was like for Navy men back in the days of wooden ships, where a ship was good for maybe ten trips across the Atlantic. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-16-2007, 04:57 PM	#29
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Besides, the old rag merchants are cool! That alone is reason enough to build more of 'em! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-17-2007, 06:13 PM	#31
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Indeed they do! Their training starts with knowledge of the ship of the line but when they are assigned to a flight they start studying up on every nuance of the spacecraft they are actually going to fly. Each of the space shuttles we have is unique and each is carefully configured for its next mission. Once upon a time I asked why we spend so much time teaching the astronauts about things they can't do anything about once they're in space. The answer: The Crew Wants To Know. Besides, even if they can't do anythign about it, some quirk in a system that they can't fix on orbit might help them resolve problems that they can do something about. And nowadays, if they have a problem that prevents them from landing, they can scramble back to the space station and use it as a safe haven. I expect that this will not change with advent of the Orion crew exploration vehicle in the next decade. Orion won't have even a shadow of the Space Shuttle's payload capacity but each mission will be unique. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-06-2007, 11:20 AM	#21
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Or maybe it is just good old human emotion. The balls of my feet still tingle sometimes, thinking of working aloft in swaying rigging. It's got to be a similar, "Oh God, I hope I don't slip" feeling. But, BIG TIME. I don't think I would have a problem there. Working in a Space Suit I mean. I've probably done as much, or more, time than some Astronauts, sealed up in white suits. Pitch black, poisonous atmosphere, things going bang, kill, destroy. Space walk be a stroll in the park. Just don't slip. And on your new role, Greg. Sunday night our time, the Aussie edition of sixty minutes had a piece on Dr. David Thomas. It seems you and he, are working together in some way. He has a role in the Orion Life Support Unit or some similar thing. And STS-120 should be home by now?

11-07-2007, 08:09 AM	#23
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Strange. The first Aussie Astronaut. Adelaide boy. Has done about 5 or 6 shuttle missions, including a stint on Mir. You'll have to bump into him sooner or later.

11-08-2007, 08:51 PM	#24
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	All home safe and sound again.

11-14-2007, 01:11 PM	#26
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Yeah, I know that feeling. My first, and only, destroyer was a Korean War vet. Set gunfire records, won battle honours, tough little ship. But, she had to be retired. Got old and worn out.

11-17-2007, 11:46 AM	#30
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Great big white clouds, coming over the horizon. They're beautiful. They're quiet, down low in the hull you can actually hear the water hiss along the timbers. They move and talk to you. Each develops a sort of personality. I reckon the Astronauts, would say the same about their ships. They would have to know them as intimately as we know ours.

11-18-2007, 07:29 AM	#32
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Many a long, off watch hour, was spent in training, tracing out and drawing our own set of ships system drawings. Every new type of ship we went on to, away we went on the system chase again. Being engineering, we also made up fire and emergency crews. We had to know the ship, inside out, in total darkness. We needed to be able to place a hand on a control valve or lever, in total confidence, in total darkness. We even trained in SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus) equipment, with blanked out face plates, to be sure. Can't be any different in space.

11-18-2007, 01:06 PM	#33
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	I don't know of any training in the dark, though I suspect that the space shuttle pilots could reach any of their controls from their seats without looking. The problem with being in space in the dark in that you can never be sure what your body orientation is if you can't see. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-19-2007, 02:05 AM	#34
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	How do you know you're not "dancin' on the ceiling"?

11-19-2007, 11:24 AM	#35
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Ah, there's the rub! You don't. Once upon a time, the film jammed in one of the nifty Hasselblaad cameras. This one on a Shuttle flight where they had the bunks aboard. Those things are light-tight, so the an astronaut took the camera into a bunk, using it as a darkroom so that he could fix the film. He was successful in fixing the camera, but when he went to get out of the bunk, the door wouldn't open! He pushed and bumped and banged on the door for a few minutes. It wouldn't budge. Finally, his elbow bumped the wall. It moved. He pushed on the wall, and voila! It was the door! Even in the tight confines of that little sleeping compartment, he was completely unaware that his body had rotated while he was in darkness! __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-19-2007, 12:59 PM	#36
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Nice one. Up don't matter a damn, if there is no gravity to tell you which way is down.

11-19-2007, 11:20 PM	#37
Greg Da Guy Wut Owns Dis Joint Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texas Posts: 3,566	Yup, there's just nadir and zenith, and most of the time either is as good as the other. __________________ Who are all these people and what do they know?

11-20-2007, 04:31 AM	#38
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Umm, right. Zenith, I get. And the other one is.... Not A Damned Idea Really?

11-20-2007, 05:25 AM	#39
Miros1 Goddess for Life Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: NY State Posts: 3,303	Nadir is the opposite of zenith. If Zenith is up, nadir is down...

11-20-2007, 08:14 AM	#40
shorty943 Banned Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 805	Thank you. So with Greg's and your, elucidation. I now know that up is none existent and down can't be found. Ain't space and science and stuff great?