re: How Awesome Was NASA Back In The Day?

They test tons of engines out there still. I just recently quit and they're using most of the stands still. They've built the next generation stand, A3, for testing engines at high altitude for a space rendezvous...they just need a program. I think the public isn't going to give a frick though. It's just a rocket. Space ships that take off in a giant ball of fire and fly back to earth ruined us. A rocket that splashes down in the ocean is just old stuff. Space X wants to vertically land the booster stage on land...but the astronauts would still splash down. There's no plan for anything with ample wizbangery though.

The footage they released as the actual landing could have absolutely been faked. They walked on the moon many times though.

The Right Stuff, awesome movie and depiction of those days.

Astronaut quotes:
A. "Sounds dangerous"
Recruiter. "It is!"
A. "Count me in"


Interviewer asked Coop what goes through your mind during those last seconds of countdown "before they light the candle "
Coop. "I look at all of those dials and gauges, wires everywhere and think - this thing was built by the lowest bidder."

There should have been overlap in the end of the shuttle program and the rollout of the next generation launch vehicle. The last few shuttle launches were cancelled and the engineering and development of the heavy lift vehicle was pushed back due to NASA's budget being gutted in 2008. Had thing gone like they were originally planned, there would have been less than a year between the last shuttle launch and the new vehicle.

I've always thought that NASA does amazing things, but the worst thing it does is advertise its technology and accomplishments. The only every day items people think of when they think of the space program are Tang and pens that write upside down. Why not weld technology, high performance metal alloys, or even spray foam insulation?

I've been with NASA as a contractor since 1997. From 1997-2002 I was at JSC, since then I've been up here at MSFC.

I've seen the greatest of NASA in construction of ISS in cooperation with International Partners. I've seen shuttles launch from KSC in the day and at night. I've seen the shuttle burn thru the atmosphere and been rocked out of bed at a Titusville hotel by the sonic booms. I've felt them bounce of my chest while standing at the SSPF (Space Station Processing Facility). I've personally been in the US Lab during testing and ground checkout.

It's still pretty awesome....but this administration isn't the only one to blame. The safety community is ultra conservative. It's a culture, a mindset. And that mindset hinders NASA's greatness from going past LEO (Low Earth Orbit).

Spaceflight is inherently dangerous. There has to be some risk acceptance. Without some risk assessments and acceptance...we'll remain in LEO for manned spaceflight in my personal opinion.

Fear of failure. A damn shame

quote:

---

USA or LM ?

---

I was LM when I was at JSC...I won't say who I'm with now...not many LSU fans here in N. Bama...easy to point me out.

USA no longer exists by the way..LM got the contract with another sub at JSC.

quote:

---

Fear of failure. A damn shame

---

Not really fear of failure. Just fear of risk. That's what makes the Russians different. They don't over design stuff. They are simplistic in their approach..and they have robust systems that work..and work for a LONG time. I mean the Soyuz and Progress have been around forever and they're still in use. The FGB and Service Module on ISS are basically clones of MIR modules.

Americans tend to over-engineer things.