Comments on: A Space Shuttle Primer http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/ Melding fiction and science in life and on paper Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:29:07 +0000 http://www.today.com/version-2.3.1 By: stephanieebarr http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-25 stephanieebarr Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:34:46 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-25 Just click "video" in the former comment. I'm not sure what's up with the html. It might be flaky because I use Firefox. Just click “video” in the former comment. I’m not sure what’s up with the html. It might be flaky because I use Firefox.

]]> By: stephanieebarr http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-24 stephanieebarr Sun, 31 Aug 2008 11:29:46 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-24 You caught me. I cry for the Challenger accident, too. There is a very well done <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/ChallengerAccidentandInvestigation" rel="nofollow">video <a> by NASA that tells a great deal about the accident. It's like 14 minutes long and it's very hard for me to watch, but it is amazing to me how much they know about the accident, how many pieces were retrieved, how we could have prevented it. As a safety person, I always need to understand these tragedies because I'm passionate about keeping them from happening again. But it's tough. In fact, later this week, I'll put up links to a great website for finding out more about space related accidents. Many people might find Wikipedia contemptible because anyone can change the data, but I've found them excellent at all things space because (a) they clearly have space professionals involved and (b) there is a lot of documentation readily available. Necessary, but not necessarily fun. As a strange coincidence, all of NASA's loss of life accidents involving astronauts: Apollo 1 fire, Challenger, Columbia, happened within one calendar week, the end of January, beginning of February. It's a tough week for those of us in the space industry. You caught me. I cry for the Challenger accident, too. There is a very well done video by NASA that tells a great deal about the accident. It’s like 14 minutes long and it’s very hard for me to watch, but it is amazing to me how much they know about the accident, how many pieces were retrieved, how we could have prevented it.

As a safety person, I always need to understand these tragedies because I’m passionate about keeping them from happening again. But it’s tough. In fact, later this week, I’ll put up links to a great website for finding out more about space related accidents. Many people might find Wikipedia contemptible because anyone can change the data, but I’ve found them excellent at all things space because (a) they clearly have space professionals involved and (b) there is a lot of documentation readily available.

Necessary, but not necessarily fun. As a strange coincidence, all of NASA’s loss of life accidents involving astronauts: Apollo 1 fire, Challenger, Columbia, happened within one calendar week, the end of January, beginning of February. It’s a tough week for those of us in the space industry.

]]> By: shakespeare http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-22 shakespeare Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:21:09 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-22 I was in tenth grade, watching the shuttle launch with a friend in the library during lunch (hated the lunch room--I preferred to starve)...and we both saw it crash live. Really terrible stuff. I was in tenth grade, watching the shuttle launch with a friend in the library during lunch (hated the lunch room–I preferred to starve)…and we both saw it crash live.

Really terrible stuff.

]]> By: stephanieebarr http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-14 stephanieebarr Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:20:19 +0000 http://rocketscientist.today.com/2008/08/30/a-space-shuttle-primer/#comment-14 I did the math. I was in high school when the first one launched. I heard about rather than saw Challenger. I was in class in college. Not to sound eery, but I'd dreamed about Columbia, exactly the same scene I saw on the TV stand, for six years before Columbia. I can't tell you how glad I am that I haven't been revisited by that dream again. I hope that bodes well for the remaining flights. I did the math. I was in high school when the first one launched.

I heard about rather than saw Challenger. I was in class in college.

Not to sound eery, but I’d dreamed about Columbia, exactly the same scene I saw on the TV stand, for six years before Columbia. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I haven’t been revisited by that dream again. I hope that bodes well for the remaining flights.

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