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William Foster 08-25-10:
Great demonstration of lunar lander prototype after initial aborted
attempt. Ground crews resolved problem and were ready for second attempt
in less than 10 minutes. Amazing! And much louder in person.
Andrew Chaikin 08-19-10:
JSC / KSC / Marshall folks: I'm giving my course on the history of NASA
missions, entitled "Engineering Exploration," at JSC next month.
Enrollment is open to civil servants here:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/curriculum/register/83.html
Hope to see you!
NASA Goddard folks, past and present: If anyone has
interesting pictures they would like to share of activities at Goddard
on past missions, especially 1960s-1980s, please let me know. I'm giving
a presentation the history of Goddard missions at the center next month
and looking for good visuals.
Pat Rawlings 08-17-10:
Linda and I rafting down about 8 miles of the Nantahala River.
Photos of rides. I'm not the fastest rider, but I ride
several days a week.
Geoffrey Notkin 08-17-10:
Fly, shoot, drive, get rained on, mud, OTF, pack, move, fly, drive,
shoot, sunscreen? Remember to hydrate, fly, new PA, drive, return rental
truck, pack, fly, drive, OTF, sandwiches, salt flats, OTF, broken
motorcycle, grump out, OTF, hydrate, wait at airport. Sleep? Ha, that's
very funny.
Robert Brand 08-17-10:
This one is doing the rounds again and it is very interesting. It seems
the full moon is affected by being a full moon! It charges up for 6 days
each month - shocking!
http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/1007-preparing_for_a_walk_on_the_moon.htm
Monroe Lee King Jr. 08-17-10:
(Team Prometheus) The TV Show we did airs tomorrow 7/8pm "Eiffin
Science" Cable Channel G4! Check out the Near Space photography!
William Foster 08-17-10:
Suddenly, they were there, first one, then more showed up. They looked
so innocent, but soon it their real intent became obvious. Only food in
massive quantities could quench this ravenous mob. But what will happen
when the corn runs out? Will they turn on their benefactors, rendering
the very flesh from their bones in a mad frenzy of bloodlust? Nah, not a
chance, they're just deer, not birds!
Don Davis 08-17-10:
I am beginning to wish I could find a good home for some of my art. I
still own about 70 percent of all the paintings I have ever done. Once
in awhile some of my oil paintings have to be retouched because their
black skies are marred by physical contact with other paintings. I won't
be around to do this forever. Perhaps some collector or a museum will be
interested some day.
William Foster 08-14-10:
View of launch this morning from one of the Coast Guard boats stationed
off shore to keep the launch danger zone clear. Seas were calm and the
Atlas seemed to come right over us. It took about 30 seconds for the
sounds of launch to reach us.
William Foster 08-13-10:
Was able to drive up to the pad perimeter this afternoon at SLC 41 to
see Atlas V on pad ready for launch tomorrow with an Air Force payload.
All still looks good to watch it from a 45 ft Coast Guard jet boat
running about 3-4 miles offshore to keep boat traffic out of the launch
danger area. Then time to head back home to my family. Should be a great
day!
Kim Poor 08-13-10:
OK, OK. We were trying to keep a lid on this for awhile longer, but
SPACEFEST III will be held in June 2-5 in Tucson at the Starr Pass
resort.
http://www.jwmarriottstarrpass.com ...There! We're withholding
programming, guests, the website and other details till November.
William Foster 08-12-10:
Grill's Tiki Bar at Port Canaveral earlier this evening. Approaching mid
point of training classes at MILA, all going well so far. If everything
stays on schedule, I should be on a 45 foot Coast Guard jet boat about 2
miles offshore to watch an Atlas V launch Saturday morning. Hope to have
some neat pictures RO post by then!
On this small patch of dirt and grass, located on Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station, once stood America's original Mission
Control. It supported all six Mercury missions and the first Gemini
mission before the new Mission Control in Houston became operational. It
was still standing when I was here in October 2009, but hardly a trace
remains now. Very sad, it was a unique and essential part of our
heritage as a fledgling space faring nation and deserved to have been
preserved!
MILA 9-meter antenna pointed at rack of test equipment
in a small shack half mile north. First launch case aborted just before
liftoff when a lightning alert forced the operators in the shack to
return to main building. Alert cancelled a few minutes later, they are
heading back out we hope to get a couple of runs in during the time
remaining.
Operations floor at MILA Tracking Station during
interface checks with Goddard. JSC checks next, followed by 3 or 4
ascent sims as part of week long training class for new station
personnel. Very productive week so far, finish up tomorrow.
Monroe Lee King Jr. 08-12-10:
(Team Prometheus) We are scrubbing the 14th launch and using the scrub
date. So we will be launching NSE-5 on the 21st. We just are not ready
yet. We have to test the APRS tracking further and decide on a better
camera.
William Foster 08-09-10:
View from hotel in Cocoa Beach. A bit overcast and hazy day dawning over
the Atlantic Ocean. Getting ready to head up to MILA Tracking Station at
KSC to help with five days of training for some of their new operators.
Louis Varricchio 08-09-10:
Discounting unmanned U.S. and USSR rockets and probes to the Moon
between 1959-62, NASA's Mariner II spacecraft to the planet Venus was
the first successful interplanetary flyby mission ever. Until the
December 1962 flyby, astronomers were divided between three theories
about the Venusian surface under the mysterious cloud cover: 1. a
planetwide hot ocean, 2. planetwide swamps, and 3. a planetwide desert.
(The No. 3 theory was closest to the real McCoy but Venus turned out to
be hotter than astronomers imagined.) Trivia: Mariner II served as the
basic design "block" for the lunar Ranger spacecraft series. They are
nearly identical.
Aldo Spadoni 08-09-10:
New book coming out! I'm part of the writing team for "The Beauty of
Space", to be published by Apogee Books in 2011. This book will showcase
the amazing artwork of the International Association of Astronomical
Artists (IAAA, http://iaaa.org). I wrote
the chapter on, you guessed it, Spacecraft and Space Hardware Art: Our
Contraptions and How We Get There (into space). More info to come.
Currently writing a paper with a colleague for the
AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). The paper is
titled "Aviation Archeology of the Horton 229 v3 Aircraft", and
describes how we built and tested a full-scale replica of a WW II
top-secret Nazi aircraft to determine if it was the world's first
stealth fighter. Paper to be presented at an upcoming AIAA conference.
John Christopher Butler
08-09-10: I guess the biggest thing recently was completing
the animated planetarium show Light of the Valkyries for Griffith
Observatory. The First Lady and First Children actually came to see it,
although the president wasn't with them. I am told they liked it. I'm
working on some new astronomy lectures to deliver on board Queen Mary 2
this October, my ninth sailing on that ship, but my first across the
infamous North Atlantic...let's hope the sea doesn't throw 80 foot waves
at us (it can). I am also starting some exhibit concept work for the
Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downey California, on the site where
the Apollos and Shuttles were built (and where I once worked, and my
father before me).
Andrew Chaikin 08-09-10:
I'm doing quite a bit of teaching these days, mostly for NASA HQ. I'm
giving a course to NASA engineers on the history of NASA missions, both
robotic and piloted. So far I've given the course at JPL, Goddard, and
Ames, and I will be at JSC next month. Really fun, and I'm learning a
lot.
William Foster 08-04-10:
Stopped by the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility today to say goodbye to
Robonaut 2. He is heading to KSC on Sunday to get ready for his ride to
ISS on STS-133 in November. Coincidentally, I am heading to KSC on
Sunday as well, but not for so lofty a purpose. Going to Caddo Mills, TX
tomorrow to watch a flight test of a prototype lunar lander that may put
a next generation Robonaut on the moon in the next three years.
Geoffrey Notkin 08-04-10:
It's a wrap! We've completed field location filming of two major new
episodes for Season Two of Meteorite Men. Really, I can't wait to see
them : High adventure indeed.
Louis Varricchio 08-02-10:
As we learned in November 2009, the Moon is far wetter than once
believed. Also, I believe the Moon will be found to be more geologically
active, too. Rare hydrogen-volcanic outbursts may explain, in part, most
LTP (Lunar Transient Phenomena) events seen by amateur astronomers as
well as by several Apollo astronauts. Actually, more likely to be
volcanism than meteor flashes. The Aristarchus Plateau appears to be the
Moon's greatest source for recent volcanism. I discuss this in my first
book, "Inconstant Moon".
William Foster 07-31-10:
Recently got involved with "Project M", developed by JSC Engineering to
put a Robonaut on the moon in 1000 days after turn on (M is Roman
numeral for 1000). The technologies required have been funded, including
tests of lander prototypes at Caddo Mills (near Dallas) and Ellington
Field (near JSC). I am going to Caddo Mills next week to see one of the
test flights, Ellington tests later this year. Check it out on You Tube.
William Foster: 07-29-10:
This Sunday is NASA Day at Reliant Stadium where the Houston Astros take
on the Milwaukee Brewers. They will play a Space Shuttle tribute video
before the game, and I was one of eight people asked to throw out the
"first pitch". Should be interesting!
David A. Hardy 07-29-10:
OK, here's the photo you've all been waiting for -- proof that I
actually was on Easter Island! (Of course, I could have done this in
Photoshop, but actually it was taken by my astronomer friend Martin
Mobberley. . .)
Louis Varricchio 07-26-10:
A Voyage to Pluto: A forbidding world that has always fascinated me!
NASA's New Horizon probe is more than halfway to Pluto now. When it
arrives humans will get their first up close look at this most distant
of planetary bodies in our solar system. I had the honor and thrill of
meeting Pluto's discoverer, the late astronomer Clyde Tombaugh, back in
1977; he was guest at the Lehigh Valley Astronomical Society in
Allentown, Pa. I remember (and paraphrase) his comment when I asked if
he believed there was any meaning to the cosmos: "I think there's a
supreme intelligence. Look at instincts in animals; we have ingenious
ways to survive. And if I cut myself, I don't have to think about it."
Pat Rawlings 07-26-10:
This is where I grew up, learned to ride a bicycle, buit treehouses,
played football, watered down the evaporative coolers, had a chemistry
lab, drew my first pictures, and celebrated many Christmases and
Thankgivings. Mom moved out June 24, 2010. I moved in when I was 3.
David A. Hardy 07-25-10:
On 11 July 2010 I saw a wonderful total solar eclipse from the Hao atoll
in the South Pacific. A few days later I visited Easter Island for
several days, and saw the legendary moai, or stone heads. In the 1980s I
had painted a scene there with a lunar eclipse, which I later updated to
a solar eclipse. Here it is. A dream realised (with a little
imagination!)
William Foster 07-23-10:
The latest finalized Flight Director emblem. Royce Renfrew was the 74th
Flight Director selected to lead US Human Spaceflight operations, one of
four people in the class of 2008. He was the first to certify in his
class and chose "Tungsten Fight" for his team name at the beginning of
his first shift as a certified ISS Flight Director on October 31, 2008.
W is the chemical symbol for tungsten, and 74 is it's
atomic number. Both are formed using a filament. I originally had
glowing filaments in the border surrounding the emblem, which was
initially blue, but last minute changes deleted them and changed the
border to match the text.
William Foster 07-22-10:
Working a rendezvous sim in shuttle control room, lots of uncertified
flight controllers getting mauled by the Sim Supv. Not many failures in
the network though since everyone else needs comm to work their issues.
Still 4.5 hours until docking with ISS, I will be relieved well before
then. Kodiak Flight (Mike Sarafin) is leading the team today.
William Foster 07-20-10:
Quite an honor to meet Nicelle Nichols! Her escort, Bob Castle, is in
background. My shirt was perfectly ironed when I left home, amazing what
a day on console can do! Bob Castle in background.
Antares Flight, our 29th Flight Director from class of
1988, is retiring from NASA this month. Obviously a Star Trek fan, only
fitting that Bob Castle escorted Lt. Uhura around the MCC before
retiring!
Members of the Houston Texans are visiting JSC today.
Threw together a display for the front screens to welcome them to the
MCC.
Don Davis 07-20-10:
Images from my recent three week adventure to Egypt, culled from over
2500 photographs.
William Foster 07-19-10:
I received the mission plaques for STS-133 this morning and hung the
mission plaque by the door. It will stay there until a couple of weeks
after landing, then moved to the other wall by the mission MVP during
the plaque hanging ceremony.
Running a simulation with the Santiago, Chile tracking
station from the back of the space shuttle control room. On the screen
is a live view of KSC technicians working in the payload bay of
Discovery, getting her ready for the STS-133 mission in November. The
room is empty now, but will be filling up shortly for an ascent sim this
afternoon.
In a back corner of JSC an incomplete boilerplate
version of a Gemini-Titan rocket lays on it's side waiting renovation.
KSC gave it to JSC after they acquired a more complete version. Sometime
over the next several months (or years), this will be restored and on
display in Rocket Park next to the Mercury- Redstone and Little Joe
rockets.
William Foster 07-07-10:
Launch sim with the ground network (GN) wrapping up. Eight ascent cases
with various equipment failures inserted help keep the GN personnel
ready to support the next shuttle launch in November. The MILA station
at KSC, PDL station 40 miles north at the Ponce de Leon Inlet, and
Wallops station on Wallops Island, VA participated. Power Amps,
blockers, muxes, data switches and TDRS were failing left and right, but
the operators in the network performed admirably! Goddard Test Conductor
Carl Cramer was at his best putting the Ground Network to the test!
Several more to go before STS-133 launches, I will be at the MILA
station for the next one in August. (BTW, the antenna shown is similar
to the 9 meter XY mounted one at MILA, but is actually at the Santiago
Tracking Station in Chile, which supports Shuttle orbit ops).
William Foster 07-07-10:
Supporting network launch simulation from super-secret GC-X room.
Unfortunately too many people now know the location of the room and even
worse, the 6-digit combo to the cypher-lock. No peace anywhere for a
hard working GC!
Richard Bizley 07-07-10:
Tomorrow (Thursday) a lady from BBC Radio 4 is coming from London to
interview me about my cochlear implant. So I will do my bit to explain
everything about deafness. They want to know 'before' and 'after' the
implant sounds experiences. Wish me luck!
Louis Varricchio 07-05-10:
In June 2006, while hiking on stat elands in the Nebraska badlands, I
discovered an outcrop of mass bone remains, most likely of Miocene age
rhinos and early horses, the victims of a supervolcanic eruption thought
to have occurred in New Mexico, more than 600 miles away. I am still
awaiting word on my discovery. I have not made a return trip there and
plan to collect there; apparently there are no funds available to do
much fossil excavation in today's bleak economic environment. Who knows
if I will receive credit for the discovery?
Geoffrey Notkin 07-04-10:
It's a wrap! The Meteorite Men are back home after completing location
filming for Episode One of Season Two. Believe me, it's going to be an
amazing episode. Thanks to our crew for all their hard work. Tentative
air date is October 15, and you are not going to want to miss this one!
photo by Suzanne Morrison
David Hardy 07-04-10:
I'm off travelling again. On Tuesday (6th) I'm off to Tahiti and Easter
Island, hoping to see the total solar eclipse on 11th. Please wish me
clear skies for that day (early morning)! But even if we don't see it,
I've always wanted to go to Easter Island. . .
Dave Archer 07-02-10:
This happened to me yesterday, and crap, I was driving ...
Pat Rawlings 07-02-10:
Here are a couple of pics of me riding the "Dragon" in western North
Carolina. The Tail of the Dragon is the internationally famous bike and
sports car road between Deals Gap NC and Tennessee.
William Foster 07-01-10:
Running first ascent sim with STS-133 crew. First of 4 or 5 ascent cases
underway, looks like we will make orbit. New launch dates announced
today for next two missions. STS-133 now on 11/01/10 with 3:33 pm CDT
launch time, STS-124 now on 2/26/10 with 3:19 pm CDT launch time.
Banker's hour for the ascent team! Expect word on whether STS-135
becomes official in late August.
William Foster 06-29-10:
Group photo of MCC Ground Control Officers was taken this afternoon in
the shuttle control room. Lot's of retired GC's were there, great seeing
a lot of old friends and mentors!
Dave Archer 06-26-10:
My studio is in Roseburg, Oregon where I'm painting every day, and
trying to survive this downturn in the economy. As you know, when the
economy goes south, we go with it. Art is the first thing people stop
buying, and the last thing they start buying again when things improve.
Galleries got belly up all over America. I just go on, and try not to
worry. What good would that do?
Aldo Spadoni 06-26-10:
My Engineering Visualization crew. I'm privileged to lead this team of
talented and creative professionals. From left to right: Yours truly,
production supervisor Michael J. Addabbo, visualization consultant
Robert A. Small, lead systems and software engineer Azad Kupelian, lead
animator Christine D. Smith, animator Anne Beamon, and industrial
designer/engineer Peter A. Barnett. We are ready to take on any
challenge!
Aldo Spadoni 06-26-10:
And here's another illustration I created more recently for the
aerospace/defense industry. Nuthin changes, 'cept maybe the color of the
death rays.
William Foster 06-25-10:
The entrance to the MCC is getting a facelift. Seems they forgot
something after laying new wallpaper!
John Christopher Butler
06-25-10: Been playing at MoonZoo.org where you can help
scientists by viewing images of the moon from Lunar Recon Orbiter and
count craters, note oddities, etc. I found dark curving lines and blobs
today, really odd, noted as weird...and found out later the image was of
the valley of Taurus Littrow. Those were footprints and rover tracks.
Oops. BIG discovery I made, right? Bit embarrassing.
Aldo Spadoni 06-24-10:
Rocket destruction at the Large and Dangerous Rocket Ships event - LDRS
29. Here's what happens when you push a rocket airframe beyond its
limits under the thrust of a large motor. The rocket blows apart as it
approaches sonic speed . . . what we call a shred.
Richard Bizley 06-24-10:
I have just completed a fairly large 30" x 20" Early Cretaceous scene in
the Isle of Wight. Took me weeks to do!
Geoff Notkin 06-24-10:
Geoff of "MM" will be appearing at this weekend's ALCON astronomy expo
in Tucson, with a great meteorite display, and will be giving out signed
photos, identifying suspected meteorites, showing excerpts from the show
and generally carrying on the way he does : ) David Levy will be there
too, no less! Please note, Geoff is only there on Friday and Saturday.
William Foster 06-23-10:
Fourth console support in as many days tomorrow, each day seems to get
progressively earlier. Bad news, tomorrow is the earliest yet, 5:30 CDT
and I'm still awake. Good news, it is not a simulation but a White Sands
Missile Range radar pass with ISS. That means no white shirt & tie
required! Always the possibility of sleeping in and letting DFE handle
it! :-)
Dave Archer 06-20-10:
Great Oregon day today ... the Mill road is bursting with life, the pond
is flourishing, green thistles growing tall, milk weed blooms ready to
fly off, a bird chorus serenading the scene, garter snakes on the road,
their orange bellies flashing, balmy, soft air, sun, thunder clouds in
the distance, Canadian geese, wood ducks, a family of nutria, great
friends, played monkey organ for bar-b-qued burger feast, and Osama bin
Scruffy, the Terrierist loves it, although this picture was taken last
year. It's Spring in Oregon, in Summer ... weird ...
Walter Myers 06-20-10:
"Flying at this low altitude will mark the first time Cassini will be
below the moon’s ionosphere...As a result, the spacecraft will find
itself in a region almost entirely shielded from Saturn’s magnetic field
and will be able to detect any magnetic signature originating from
within Titan." (Cassini to swing low into Titan’s atmosphere. NASA blog)
Aldo Spadoni 06-19-10:
Visiting SpaceX was fantastic! It restores my faith in the future to see
that innovative companies like SpaceX are still forming and thriving, in
the Los Angeles basin no less! It's obvious that the SpaceX team has a
high level of esprit de corps. The Merlin rocket engine is a thing of
beauty and it was so cool to see them being built on the shop floor like
hot rod engines. Thanks to Roger Gilbertson and Brian Bjelde of SpaceX
for giving us a great briefing and tour, and thanks to Steve Bartlett of
OASIS for herding the cats.
Don Davis 06-18-10:
Finishing my animation of the double star Algol, working late and in the
early morning going outside and looking at that very star in the North
Eastern sky. Getting things wrapped up before my trip to Egypt next
week!
Monroe Lee King Jr 06-15-10:
Got an advisory position on a science TV show about high altitude
balloon launches! The launch and final shoot for the TV show is set for
the 22nd at 3am. Right after that I plan on heading for Texas! For the
4th and spending some time with my family and friends!
Louis Varricchio 06-14-10:
I just got the good news: I have been promoted from 2Lt. to First
Lieutenant in the U.S. Civil Air Patrol! Lots of study and many exams
ahead: CAP, USAF and FEMA courses I must complete! But I feel good to
voluntarily offer my personal service back to the nation that has
provided my family with freedom and oh, so many, many blessings.
Louis Varricchio 06-14-10:
Wow, a long, amazing weekend just past. Completed a U.S. Air Force
evaluated mission with the Vermont Wing of the Civil Air Patrol. I
functioned as mission public information officer for a simulated missing
aircraft followed by "pop up", unrelated emergencies. It was like
whack-a-mole! But the team was superb. Had several comm and human factor
problems thrown my way including a rogue "widow" played by an Air Force
officer. Happy to say I kept my cool (grace under fire, as Hemingway
called it). As a result, I got an "excellent" rating by the USAF officer
assigned to monitor me. Just glad it's over.
Monroe Lee King Jr 06-13-10:
I've decided to take on a job as Exec. Producer for a Movie! After
receiving an interesting offer. It was in line with current events so I
said "sure" Now I'm contributing my skills at fund raising to the
project manager for the film. So many interesting people I have meet
lately! I'm really enjoying my life! Who is this guy? LOL!
Monroe Lee King Jr. 06-13-10:
Aldo Spadoni of Northrop Grumman and I meet at LDRS in the California
Desert. I got to speak with Ky Michaelson after 20 years and remember
some old rocket dragster days. LDRS was a good thing! I meet a fella
from Space-X and just had a bang up time all around.
Pat Rawlings 06-10-10:
Speaking to UHCL Art Camp today. Wonder if their tents are made out of
canvas and they paint them?
William Foster 06-10-10:
STS-132 Ascent Team photo taken immediately after plaque hanging on
Tuesday. Ladder is still up next to freshly hung (but slightly skewed)
plaque. Ascent Flight Director Richard Jones (Sigma Flight) is holding
an STS-132 plaque with mission Commander Ken Ham (Hock), with the rest
of the crew in their mission Land's End polo shirts. I am in the back
under the launching shuttle with lead Flight Director Mike Sarafin
(Kodiak Flight) in the doorway. Entry Flight Director Tony Ceccacci (Intrepind
Flight) is furthest to the right in second row. He served as Weather
Flight on the Ascent team.
Pat Rawlings 06-09-10:
Just finished the MyMoon webcast for the Lunar and Planetary Institute
and it went pretty well. I had some good questions and the technology
all seemed to work well. Thanks to those who participated.
Pat Rawlings 06-06-10:
I will be doing a webcast with the Lunar and Planetary Institute's
MyMoon website. I better shave:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/mymoon/?p=p_rawlings.cfm?
Michael Carroll 06-06-10:
Taking a break from planets and moons tonight to paint cows, campfires
and cowboys for VBS!
Louis Varricchio 06-03-10:
Starting work on the ms. of my second book, titled "Seeing Stars:
Dispatches from an Armchair Astronaut" set for early 2011 (publisher
Xlibris, a Random House Partner). Its a collection of my weekly
newspaper column "Seeing Stars" with additional narrative and info
sidebars about a variety of astronomical, earth-science and
space-science related topics [from the Big Bang to mass extinctions and
dark-matter stars to the secret lives of outer space-loving tardigrades].
More later. I am planning a Facebook page for my books so don't be
surprised if you get an "invite" to check it out.
 Aldo
Spadoni 05-30-10: Nick and I had a great weekend of skiing
and hiking up in Mammoth Lakes, California. Mammoth was awesome with
spectacular weather and plenty of snow. It's been a while since I've
been up here and I'd forgotten how huge this place is. Snow conditions
were impressive considering it's almost June. They still have 6.5 to 10
feet of snowbase!
Robert Brand 05-29-10:
A lot of rain today. Had fun last night. Y10 science is studying
Newton's laws and how spacecraft orbit. It took a while for it to sync
in to my daughter's head. It finally clicked! There were a lot of
questions relating to fuel use and the way his second law comes into
play with staging, burning fuel. I love it. It is great when you see the
light come on when it is something you personally love!
William Foster 05-29-10:
My granddaughter, Madeline Penny Darby, "Maddie", now 3 1/2 months.
Great to meet her today!
John Christopher Butler
05-23-10: Good news: finally got invited to lecture on Queen
Mary 2 on the transatlantic run. Bad news: in October...rough weather? I
am turning green already...mustn't barf on the tux!!
 Louis
Varricchio 5-21-10: Well, here it is after three years in the
making! The first ever Vermont State Historical Roadside Marker to
commemorate the almost forgotten Vermont Gold Rush of 1855! The effort
to erect the marker was coordinated by the Rutland Rock & Mineral Club.
I wrote the text on the plaque. (tough to research a history that didn't
leave many records). You can see the marker at the entrance of Camp
Plymouth State Park (near President Cal Coolidge’s birthplace) .5 miles
from the ruins of the Rooks Gold Mine on Buffalo Brook. Even today you
can still find gold in the brook.
  William
Foster 05-21-10: Busy night in MCC, nose to the grindstone
all shift. Testing on voice loops needed for landing support and a very
mysterious problem with one of our TDRS Comm passes have been the
highlight while the crew sleeps. Continue to work TDRS anomaly, trying
to get better understanding before EVA3 in a few hours.
Peridot Flight, Emily Nelson, was the 70th Flight
Director, part of the class of 2007. Her first shift as a certified
Flight Director was on 12/03/2007 and she is the Lead ISS FD for the
current STS-132/ULF4 mission. After several revisions, her emblem was
finalized this week.
Aldo Spadoni 05-19-10:
Gave a talk today at the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' RAPID
2010/3D Imaging Rapid Prototyping conference at the Disneyland Hotel in
Anaheim, CA. Also had a chance to walk the trade show exhibition. I'm
astounded by the many advances in Additive Manufacturing technology. I
think we're on the verge of a manufacturing revolution!
William Foster 05-18-10:
Working on newest Flight Director team name graphic for Scott Stover,
Keystone Flight. Still not complete, but converging on final version.
Hope to have it ready before we start taking Team photos for
STS-132/ULF4 on Thursday.
Monroe Lee King Jr. 05-10-10:
Prometheus II Maiden Flight. (Photo of lift off)
Dave Archer 05-10-10:
My new computer ... I feel like I'm at the control panel of Starship
Enterprise ... also feel like a kid at Christmas with a new red bike ...
just can't stay off the sucker and am staying up way too late at night
watching documentaries. Anybody out there know of any new doc's or
websites I should try. I LOVE DOC'S!!!
Monroe Lee King Jr. 05-08-10:
Team Prometheus is recruiting! We are seeking members with
business and marketing skills as well as engineering. We need legal
assistance with the FAA and related space authorities! We are making our
move on the N-Prize attempt! Be a part of something historical and join
our team! "Today's the Day! We go into Space!" Now is the time to join
we have the ground work laid out for you! Let's do this!
 Aldo
Spadoni 05-08-10: I Attended last weekend's charity event for
military families in Torrance, CA. The great MotoArt venue & people, WW
II Warbirds in flying condition, Pin-up girls. What's not to like? My
buddy Chuck Slezak gave me a personal tour of the North American
"Mitchell" B-25J bomber, "Executive Sweet". Chuck is former Manager of
Quality Assurance for American Airlines and part of the B-25's
maintenance crew. Crawling around inside this cramped aircraft was
fascinating. It's great to see this magnificent piece of flying history
and American aerospace industry legacy being preserved!
http://www.aafgroup.org/b25.html
I was on the set of IRON MAN 2 last summer. I worked
on this film as a technical consultant. Though I had nothing to do with
it, they gave me a sneak peek of Tony Stark's legendary garage. Very
cool stuff in here. Though you can't see it in the photo, I had to wear
clean room booties to get on the set!
Don Davis 05-07-10:
Just had a look through binoculars at Epsilon Aurigae glimmering
in the late twilight, then went indoors to finish my animation of this
amazing star.
Andrew Chaikin 05-07-10:
I will be teaching my history of NASA missions course at NASA Goddard on
June 24 and at NASA Ames July 7-9. I just finished teaching the course
at JPL this week -- great time! More info here:
http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oce/appel/curriculum/courses/appel_msn.html
Andrew Chaikin
03-12-10: Andrew had an appreciation of space artist Robert
McCall, who died earlier this month, on NPR Morning Edition.
Go to:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124588185 to
listen to Andrew's speech and read article on Robert McCall.
David A. Hardy 03-12-10:
Just a reminder to anyone who can get in, that the open exhibition at
Birmingham's Gas Hall (just around the corner from the Art Gallery, is
now open until May 2nd). there were over 1200 entries, of which 142 were
accepted, and this is one. No doubt the first space art ever seen there!
Pat Rawlings 03-06-10:
Going to art show at Wehmohs Ranch on Old Spicewood Road today. The
ranch is a working ranch that hosts workshops by nationally recognized
painters. I've been thinking about starting to do some hill country
landscapes. I'll just have to remember not to put in any craters!
 Pat Rawlings 01-31-10:
About 90 of us crazies dealt with subfreezing temps yesterday to meet in
Hico TX at the Koffee Kup for the best pie in Texas. The 140 mile ride
up yesterday was 31 when we left Austin dropped to 27 when we were
halfway there, Brrrr...
Aldo Spadoni 01-30-10:
My engineering visualization team and a few other colleagues were
invited to visit Digital Domain, one of the world’s premier feature film
visual effects companies, located in Venice, CA. We were treated to a
tour of their facilities and were briefed on some of their latest
projects and cutting edge techniques. Man, these guys are good.
David A. Hardy 01-28-10:
I’m delighted to say that I’ve just heard that my painting, ‘Snow On
Enceladus’, has been accepted for the City of Birmingham Museum and Art
Gallery’s open Exhibition. There were over 1200 entries, of which 146
will be included in the exhibition. Since I’m quite sure that this will
be the first space art ever seen here, it will be interesting to see the
reaction! It’s on at the Gas Hall from 6 March – 2 May.
Andrew Chaikin:
I'm giving a public lecture at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
in Portland, January 22, at 7 p.m. Admission is free; a 42 donation is
suggested.
http://northeastportland.katu.com/content/omsi-man-moon-author-andrew-chaikin
Chris Butler: 01-19-10: Snuck into work on holiday, almost the only human in the
observatory. Not a problem until the power failed when I was three
stories underground making a potty stop. Pitch black, no one around.
managed to feel my way back up stairs and drive home through the
rainstorm. Next time, I will stay home on holidays.
David A Hardy:
Please take a look at this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUYw0xb_r5g.
We'd like to get more people to contribute to this, which is all about
sending a message to aliens. . . Take part in a world-wide message video
to be placed on a future deep space mission! (Check out Mosaic Earth,
too.)
Don Davis:
Appeared on 'The Space Show'; an hour and a half of talking about space
art, with forays into space colonization, Mars, and modern planetarium.
"I was lucid and didn't say anything that would make me want to commit
suicide...covered a lot of ground. Looks like I'll be back."
Richard Bizley: I
am in the middle of doing another painting of alien floating life-forms.
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