DOCSLIB.ORG

After the Moon -What?

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
After the Moon -What? l I rr1 ll$ IY --- _ D"'"· No.----- Date -----____ AFTER THE MOON -WHAT? MINUTES OF THE MANNED FLIGHT AWARENESS SEMINAR MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER SEPTEMBER 25•26, 1969 FOREWORD THE PURPOSE OF THIS SEMINAR WAS TO PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT/ INDUSTRY TEAM WITH NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE FUTURE OF MANNED SPACE FLIGHT AND ITS ATTENDANT REQUIREMENTS FOR QUALITY WORKMANSHf P IN THE PROSECUTION OF APOLLO AND FOLLOW-ON PROGRAM ACTIVITIES. GUIDELINES, OBJECTIVES, GOALS AND MOTI­ VATIONAL INNOVATIONS WERE DISCUSSED, AND PRESENTATIONS WERE GIVEN BY KEY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL OF NASA AND THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY. r AGENDA SEMINAR ON MANNED FLIGHT AWARENESS Manned Spacecraft Center Houston, Texas Thursday, September 25 SESSION I - NASA Management: The Manned Flight SESSION II - Industrial Executives: Industry's View of Awarness Challenge as NASA Sees it the Future Session Monitor: Mr. Philip H. Bolger Session Monitor: Mr. Philip H. Bolger Opening Remarks Philip H. Bolger, Acting Director McDonnell Douglas Walter F. Burke. President Manned Space FI i gh t Safety Astronautics Company Welcome Address Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director North American William B. Bergen, President Manned Space Fl 1ghl Center Rockwell Keynote Address - Dr. George Mueller The Boeing Company Harold J. McClellan, General "The Future of Manned Associate Administrator for Manager, Southeast Division, Space Flight" Manned Space Fl 1ght Aerospace Division Apollo 12 and Beyond Dr. Rocco Petrone Apollo Program Director Apollo Applications William C. Schneider, Director Program Planning Apollo Applicat1ons Program Panel Discussion Moderator - W. C. Schneider The Management Lee James, Director Panel Members Chai lenge Program Management Marshall Space Flight Center NASA Industry Astronaut Participation Major Stuart Roosa, USAF W. C. Schneider W. F. Burke 1n the MannedFl 1ght Astronaut R. A. Petrone W. 8. Bergen Awareness Program R. R. Gilruth H.J. McClellan Friday, September 26 Panel Members John Mi I lmotl - IBM SESSION Ill - MFA Concept at Work Tom Scott - The Boeing Company Dwayne Gray - North American Rockwell Session Monitor: Dr. Preston T. Farish Tony Tocco - TRW Harold Durfee - Grumman Aerospace Corporation Moderator Dr. Preston T. Farish Gordon Macke - McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company Space Station Task John W. Small, Manned Flight Awareness Themes and Program Group, Manned Assistant Field Director Continuity Spaceflight Center 1. Central Themes Al Chop, Headquarters West Reliability and Quality Dr. John Condon, Director and Awards Coast Representative, Manned Assurance Office, Flight Awareness Office NASA Headquarters 2. Manned Flight Eugene E. Horton, Chief, Manned lndustnalRelations Dr. Charles Hughes, Director Awareness Working Flight Awareness Office. Manned and Compensation Tools: Posters, Spacecraft Center Service, Texas lnstru- Newsletter, Films, men Is, Incorporated Decals, etc. "Innovations tn Moderator - Eugene E. Horton Summary and Closing Philip H. Bolger Mot, vahon'' Remarks ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page OPENING REMARKS - Philip H. Bolger 1 WELCOME ADDRESS - Dr. Robert R. Gilruth 2 MANNED FLIGHT AWARENESS CHALLENGE AS NASA SEES IT THE FUTURE OF MANNED SPACE FLIGHT - Dr. George Mueller 3 APOLLO 12 AND BEYOND - Dr. Rocco Petrone 11 APOLLO APPLICATIONS PROGRAM PLANNING - William C. Schneider 15 THE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGE - Lee James 21 ASTRONAUT PARTICIPATION IN THE MANNED FLIGHT AWARENESS PROGRAM - Major Stuart Roosa, USAF 27 INDUSTRY'S VIEW OF THE FUTURE Walter F. Burke 29 William 8. Bergen 33 Harold J. McClellan 37 PANEL DISCUSSION 40 MFA CONCEPT AT WORK John W. Smal I 45 Dr. John Condon 51 Dr. Charles Hughes 53 INNOVATIONS IN MOTIVATION 61 MANNED FLIGHT AWARENESS THEMES AND PROGRAM CONTINUITY CENTRAL THEMES AND AWARDS - Al Chop 69 MANN ED FLIGHT AWARENESS WORKING TOOLS - Eugene E. Horton 73 CLOSING REMARKS- Phi lip H. Bolger 77 iii OPENING REMARKS PHILIP H. BOLGER Acting Director Manned Space Flight Safety The successful lunar landing and completion of the "I wish to express my regret that I am un.-ible 0 ight of Apollo 11 achieved a national objective in this to participate in the M::inned Flight Aware­ decade and is a significant milestone in man's con­ ness Seminar beca.u1:1e of previous commit­ tinuing progress in space e:,,.-ploration. Ilistorically, ments. The subjects that you will discuss achievements of such magnitude, requiring concen­ are of the greatest Importance to the future tl·ated efforts over an appreciable time period, are of Manned Space Flight. It is imperative followed by a letdown and general relaxation of the that the NASA/Contractor Team maintain personnel involved. In addition, this letdown may be its momentum and continue to achieve the amplllied by a serious morale problem when funding highest degree of quality worlananship. I cutbacks are experienced. The result is n decline in realize that this is a difficult task to achieve the required attention to detailed workmanship which in this period of cutback in space activities can cause a rise in accident rates and potentiaJ loss following the success of the Apollo 11 mis­ of life. sion. On the other hand. however , we are entering a new era of relatively stable space llight activity and will be undertaking new To counter these potential moraJe and complacency programs that Dr. Mueller and his associ­ problems in the spaceflight program, this Govern­ ates will discuss with you. We must im:.. ment/JndUBtry Manned Flight Awareness Seminar is press on the aerospace worker force the fact being conducted. The objective of this seminar is U1e that our future in space is a bright one and maintenance of high quality workmanship through ef­ t.bat we will continue to move forwru:d in fective awareness and motivational programs. We achieving an ever greater operational capa­ intend to do this by outlining NASA's plans for future bility and broadenjngour scientific knowledge programs and the resources being ma.de available to in space. To achieve these goals we are as successfully conclude these programs. In addition, always dependent upon the i11di vidnalworker , executives of various industrial firms deeply in.volved hls motivation and interest, and ultimately in space work will present their views oJ the future. the quality of his workmanship. I know that In this way we can get the message from NASA Man­ you support my views on these subjects ru1d agement to the individuals responsible for doing the will make every effort to bring our future work that is vital to assuring a high quality of work­ space flight programs to successful achieve­ manship in the aerospace force. ment. Th.e Manned Flight Awareness Pro­ gram is one of ow· most valuable tools in support of these objectives and I hope you f The proceedings of this Seminar will be transcribed will make every efort to utilize its capa­ and available to those who are attending, hopefully bilities to the utmost." within one month. Now, we've asked you to come today to discuss some Now, l have a statement from Dr. Paine, who was relatively serious problems that are confronting us in unable to be here today, but he is quite interested in this period of instabiHty as we are cutting back after our Manned Flight Awareness Program and what It is the Apollo 11 success. Our speakers will address trying to do. Dr. Paine says: these subjects in light of their particular programs. WELCOME ADDRESS DR. ROBERT R. GILRUTH Director Monned Space Flight Center Good morning, I am happy to welcome you to ihis semi­ that success can follow success, and that the words nar. l would especially like to lho.nk Walter Burke, ''Made in USA" stand for excellence and worth in Bill Bergen, Pat McClellan, and you other leaders in leadership throughout the world. industry for taking time to be with us today, and to bring us views for the future of manned space flight Success results, I believe, from the interaction of from your perspective in industry. many people doing many things. But success can never come about without pride. Itcannot come about It is fitting, 1 believe, that this meeting is being held Without personal dedication and a fundamental under­ follo\\ ing the most remai·kable expedition of all his­ standing of the job that is to be done. Unfortunately, tory-man's first journey to the moon. Neil Armstrong motivation is an intangible. It is not something that described Apollo 11 as "a giant lea.pfor mankind," and the Federal Government can write into its contracts. there is no question but that il ivas a giant leap. It It has to be self-induced. It comes from within. It proved among other things that the moon is no longer results from knowing that the work we are doing is quite so remote and inaccessible as it had been. It important and that the job we have been given is more did not assure us, however, that the next step in space than just an 8-hour day. It is impossible to get every­ would be equally successful. Whether or not it. is wi.11 one, in all our organizations, to think like this, but if depend to a very large extent upon t.he inspiration and we could just raise lhe number by 10, 25, or even leadership. a.nd lhe imagination that will be shown by 50 percent, then I believe we would be working in an those of us who are in this room today. entirely new realm, with far greater potential for success and less probability of costly mistakes. I think this can be a very valuable meeting tor all of us. We are going to hear a bit about.what is planned, what is possible, both from the viewpoint of NASA and I cannot over-stress the importance thal NASA man­ from industry. 1 believe that this [rank e.xchange of agement attaches to the Manned Flight Awareness views and comments ean give each of us a fresh per­ Prog1·am.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Student Worksheets, Assessments, and Answer Keys
    Apollo Mission Worksheet Team Names _________________________ Your team has been assigned Apollo Mission _______ Color _________________ 1. Go to google.com/moon and find your mission, click on it and then zoom in. 2. Find # 1, this will give you information to answer the questions below. 3. On your moon map, find the location of the mission landing site and locate this spot on your map. Choose a symbol and the correct color for your mission (each mission has a specific symbol and you can use this if you like or make up your own). In the legend area put your symbol and mission number. 4. Who were the astronauts on the mission? The astronauts on the mission were ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 5. When did the mission take place? The mission took place from _______________________________________________ 6. How many days did the mission last? The mission lasted ______________________________________________________ 7. Where did the mission land? The mission landed at____________________________________________________ 8. Why did the mission land here? They landed at this location because ________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________ 9. What was the goal of the mission? The goal of the mission was_______________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
    [Show full text]
  • Hearing Transcript
    The President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy PUBLIC HEARING Georgia Centers for Advanced Telecommunications Technology 250 14th Street, NW Atlanta, GA Wednesday, March 24, and Thursday, March 25, 2004 Pete Aldridge Well, good afternoon. I’m Pete Aldridge, I’m the Chairman of the President’s Commission on the Implementation of the U.S. Space Exploration Policy, or as I have shortened it, the “President’s Commission on the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.” I was delighted when I learned that Monica Scarbrough, the Director of Development, invited us here. The Georgia Institute of Technology is in fact my alma mater, and it’s generally great to be back on campus. I’m looking forward to looking around at some of the old haunts that I spent many hours on. The Commission is here to explore ways to achieve the President’s vision of going back to the Moon and on to Mars and beyond. We have listened, we’ve talked to experts at two previous hearings—in Washington, D.C., and in Dayton, Ohio. We’ve talked among ourselves and we realized this vision provides a focus not just for NASA, but a focus that can revitalize U.S. space capability and have a significant impact upon our nation’s industrial base and academia. As you can see from our agenda, we are talking with experts from many, many disciplines, including those outside the traditional aerospace arena. Before I go any further, let me introduce my fellow Commissioners. And begin on the audience’s right, Carly Fiorina.
    [Show full text]
  • The Following Are Edited Excerpts from Two Interviews Conducted with Dr
    Interviews with Dr. Wernher von Braun Editor's note: The following are edited excerpts from two interviews conducted with Dr. Wernher von Braun. Interview #1 was conducted on August 25, 1970, by Robert Sherrod while Dr. von Braun was deputy associate administrator for planning at NASA Headquarters. Interview #2 was conducted on November 17, 1971, by Roger Bilstein and John Beltz. These interviews are among those published in Before This Decade is Out: Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program, (SP-4223, 1999) edited by Glen E. Swanson, whick is vailable on-line at http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4223/sp4223.htm on the Web. Interview #1 In the Apollo Spacecraft Chronology, you are quoted as saying "It is true that for a long time we were not in favor of lunar orbit rendezvous. We favored Earth orbit rendezvous." Well, actually even that is not quite correct, because at the outset we just didn't know which route [for Apollo to travel to the Moon] was the most promising. We made an agreement with Houston that we at Marshall would concentrate on the study of Earth orbit rendezvous, but that did not mean we wanted to sell it as our preferred scheme. We weren't ready to vote for it yet; our study was meant to merely identify the problems involved. The agreement also said that Houston would concentrate on studying the lunar rendezvous mode. Only after both groups had done their homework would we compare notes. This agreement was based on common sense. You don't start selling your scheme until you are convinced that it is superior.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo 13 Mission Review
    APOLLO 13 MISSION REVIEW HEAR& BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOR’D SESSION JUR’E 30, 1970 Printed for the use of the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 47476 0 WASHINGTON : 1970 COMMITTEE ON AEROKAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico, Chairman RICHARD B. RUSSELL, Georgia MARGARET CHASE SMITH, Maine WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington CARL T. CURTIS, Nebraska STUART SYMINGTON, bfissouri MARK 0. HATFIELD, Oregon JOHN STENNIS, Mississippi BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona STEPHEN M.YOUNG, Ohio WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio THOJfAS J. DODD, Connecticut RALPH T. SMITH, Illinois HOWARD W. CANNON, Nevada SPESSARD L. HOLLAND, Florida J4MES J. GEHRIG,Stad Director EVERARDH. SMITH, Jr., Professional staffMember Dr. GLENP. WILSOS,Professional #tad Member CRAIGVOORHEES, Professional Staff Nember WILLIAMPARKER, Professional Staff Member SAMBOUCHARD, Assistant Chief Clerk DONALDH. BRESNAS,Research Assistant (11) CONTENTS Tuesday, June 30, 1970 : Page Opening statement by the chairman, Senator Clinton P. Anderson-__- 1 Review Board Findings, Determinations and Recommendations-----_ 2 Testimony of- Dr. Thomas 0. Paine, Administrator of NASA, accompanied by Edgar M. Cortright, Director, Langley Research Center and Chairman of the dpollo 13 Review Board ; Dr. Charles D. Har- rington, Chairman, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel ; Dr. Dale D. Myers, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, and Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, hpollo Director -___________ 21, 30 Edgar 11. Cortright, Chairman, hpollo 13 Review Board-------- 21,27 Dr. Dale D. Mvers. Associate Administrator for Manned SDace 68 69 105 109 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOSS 1. Internal coinponents of oxygen tank So. 2 ---_____-_________________ 22 2.
    [Show full text]
  • “The Eagle Has Landed” Statue to Honor Apollo 11 Crew
    Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Unveils Moon Tree Garden, “The Eagle Has Landed” Statue to Honor Apollo 11 Crew CAPE CANAVERAL (July 12, 2019) – KENNEDY SPACE CENTER – Today, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex kicked off the Apollo 11 50th anniversary celebrations by unveiling the Moon Tree Garden, a dramatic new accent to the grounds of the Apollo/Saturn V Center. The garden, which features 12 trees grown from seeds that orbited the Moon, also includes a George Lundeen sculpture that depicts Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins in their space suits. The statue, titled “The Eagle has Landed,” is a gift to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex from Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest mortgage lender. “As the nation’s top mortgage lender, we treat the impossible as an opportunity,” said Casey Hurbis, chief marketing officer of Rocket Mortgage. “We presented this statue to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to honor the courage and importance of the Apollo 11 mission, who achieved the impossible by landing man on the Moon and into the annals of history.” The Moon Trees were provided by Rosemary Roosa, daughter of veteran Apollo 14 astronaut Stuart Roosa, and president of the nonprofit Moon Tree Foundation. The foundation was created in honor of her father, who took seeds from loblolly pine, sycamore, sweet gum, redwood, and Douglas fir trees on his space mission as part of a joint U.S. Forest Service/NASA project. The seeds, which have all orbited the Moon, were later germinated and planted around the world to share the story of the mission.
    [Show full text]
  • Forestry Organiza- from a Cutting Is a Very Difficult Grounds of the OSU College of Tions Throughout the Country to Task, Even for a Horticultural Pro- Forestry
    NEWS BRIEFS N WHAT’S GOING ON 24 A MOON TREE? orestry Extension been a smokejumper in his trying unsuccessfully to get the agents are used to field- youth, and he and Forest Service cuttings to root. Now he intends F ing odd requests, but officials arranged the seeds’ flight to plant the seeds after condition- this one had Scott Leavengood to the moon. ing them in the freezer according stumped. A man in Phoenix, Afterward, the seeds were to Leavengood’s instructions. Arizona, named Michael Simon germinated, and in 1975 and Leavengood wishes him had heard there was a “moon 1976 some 450 seedlings were luck. “Generating a Douglas-fir tree” growing somewhere on the given to state forestry organiza- from a cutting is a very difficult grounds of the OSU College of tions throughout the country to task, even for a horticultural pro- Forestry. Could he get cuttings? be planted as part of the nation’s fessional,” he says. Sprouting a Leavengood, an OSU Forest bicentennial celebration. seed is somewhat easier, but it’s Products Extension agent in Leavengood discovered that still tricky. “I’m hoping he’ll keep Washington County, asked a few one of the moon trees, a Douglas- me posted.” questions. No, said Simon, it was fir seedling, had been planted on not a tree grown on the moon, the east lawn of Peavy Hall in The story of the moon trees, but a tree planted from seeds that 1976. Today the tree is a healthy including their present where- Maybe it’s been to had orbited the moon in 1971 40-foot-tall specimen, apparently abouts, is posted on the NASA web the moon, but you’d with astronaut Stuart Roosa of none the worse for its wanderings site, http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/ the Apollo 14 team.
    [Show full text]
  • Celebrate Apollo
    National Aeronautics and Space Administration Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth “…We go into space because whatever mankind must undertake, free men must fully share. … I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more exciting, or more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish …” President John F. Kennedy May 25, 1961 Celebrate Apollo Exploring The Moon, Discovering Earth Less than five months into his new administration, on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy, announced the dramatic and ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. Coming just three weeks after Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, Kennedy’s bold challenge that historic spring day set the nation on a journey unparalleled in human history. Just eight years later, on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong stepped out of the lunar module, taking “one small step” in the Sea of Tranquility, thus achieving “one giant leap for mankind,” and demonstrating to the world that the collective will of the nation was strong enough to overcome any obstacle. It was an achievement that would be repeated five other times between 1969 and 1972. By the time the Apollo 17 mission ended, 12 astronauts had explored the surface of the moon, and the collective contributions of hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists, astronauts and employees of NASA served to inspire our nation and the world.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo Space Suit
    APOLLO SPACE S UIT 1962–1974 Frederica, Delaware A HISTORIC MECHANICAL ENGINEERING LANDMARK SEPTEMBER 20, 2013 DelMarVa Subsection Histor y of the Apollo Space Suit This model would be used on Apollo 7 through Apollo 14 including the first lunar mission of Neil Armstrong and Buzz International Latex Corporation (ILC) was founded in Aldrin on Apollo 11. Further design improvements were made to Dover, Delaware in 1937 by Abram Nathanial Spanel. Mr. Spanel improve mobility for astronauts on Apollo 15 through 17 who was an inventor who became proficient at dipping latex material needed to sit in the lunar rovers and perform more advanced to form bathing caps and other commercial products. He became mobility exercises on the lunar surface. This suit was known as famous for ladies apparel made under the brand name of Playtex the model A7LB. A slightly modified ILC Apollo suit would also go that today is known worldwide. Throughout WWII, Spanel drove on to support the Skylab program and finally the American-Soyuz the development and manufacture of military rubberized products Test Program (ASTP) which concluded in 1975. During the entire to help our troops. In 1947, Spanel used the small group known time the Apollo suit was produced, manufacturing was performed as the Metals Division to develop military products including at both the ILC plant on Pear Street in Dover, Delaware, as well as several popular pressure helmets for the U.S. Air Force. the ILC facility in Frederica, Delaware. In 1975, the Dover facility Based upon the success of the pressure helmets, the Metals was closed and all operations were moved to the Frederica plant.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo Over the Moon: a View from Orbit (Nasa Sp-362)
    chl APOLLO OVER THE MOON: A VIEW FROM ORBIT (NASA SP-362) Chapter 1 - Introduction Harold Masursky, Farouk El-Baz, Frederick J. Doyle, and Leon J. Kosofsky [For a high resolution picture- click here] Objectives [1] Photography of the lunar surface was considered an important goal of the Apollo program by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The important objectives of Apollo photography were (1) to gather data pertaining to the topography and specific landmarks along the approach paths to the early Apollo landing sites; (2) to obtain high-resolution photographs of the landing sites and surrounding areas to plan lunar surface exploration, and to provide a basis for extrapolating the concentrated observations at the landing sites to nearby areas; and (3) to obtain photographs suitable for regional studies of the lunar geologic environment and the processes that act upon it. Through study of the photographs and all other arrays of information gathered by the Apollo and earlier lunar programs, we may develop an understanding of the evolution of the lunar crust. In this introductory chapter we describe how the Apollo photographic systems were selected and used; how the photographic mission plans were formulated and conducted; how part of the great mass of data is being analyzed and published; and, finally, we describe some of the scientific results. Historically most lunar atlases have used photointerpretive techniques to discuss the possible origins of the Moon's crust and its surface features. The ideas presented in this volume also rely on photointerpretation. However, many ideas are substantiated or expanded by information obtained from the huge arrays of supporting data gathered by Earth-based and orbital sensors, from experiments deployed on the lunar surface, and from studies made of the returned samples.
    [Show full text]
  • Challenger Accident in a Rogers Commission Hearing at KSC
    CHALLENGER By Arnold D. Aldrich Former Program Director, NSTS August 27, 2008 Recently, I was asked by John Shannon, the current Space Shuttle Program Manager, to comment on my experiences, best practices, and lessons learned as a former Space Shuttle program manager. This project is part of a broader knowledge capture and retention initiative being conducted by the NASA Johnson Space Center in an “oral history” format. One of the questions posed was to comment on some of the most memorable moments of my time as a Space Shuttle program manager. Without question, the top two of these were the launch of Challenger on STS‐51L on January 28, 1986, and the launch of Discovery on STS‐26 on September 29, 1988. Background The tragic launch and loss of Challenger occurred over 22 years ago. 73 seconds into flight the right hand Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) broke away from the External Tank (ET) as a result of a burn‐ through in its aft most case to case joint and the Space Shuttle vehicle disintegrated resulting in the total loss of the vehicle and crew. The events leading up to that launch are still vivid in my mind and deeply trouble me to this day, as I know they always will. This paper is not about what occurred during the countdown leading up to the launch – those facts and events were thoroughly investigated and documented by the Rogers Commission. Rather, what I can never come to closure with is how we, as a launch team, and I, as one of the leaders of that team, allowed the launch to occur.
    [Show full text]
  • Nasa Johnson Space Center Oral History Project Oral History Transcript
    NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTER ORAL HISTORY PROJECT ORAL HISTORY TRANSCRIPT FAROUK EL-BAZ INTERVIEWED BY REBECCA WRIGHT BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – NOVEMBER 2, 2009 WRIGHT: Today is November 2, 2009. This oral history interview is being conducted with Dr. Farouk El-Baz in Boston, Massachusetts, for the Johnson Space Center Oral History Project. Interviewer is Rebecca Wright, assisted by Jennifer Ross-Nazzal. We certainly would like to start by telling you thank you. We know you‘re a very busy person with a very busy schedule, so thank you for finding time for us today. EL-BAZ: You‘re welcome to come here, because this is part of the history of the United States. It‘s important that we all chip in. WRIGHT: We‘re glad to hear that. We know your work with NASA began as early as 1967 when you became employed by Bellcomm [Incorporated]. Could you share with us how you learned about that opportunity and how you made that transition into becoming an employee there? EL-BAZ: Just the backdrop, I finished my PhD here in the US. First job offer was from Germany. It was in June 1964; I was teaching there [at the University of Heidelberg] until December 1965. I went to Egypt then, tried to get a job in geology. I was unable for a whole year, so I came back to the US as an immigrant in the end of 1966. For the first three months of 1967, I began to search for a job. When I arrived in the winter, most of the people that I knew 2 November 2009 1 Johnson Space Center Oral History Project Farouk El-Baz were at universities, and most universities had hired the people that would teach during the year.
    [Show full text]
  • Killer Corsairs How the Navy Got Them in Line
    JAY LENO’S STASH OF AIRPLANE ENGINES JULY 2021 Vought F4U Corsair KILLER CORSAIRS HOW THE NAVY GOT THEM IN LINE Asteroid Threat A Preemptive Strike p.34 AIRSPACEMAG.COM APOLLO 15 ● AT 50 FIRST CARON THE MOON CREDIT 48 AIR & SPACE airspacemag.com BEFORE APOLLO15, ASTRONAUTS COULD EXPLORE ONLY AS FAR AS THEY COULD WALK. ■ BY EARL SWIFT WHEN APOLLO 14 landed astronauts on the moon for the third time in February 1971, it was met with a week-long yawn by the press and the public. The TV networks carried live coverage of the launch and paid some mind to the long translunar coast, where misfortune had called on Apollo 13, but offered only occasional snippets of Alan Shepard and Ed Mitchell’s time on the lunar surface. News from Fra Mauro was dutifully passed along by the country’s newspapers, but with palpable lack of enthusiasm. America had grown jaded about moon missions, it seemed. But fact was, the second and third lunar landings made for lousy TV. To viewers, they looked pretty much the same as Apollo 11: The astronauts were on foot. The TV camera was stationary and positioned near the lun175 Excerpted and condensed ar module. Its low-resolution footage captured the crew from Across the Airless Wilds: The Lunar Rover and bouncing around base camp, doing nothing especially stir- the Triumph of the Final ring. In fact, Apollo 14’s single made-for-TV moment is Moon Landings, by Earl the only thing many older Americans remember about it: Swift. HarperCollins, 2021. Alan Shepard’s golf shot that went for “miles and miles” in the weak lunar gravity.
    [Show full text]