DOCSLIB.ORG

PHYSICS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Spring 2006

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
PHYSICS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Spring 2006 Department of Chemistry & Physics g 100 Campus Drive g Weatherford, OK 73096-3089 PHYSICS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER Spring 2006 http://www.swosu.edu/academics/physics g [email protected] g Terry Goforth, Editor one full mile to the four-way speaking on “The International stop. Turn left (east) and go Space Station: What does it do, about ½ mile to Cedar Canyon what have we learned, what's PHYSICS E. (Pass up Cedar Canyon W.) GRADS Turn south (right) and drive next?” NAMED about 0.4 miles. The sign “JONES 20" will be on the east DISTINGUISHED After receiving a B.S. in Engi- (left) side of the road. Turn neering Physics from SWOSU, ALUMNI down the driveway. (The house Ms. Gard started her career at Now everyone knows what we is not visible from the road.) knew all along. We have some ALUMNI ARE WELCOME!!! NASA’s Marshall Space Flight pretty special graduates. This Center where she performed year, two have been singled out Science is a way of trying not design, computational analysis for recognition as SWOSU Dis- to fool yourself.– Richard and testing on the International tinguished Alumni. John Feynman Space Station’s (ISS) environ- Aaron (‘64) and Dr. Benny Hill mental control, life support, MELISSA (‘57) will be honored for their thermal and fire protection sys- many accomplishments at the GARD WILL tems. In 1998 she was tempor- SWOSU Convocation on May SPEAK AT BANQUET arily assigned to NASA Head- 13, 2006. Keep your eye on Take a trip to the International quarters in Washington, D.C. SWOSU’s News and on the Space Station. For $20 mil- where she worked on Congres- Physics Alumni Web Page for lion, you might hitch a ride on related activities. More infor- sional materials related to ISS. mation about these high achiev- a Russian rocket. Or for the Melissa then transferred to ers is presented later in the much more reasonable rate of NASA’s Johnson Space Center newsletter. $12, you can get a fine meal, where she served as Technical the company of friends old and Assistant to the Deputy Pro- new, and an evening learning gram Manager for ISS Opera- ALWAYS GREAT about the ISS at the 25th An- tions. Following that assign- FOOD! The nual Spring Physics Banquet. ment she was the Mission Man- Physics and This year’s gathering will be on ager for the third and sixth ex- Engineering Club Saturday, April 1, at 7 p.m. in Annual Shish-kebab peditions to the ISS. She is will be held on the SWOSU Conference Cen- currently a Senior Manager in Saturday, 6 May ter (at the corner of Davis Rd. the ISS Mission Evaluation 2006 at 6:00 p.m. The location and 7th St. across the street Room, leading the engineering will be Dr. Jones’ house. from Milam Stadium). team that monitors ISS system To get to the Jones Estate, take operations and performs anom- exit 84 (Airport Rd) from I-40 Alumna Melissa (Missy aly resolution. Her awards in- and go south on Airport Road Dubiel) Gard (‘89) will be clude the Silver Snoopy award - SWOSU PHYSICS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER , page 2 SPRING 2006 the astronauts’ personal award College of Health Sciences to A bridge is too complex to for ensuring crew and mission work on his post-graduate degree calculate all of the forces in- safety - and the NASA Excep- in Osteopathic Medicine. Casey volved, and so engineers con- tional Service Medal. Wells (Ninnekah) has chosen to struct a mathematical model pursue an advanced degree in relating the forces that they think will be important. Meas- In addition to food for both Medical Physics. To further prepare for his studies, Casey has urements of real bridges, or of body and mind, the evening begun his graduate career by physical models, verify that a will include the annual induc- picking up additional courses in mathematical model is good tion of new Sigma Pi Sigma biology and chemistry here at and yields the values of con- members and presentation of SWOSU. Casey also continues stants in the equations of the awards and scholarships. to serve the SWOSU student model. Unfortunately Mois- body and physics program by seiff extended his model far Mark your calendars and make using his considerable beyond where it had been tested. His design called for a your reservations now. Just let background tutoring students in visually stunning bridge, a beginning physics courses. us know your plans–you can narrow and thin ribbon of Congratulations Chris and Casey! always pay at the door. We roadway gracefully suspen- just need a head count for the ded from two soaring towers. caterers about 3 days in ad- Make everything as simple as Moisseiff’s plan would use vance. Hope to see you there! possible, but not simpler. – less steel and cost only 8 Albert Einstein million dollars, so his version is the bridge that was built–and besides, Moisseiff PHYSICS AND was famous. ENGINEERING CLUB THE OFFICERS COLLAPSE The bridge’s extreme flexibility Pres: Moin Khan OF THE TACOMA allowed it to oscillate in the VP: Santosh Bhatt NARROWS BRIDGE wind and led to its nickname, “Galloping Gertie.” At times Sec: Bhaskar Basnet Dr. Charles Rogers the roadbed became a sinu- Treas: Micah Perkins ous sine wave with ampli- The Tacoma Narrows bridge Publ Rel: Michelle Schuldt tudes so large that a car in a was opened to the public on Historian: Vishnu Pokhrel valley would disappear from July 1, 1940. At 1.8 km long, Spn: Dr. Tony Stein the view of a car in a valley it was the third longest sus- behind it. About 10:00 a.m. pension bridge in the world at on November 7, 1940, Leo- that time. As originally de- CONGRATULATIONS, nard Coatsworth, a news signed by Clark Eldridge, it editor for the Tacoma News GRADS! would have cost 11 million Tribune, drove onto the bridge This year two dollars to build, but eastern with the family dog, Tubby, in SWOSU Physics financiers would not lend the the back seat. The roadway students received money to build it unless an was rising and falling 3 feet their diplomas at engineer of their choice revi- every 90 seconds. Suddenly convocation. Chris Robertson sed the plans. They chose a stiffening line broke loose (Meeker) received his degree in Leon Moisseiff, a world fa- and the bridge began to twist Biophysics and is off to the OSU mous bridge designer. SWOSU PHYSICS ALUMNI NEWSLETTER , page 3 SPRING 2006 about its center line, pushing At first it was supposed that force of winds, but Farquhar- the left sidewalk 28 feet be- the bridge’s collapse was son showed that the complex low the right sidewalk. Then caused by the wind exciting a interplay between the struc- the left sidewalk rose and the natural frequency of the ture and the wind must be ac- right sidewalk fell, and so on, bridge–a resonance pheno- counted for. The field of every 5 seconds. Coats- menon. Under this guise bridge aerodynamics was worth’s car was thrown a- pictures of the bridge collapse born, providing gainful em- gainst the curb in the oppo- have made it into numerous ployment for engineers and site lane, but Coatsworth physics text books. The exci- safer bridges for the public. managed to crawl out a win- tation mechanism was dow. The terrified dog would thought to be the formation In questions of science, the not come. and shedding of vortices in authority of a thousand is not the lee of the bridge, but the worth the humble reasoning of Not able to stay on his feet, expected period for this was 1 a single individual.–Galileo Coatsworth clung to the curb second, not the measured 5 Galilei as he crawled towards the seconds. East Tower 150 meters a- NEWS FROM way. As he neared the tow- Frederick Bert Farquharson, CLUB WE-BE- er, he met Winfield Brown, a Professor of Civil Engineering college student, who had ear- at the University of Washing- GONE lier walked across the bridge ton, took measurements and Travels of the for the thrill of the roller coas- filmed the collapse. He was ter effect for the price of the onsite because he had been Physics and Engineering Club dime toll. They both made it assigned to find ways to make to safety. At 10:30 a.m. a the bridge stiffer. (He also The past year has been as large chunk of concrete drop- managed to reach eventful as ever. Our spring ped from the central span. A Coatsworth’s car to rescue short while later the rumble of Tubby, but when he reached trip took us to Colorado Galloping Gertie reached a inside, Tubby bit his finger Springs in the great state of crescendo: the air was filled and drove him off.) Later Far- Colorado for the Space Sym- with the shrieking of twisting quharson made a scale model steel girders, the sharp gun- of the bridge and discovered posium’s job fair. It was an eye- shot sounds of snapping ca- that straight winds could opening experience for all of us, bles and popping bolts, and excite a torsional mode with a the grinding of concrete a- 5 second period–exactly what particularly our Senior (and gainst concrete. One of the had destroyed the bridge. some Juniors) who waited in line two suspension cables slip- The oscillation frequency was for the interviews. It was parti- ped from its saddle atop a independent of any aspect of tower, and, at 11:02 a.m., a the wind, provided that the cularly gratifying to see employ- 200-meter-long section of the wind speed was large e- er after employer emphasizing roadway tore loose from the nough.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • NASA Manned Launch Vehicle Lightning Protection Development
    https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20090037586 2019-08-30T08:05:42+00:00Z View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by NASA Technical Reports Server NASA Manned Launch Vehicle Lightning Protection Development Matthew B. McCollum NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA Steven R. Jones NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA Jonathan D. Mack NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, USA ABSTRACT understanding of the lightning environment has highlighted the vulnerability of the protection Historically, the National Aeronautics and Space schemes and associated risk to the vehicle, which Administration (NASA) relied heavily on lightning has resulted in lost launch opportunities and avoidance to protect launch vehicles and crew from increased expenditures in manpower to assess lightning effects. As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle vehicle health and safety after Space Shuttle to the new Constellation family of lightning events at the launch pad. launch vehicles and spacecraft, NASA engineers are imposing design and construction standards on the Because of high-percentage launch availability and spacecraft and launch vehicles to withstand both the long-term on-pad requirements, LCC constraints are direct and indirect effects of lightning. no longer considered feasible.[5] The Constellation vehicles must be designed to withstand direct and A review of current Space Shuttle lightning indirect effects of lightning. A review of the vehicle constraints and protection methodology will be design and potential concerns will be presented as presented, as well as a historical review of Space well as the new catenary lightning protection system Shuttle lightning requirements and design.
    [Show full text]
  • Lightning Really DOES Strike Twice! the True Story of Apollo 12’S Near Abort Less Than a Minute After Launch
    In This Issue Lightning Really DOES Strike Twice! The True Story of Apollo 12’s Near Abort Less Than a Minute After Launch Cover Photo: Madcow Rocketry’s Torrent Kit Get one now at: http://www.apogeerockets.com/madcow_torrent.asp Apogee Components, Inc. — Your Source For Rocket Supplies That Will Take You To The “Peak-of-Flight” 3355 Fillmore Ridge Heights Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907-9024 USA www.ApogeeRockets.com e-mail: [email protected] ISSUE 295 SEPTEMBER 13, 2011 Lightning Really DOES Strike Twice! The True Story of Apollo 12’s Near Abort Less Than a Minute After Launch By Bart Hennin November 14, 1969 11:23:33 am EST (Mission Time T plus 1 min. 33 sec.) Moments after launch... How things had gone to hell so quickly was anyone’s guess. Mission rules said Apollo 12 should have already aborted. Pete Conrad, mission Commander (and veteran test pilot) continued to hold his hand firmly on the spacecraft’s ‘abort handle’. His mind raced. How could an electrical “short” have caused such widespread failures of so many systems so quickly? The spacecraft’s interior had fallen into darkness for lack of power, save the illumination provided by the myriad of flashing alarm lights! The 3 man astronaut crew couldn’t even tell in which direction their rapidly accelerating machine was heading. They had lost all their “8 balls” - the gyroscopes that track the spacecraft’s position. Yet Conrad resisted flicking his wrist the 1/4 turn that would abort the mission. That small snap of the wrist would instantly set off a series of violent events.
    [Show full text]
  • CHAPTER 9: the Flight of Apollo
    CHAPTER 9: The Flight of Apollo The design and engineering of machines capable of taking humans into space evolved over time, and so too did the philosophy and procedures for operating those machines in a space environment. MSC personnel not only managed the design and construction of space- craft, but the operation of those craft as well. Through the Mission Control Center, a mission control team with electronic tentacles linked the Apollo spacecraft and its three astronauts with components throughout the MSC, NASA, and the world. Through the flights of Apollo, MSC became a much more visible component of the NASA organization, and oper- ations seemingly became a dominant focus of its energies. Successful flight operations required having instant access to all of the engineering expertise that went into the design and fabrication of the spacecraft and the ability to draw upon a host of supporting groups and activities. N. Wayne Hale, Jr., who became a flight director for the later Space Transportation System (STS), or Space Shuttle, missions, compared the flights of Apollo and the Shuttle as equivalent to operating a very large and very complex battleship. Apollo had a flight crew of only three while the Shuttle had seven. Instead of the thousands on board being physically involved in operating the battleship, the thousands who helped the astronauts fly Apollo were on the ground and tied to the command and lunar modules by the very sophisticated and advanced electronic and computer apparatus housed in Mission Control.1 The flights of Apollo for the first time in history brought humans from Earth to walk upon another celes- tial body.
    [Show full text]
  • Skylab: the Human Side of a Scientific Mission
    SKYLAB: THE HUMAN SIDE OF A SCIENTIFIC MISSION Michael P. Johnson, B.A. Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2007 APPROVED: J. Todd Moye, Major Professor Alfred F. Hurley, Committee Member Adrian Lewis, Committee Member and Chair of the Department of History Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Johnson, Michael P. Skylab: The Human Side of a Scientific Mission. Master of Arts (History), May 2007, 115pp., 3 tables, references, 104 titles. This work attempts to focus on the human side of Skylab, America’s first space station, from 1973 to 1974. The thesis begins by showing some context for Skylab, especially in light of the Cold War and the “space race” between the United States and the Soviet Union. The development of the station, as well as the astronaut selection process, are traced from the beginnings of NASA. The focus then shifts to changes in NASA from the Apollo missions to Skylab, as well as training, before highlighting the three missions to the station. The work then attempts to show the significance of Skylab by focusing on the myriad of lessons that can be learned from it and applied to future programs. Copyright 2007 by Michael P. Johnson ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This thesis would not be possible without the help of numerous people. I would like to begin, as always, by thanking my parents. You are a continuous source of help and guidance, and you have never doubted me. Of course I have to thank my brothers and sisters.
    [Show full text]
  • MICHAEL JOHNSON Mission Control Inventing The
    WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING “We have all seen NASA’s mission control centers at moments of both triumph and tragedy. Johnson makes a significant contribution to space- flight history by analyzing their pivotal role.”—ROGER LAUNIUS, associate director for collections and curatorial affaris, National Air and Space Museum. “Adresses a critical yet neglected topic in the history of space exploration, namely the role of mission controllers on the ground, without whom little could have ever been accomplished in space.” —PAUL E. CERUZZ, author of Computing: A Concise History “Mission control centers are where the action happens in a spaceflight.This book looks at three important centers, comparing them to each other and revealing their similarities and differences”—DAVID CHISTOPHER ARNOLD, author of Spying from Space: Constructing America’s Satellite Command and Control Systems For more information, contact the UPF Marketing Department: (352) 392-1351 x 232 | [email protected] Available for purchase from booksellers worldwide. To order direct from the publisher, call the University Press of Florida: 1 (800) 226-3822. MISSION CONTROL 978-0-8130-6150-4 Inventing the Groundwork of Spaceflight Hardcover $24.95 216 pp | 6 x 9 | 14 b/w illus. MICHAEL PETER JOHNSON UNIVERSITY PRESS OF FLORIDA - OCTOBER 2015 Courtesy of Augustin-Khoi Le MICHAEL JOHNSON completed his PhD in the History of Technology at Auburn University in 2012. He taught at Grand Valley State University and was the former director of the Skylab Oral History Project before joining the seminary for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. MICHAEL JOHNSON is available for interviews and appearances.
    [Show full text]
  • Using the Space Program from Mercury to Apollo As Portrayed In
    Using the Space Program from Mercury to Apollo as Portrayed in the Movies The Right Stuff and Apollo 13 and in the Mini‐series From the Earth to the Moon as a Teaching Tool James G. Goll Department of Chemistry, Geoscience and Physics Edgewood College, Madison, WI 53711 [email protected] Abstract This chapter will examine how popular media related to the space program can be used to demonstrate the nature and motivation of scientific inquiry and science concepts. For over fifty years, the space program has inspired students of science and engineering. The United States manned space program from project Mercury to Apollo is the subject of two movies, The Right Stuff and Apollo 13, and the mini‐series From the Earth to the Moon. Many documentary style television productions are available to supplement these movies and the miniseries. These documentaries provide recollections from astronauts, flight controllers, and flight directors. Moonshot and To the Moon chronicle the manned space program during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. The documentary To the Edge and Back inspired the movie, Apollo13. The Science Channel’s Moon Machines show many behind‐the‐scenes people who made the trips to the moon possible. The History Channel used the manned space program as a subject for several of its series: Man, Moment, and Machine, Modern Marvels, 20th Century with Mike Wallace, and Failure is Not an Option. Introduction The movie Apollo13 (1995) and the follow‐up miniseries From the Earth to the Moon (1998), have been used to teach many chemistry concepts (1‐5). Apollo 13 has been shown to produce both high impact upon audiences and high utility for instructors when used as a teaching tool (6).
    [Show full text]
  • Before Reading
    Before Reading Video link at The Race to Save Apollo 13 thinkcentral.com Nonfiction by Michael Useem How can we achieve the IMPOSSIBLE? Some situations may seem hopeless at first. But when lives are at RI 1 Cite evidence to support stake, people often find a way to achieve the impossible. In “The analysis of what the text says Race to Save Apollo 13,” Michael Useem describes the extraordinary explicitly. RI 4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases efforts of NASA employees to rescue astronauts aboard a damaged as they are used in a text. spacecraft. RI 5 Analyze how an author’s ideas are developed and refined. Emergency Strategies RI 6 Determine an author’s 1. Stay calm. purpose in a text. DISCUSS With a small group, discuss strategies that can help people deal with an emergency. Share your list of 2. Share information. strategies with the class. 3. 4. 5. 118 NA_L10PE-u01s7-brRac.indd 118 12/25/10 3:23:51 PM Meet the Author text analysis: suspense in nonfiction To draw the reader into a story, writers often create suspense— Michael Useem a feeling of excitement or tension about what will happen born 1942 next. In nonfiction, a writer may create suspense by raising Deciding Moments questions about the outcome of a situation or by emphasizing Michael Useem (yL-sCmP) is a University the risks involved. For example, in “The Race to Save Apollo 13,” of Pennsylvania professor who specializes in Apollo Michael Useem lets the reader know how much is at stake in issues of leadership.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo Mission Control the Making of a National Historic Landmark
    Apollo Mission Control The Making of a National Historic Landmark More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/4097 Other Springer-Praxis books by Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Stratonauts: Pioneers Venturing into the Stratosphere, 2014 ISBN:978-3-319-02900-9 The Birth of NASA: The Work of the Space Task Group, America’s First True Space Pioneers, 2016 ISBN:978-3-319-28426-2 Exploring the Martian Moons: A Human Mission to Deimos and Phobos, 2017 ISBN:978-3-319-52699-7 Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Apollo Mission Control The Making of a National Historic Landmark Manfred “Dutch” von Ehrenfried Leander, Texas, USA SPRINGER-PRAXIS BOOKS IN SPACE EXPLORATION Springer Praxis Books ISBN 978-3-319-76683-6 ISBN 978-3-319-76684-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76684-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018939417 © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo 13 50Th Anniversary
    Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 13 Mission at the HOME of Odyssey! We’re your place for space– and Apollo 13 Celebrations! The Cosmosphere is planning a full line-up to honor the milestone anniversary of NASA’s most successful failure! From hands- on activities and special collector’s items in the gift store, to an Odyssey Selfie Station in the Hall of Space Museum, to a special Apollo 13 Artifact Scavenger Hunt—the Cosmosphere is your place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this harrowing mission. The authentic Apollo 13 command module, Odyssey, resides in the Cosmosphere’s Hall of Space Be sure to watch our website and social Museum. media for all the details soon! Apollo 13: A Mission of Survival Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 13 INSIDE THIS On Saturday, April 4th, the Cosmosphere which NASA has called its most SPECIAL EDITION — a Smithsonian-affiliated museum successful failure. The first event, and home to the authentic Apollo 13 called “Mission Debrief”, will be held at APOLLO 13 command module, Odyssey — invites the 1:30 p.m. at Hutchinson’s Historic Fox public to celebrate the 50th anniversary Theatre and will be a panel presentation 50TH ANNIVERSARY of the Apollo 13 mission with astronauts featuring the full line-up of honored Jim Lovell and Fred Haise, along with guests, moderated by author Andrew » Everything Apollo 13! members of the Johnson Space Center Chaikin. A second event, which is part Mission Control crew, including Gene of the “Odyssey Gala Ticket Package”, » Introduction of our NEW Kranz and many more.
    [Show full text]
  • A History of the Lightning Launch Commit Criteria and the Lightning Advisory Panel for America’S Space Program
    https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20110000675 2019-08-30T13:44:50+00:00Z NASA/SP—2010–216283 A History of the Lightning Launch Commit Criteria and the Lightning Advisory Panel for America’s Space Program Francis J. Merceret, Editor NASA, John F. Kennedy Space Center John C. Willett, Editor Air Force Research Laboratory (Retired) Hugh J. Christian University of Alabama in Huntsville James E. Dye National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado E. Phillip Krider University of Arizona, Department of Atmospheric Sciences John T. Madura NASA, John F. Kennedy Space Center T. Paul O’Brien Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, California W. David Rust National Severe Storms Laboratory Richard L. Walterscheid Aerospace Corporation, Space Sciences Department, El Segundo, California National Aeronautics and Space Administration John F. Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 August 2010 Executive Summary Since natural and artificially-initiated (or ‘triggered’) lightning are demonstrated hazards to the launch of space vehicles, the American space program has responded by establishing a set of Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC) and Definitions to mitigate the risk. The LLCC apply to all Federal Government ranges and have been adopted by the Federal Aviation Administration for application at state-operated and private spaceports. The LLCC and their associated definitions have been developed, reviewed, and approved over the years of the American space program starting from relatively simple rules in the mid-twentieth century (that were not adequate) to a complex suite for launch operations in the early 21st century. During this evolutionary process, a “Lightning Advisory Panel (LAP)” of top American scientists in the field of atmospheric electricity was established to guide it.
    [Show full text]
  • Apollo 12: “Pinpoint for Science” Following the Successful Apollo 11 Mission to Land the First Humans on the Moon, NASA Conducted A
    Apollo 12: “Pinpoint for Science” Following the successful Apollo 11 mission to land the first humans on the Moon, NASA conducted a series of six additional crewed lunar missions, each intended to expand science knowledge by visiting somewhat riskier landing sites, for longer periods of time, traversing longer distances and utilizing more advanced equipment and measuring devices. Apollo 12 was an iconic mission, not only for its pinpoint landing, but also for some serious issues that the crew and ground support personnel dealt with, often in a humorous but always capable way. All photos courtesy of NASA. Major Mission Objectives: • Attempt a pinpoint landing. • Study another mare (sea) – the Ocean of Storms. • Conduct two Moon walks. • Deploy various measuring instruments and conduct scientific experiments. • Collect samples of lunar soil and rocks for scientific examination back on Earth. • Locate and study the Surveyor 3 lander. • Study the Moon’s surface from above. • Photograph additional potential landing sites. • Return safely to Earth. The Crew The Apollo 12 featured an all-Navy crew led by Commander Charles (Pete) Conrad, a veteran of Gemini 5 and 11 missions. Alan Bean served in his first spaceflight as Apollo 12’s Lunar Module Pilot. Richard (Dick) Gordon, Conrad’s Gemini 11 crewmate, rounded out the crew as Command Module Pilot. Pete Conrad would later fly the first mission to occupy Skylab, the first U.S. space station. Alan Bean visited Skylab on the following mission and later became a well-known and respected space artist. Apollo 12 was Dick Gordon’s final mission. All three crew members have passed away.
    [Show full text]
  • John W. Aaron Interviewed by Kevin M
    ORAL HISTORY 3 TRANSCRIPT JOHN W. AARON INTERVIEWED BY KEVIN M. RUSNAK HOUSTON, TEXAS – 26 JANUARY 2000 RUSNAK: Today is January 26, 2000. This interview with John Aaron is being conducted at the Johnson Space Center for the JSC Oral History Project. The interviewer is Kevin Rusnak, assisted by Carol Butler and Rob Coyle. Thank you for meeting with us again. We were just discussing Apollo 13, so why don't you tell us what was going on when that happened. AARON: Yes, you asked me offline, before we started here, about whether or not the Apollo 13 movie depicted more or less what was my role was on Apollo 13, and I basically said, yes, I thought they did a very good job of capturing the drama and the context and the overall sequence that happened. It's hard to tell a four-day intense story in two hours, so I think they did an excellent job. The one thing that I thought was interesting, probably departed from the actual way we did it, the way we developed the entry sequence of how to power up the command module and service module in preparation for entry was greatly oversimplified in the movie, because it depicted that we had a very high-fidelity simulator that if you went in and tried an entry sequence, the power profile would just be a high-fidelity byproduct of that. And in those days, simulators were computer speed and memory limited, so mostly what simulators concentrated on was the flying characteristics of the vehicles, because that was the key thing to train a crew.
    [Show full text]