OT: STS-132 Atlantis Mission
This is one of those "So far OT, its not even earth bound" topics, but since I saw the guy a few board topics below this talking about Java programming, I thought, "What the hell?"
Last Friday, I took my family to Florida to see the space shuttle, Atlantis, roar into space for its final mission, (the Commander's comment just before lift-off, "We're going to take her out of the barn for a few laps around the planet"). I'd seen a lift-off before, but never this close: we were on the causeway over the Banana River, between the NASA side and the Air Force side of Cape Canaveral, about 3.5 miles from Pad 39-A.
For those of you who have never been to a launch, you've got only two more chances. I promise you that it is an experience you will never forget, like your first time at a Michigan game on a fall Saturday. For those of you with children, if you have the means, take them. It will inspire them like nothing else, (well, except for one of Bo's speeches, maybe).
I heard that Denard Robinson powers the Shuttle.
As long as he doesn't wear himself out.
never tires.
after a long, hard practice directly into the fuel tanker.
Last week, Denard spotted with trimmed dreads. This week, space shuttle Atlantis roars into space. Coincidence?
to study aerospace engineering at michigan
UofM Space Engineering G'05
Good luck!
Master's in Space Systems Engineering '02, and project manager for two student satelltie projects while I was at the SRB.
Personal note-- I have an experiment on this shuttle. Soooo happy we got it on the manifest .
Where are you working WIE? NASA HQ here.
Black helicopters man. Black helicopters.
Space, Bitches
I can't imagine a discussion like this happening on an Ohio State or MSU board.
if you want to be a real spacecraft engineer is to join up with the Dr Cutler's student satellite project teams and be a member of the S3FL (Student Space Systems Fabrication Laboratory) as early as possible. This will prep you with great experience for real life / job searching, and put you ahead of the game when it comes to your senior design class so that you have a good chance of being a system lead or chief engineer.
I'll definitely try to get involved in that. Its great to see all the space enthusiasts who still find time for some Michigan football!
I just happened to be in Orlando for work on friday and got to see the launch, it was even better than I though it was going to be. I would recommend to everyone seeing the launch in person if possible!
My brother is a senior reseach scientist for NASA at JPL in Pasadena. He had an apparatus he designed for the space station go up on the April 5 launch.
Here's a little exerpt from a press release....On April 5, the space shuttle launched from the Kennedy Space Centre headed for the International Space Station carrying a vehicle cabin atmosphere monitor, an instrument about the size of a microwave oven designed by the atomic and molecular physics group to which Darrach belongs. The instrument, a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, will operate for one year aboard the station, analyzing organic chemicals in the air, measuring concentrations of components like nitrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide and monitoring any events such as chemical spills within the cabin.
Typically the device will run autonomously but also has allows the astronauts to collect and analyze samples of air they fear may be contaminated from the space station’s various compartments and transmit the data back to earth to toxicologists who can analyze it and advise them if they’re in any danger.
I was at the STS-130 and 131 launches, and I'll say that first, TV doesn't do a launch justice, and second, a night launch is even more incredible. When the boosters fire, it lights up the sky like it's 10am.
This is a view from close to where I watched for both launches, note the sound. And also, it gets the hell out of dodge in a hurry.