Friday, July 22, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Thank You NASA
A few years ago a certain Purdue graduate opened a hinged metal door and climbed down a ladder. Before stepping off this ladder and leaving one of the most famous footprints ever, he said a few words and changed history. Of course, the story of the first landing on the moon is a much grander and exciting story than what I've summarized here. In fact, this company had a very special role in ensuring that Mr. Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins were able to make that trip... we made sure they ate well.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
Friday, July 15, 2005
My First Computer Book


Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Warp 9 Mr Sulu


Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Return to Flight. God Speed

Tomorrow, Discovery, will launch and return the US manned space program to some semblance of what it was a few years ago. Gone, at least for a while, will be the spectacular night launches. Instead, we'll see, for the forseeable future, launches in the daytime, so that over a hundered newly installed cameras can click thousands of pictures to inspect the shuttle post launch. After Challenger I recall catching myself hold my breath after SRB seperation. I'm sure I'll be holding my breath until the tires on Discovery touch down on the runway. It would see that these accidents should remind us that this business of space travel is anything but routine. Go back to the point in time right before Challenger and read the small stories, buried on page 6 in local newspapers and read how "routine" the world thought space travel had become. I remember trying to watch the launch of Atlantis years ago, only to find ABC being the only network to carry it live. NBC wouldn't interrupt their programming to go live to the Cape. Weird to think with all the press and attention focussed on Discovery tomorrow that we seem to be the same public who started to believe that a trip to the moon in 1970 was "routine". Read, "From The Earth to the Moon" or watch Apollo 13 for a quick refresher on that episode.
Given all these events, I hope we remember and never forget and that in some ways, space travel has been forever changed in the hearts and minds of those at NASA and the average citizen. Space travel is not easy, cheap, routine, safe, routine nor unimportant. I will not begin the argument of why we should be in space, whether low Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars or anywhere else "up there". Suffice it to say that I believe we need to be there for many reasons. "We" being people of this planet and WE , being the people of this nation. I hope anyone who catches a glipse of this news story tomorrow hears and understands that these pioneers that risk there lives, do so for many reasons; that we remember that they do it gladly with full knowledge and support of their families, collegues, and willing, the citizens of this country.
They have my support and both my hopes and prayers go with them. God Speed Discovery.