Ferrying the Shuttle – Part Three: Hitching a Ride
If the shuttle could not fly itself across the country then how do you get a spacecraft that weighs as much as a Boeing 757 from California to Florida? One idea proposed by Lockheed was to “tow” the Orbiter behind a C-5. This method would be used to ferry the vehicle...
The Lunar Modules That Were Built But Never Flown
In November of 1962, the Grumman company headquartered in Bethpage, New York won the contract to build the Lunar Module that first carried American astronauts to the Moon. Grumman, a well known defense contractor famous for navy fighter aircraft wanted to be a part of the coming race to space, but they...
The Amazing Space Shuttle Atlantis Exhibit at KSC
Thirty three times the Space Shuttle Atlantis journeyed into space before finally coming to rest and now on permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitor Complex. I have been down to KSC many times over the years and I have seen Atlantis launch, land, and I walked under...
Endeavour: One Last Time
At 2:15am Wednesday June 1st, the alarm clock sounded on schedule and I awoke to catch the culmination of the final flight of Endeavour as it was about to touchdown at the Kennedy Space Center. The loud warning sound coming from the alarm also served as a reminder that...
April 12th, Past and Present
The fiftieth anniversary of humankind’s first venture into space is now upon us. April 12, 2011 marked five decades of human space exploration. Significant progress has been made and perhaps more could have been accomplished on our watch in this small window of human history. Persistent political and economic...
Before the Shuttle
In the early days of the space program there were several dynamics that worked for and against a winged, reusable space vehicle. First, the space race itself put resources and focus on a moon landing. A winged, reusable vehicle, while studied extensively by NASA and the Air Force through...
The Way of the Pyramids
Standing on the Giza Plateau outside of Cairo, Egypt stands a modern marvel for its time, the Great Pyramid. For 3800 years it stood alone as the tallest man-made structures on the planet. The Egyptians don’t build pyramids anymore and haven’t for over 4500 years. At night they shine...
Apollo at Forty
Forty years ago humans embarked on a dangerous journey from which their safety and return could not be guaranteed. Not since humans first journeyed far from the savanna’s of Africa or set sail across vast oceans has any trip been so defining of the spirit that lives in all...
The Presidents and NASA
With the nominations of former astronaut and retired Marine Corps Major General Charles Bolden and former NASA associate administrator Lori Garver as the next number one and two to lead NASA President Barack Obama has taken the first step in building a space legacy for his administration. To date,...
The Last Great Space Shuttle Mission
As the Space Shuttle Atlantis prepares to return back to earth there is reason to celebrate the work done by the crew of STS-125. After five spacewalks totaling nearly thirty-seven hours the Hubble upgrade has by all accounts been an overwhelming success. The mission that put two of NASA’s...