Posts Tagged ‘Bill Nelson’
Mismatched Models
Most advocates of Human Space Flight programs always model HSF with the airplane model. Government subsidized at first and eventually private for profit companies would take over. Airplane companies that got too dependent on the government subsidies failed, but airlines [Read More]
Two is One and One is None.
There is an old saying, “Two is one and one is none.” It means that if you have only one critical item, and that item breaks, then you have none. Having two of the same critical item ensures that work can continue if one breaks. Many of you have been in [Read More]
America’s Human Space Flight Program 1961 to 2011: An Epitaph
July 21st, 2011, just 42 years and one day after the first landing on the Moon, I sat and watched America’s Human Space Flight Program come to an end after more than 50 years. As the final “Wheels Stop” was announced by the Commander, I watched in tears [Read More]
How Long Has it Been Since an American Astronaut Has Flown on an American Launch Vehicle to Orbit?
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More Bitter Than Sweet
What can you say? It is the end. The last launch of the most successful American Human Space Flight Program, in fact the most successful HSF program in world history, after thirty years. Fourteen people have given their lives riding these magnificent birds striving to [Read More]
Interview Updates
The Space Show interview and parts of the CBS interview are now online. You can download The Space Show interview here or you can download it from iTunes. You can view parts of the CBS 60 minutes interview here. The entire 60 Minutes interview will be broadcast later this [Read More]
Our “New” Human Space Flight Program Explained
Mr. Steven White, a regular reader since April of 2010, created a wonderful video explaining Obama and Senator Bill Nelson’s new Human Space Flight Program that is supposed to replace Constellation. As you know, Constellation was to take us back to the Moon and [Read More]
Shuttle Launch Director’s Message to His Firing Room Team.
Mike Leinbach, the launch director at Kennedy Space Center, ran the final launch simulation the other day in prepreation for the final Space Shuttle launch scheduled for July 8th. He took a minute or two to speak to his entire Firing Room Team and most eloquently summed [Read More]
Obamaville
When I was a child in school and was learning about the Great Depression of the 1930′s, I remember seeing pictures of the shanty towns called “Hoovervilles.” Later on in life, I saw individual homes or shanties while visiting Mexico during a cruise, but [Read More]
Talk About Chutzpah! Obama to Visit KSC For Endeavour’s Last Launch.
Florida Today reports that Obama is planning to attend the last launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Talk about chutzpah! It was just one year ago when Obama came to KSC with his minions, hid from the workers whom he had lied to during the campaign, and killed [Read More]
Charlie Bolden Says: “Your State Voted For Obama? Here, Have a Space Shuttle!
I wasn’t going to comment on NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden’s decision for placement of the soon to be retired Space Shuttles, but since everyone else is throwing in their two cents, I might as well too. The decision made by Charlie Bolden, and I’m [Read More]
“Houston Discovery, For the Final Time, Wheels Stop.
It’s been a couple weeks or so since Discovery ended her very last mission and I have been struggling about what to write. As regular readers know, Discovery was the first Space Shuttle I worked on and has always been very special to me. RV-103 was named in honor [Read More]
Finally, Someone at NASA Admits the Truth…
NASA Chief Technologist, Robert Braun, admitted in a interview with Physorg.com that it would be at least 10 years before NASA can develop and fly humans on a new ship. (Special hat tip to NASAEngineer.com for bringing this story to the forefront.) “But with [Read More]
That’s My Girl!!!
On February 24th, 2011, OV-103 Space Shuttle Discovery launched for the last time into space. Discovery was the first Space Shuttle I had the privilege to work on and she has always been my favorite. I have watched many launches since Columbia’s first launch, and [Read More]
Belated Congratulations to SpaceX
Last month SpaceX completed the first Commercial Orbital Transportation Services or COTS test flight. COTS was set up in January 2006 by NASA, under the leadership of Dr. Griffin, to have commercial companies compete for a contract to deliver supplies to the International [Read More]
Be Careful What You Wish For…
As many of you know, I have been an avid supporter of the Constellation program and have expressed grave doubts about Obama, Senator Nelson, and former Congresswoman Kosmas’s plan to turn our entire Human Space Flight program over to unproven commercial space companies [Read More]
The Space Show Interview Is Now Online
Last night I appeared on The Space Show hosted by Dr. David Livingston. The interview went so well that it went a half hour over the scheduled time. There were many good calls and email questions from all over the world and Kennedy Space Center. I wanted to thank the [Read More]
Political Endorsements
Some folks in the space community are not too keen on public political endorsements, so they sometimes take offense when someone in their community takes a stand and supports a candidate. Since Human Space Flight programs are decided and funded by politicians, I [Read More]
House passes Senate Bill: Constellation and America’s Human Space Flight Program Is Now Dead
This evening the House passed the Senate Bill effectively killing Constellation and America’s Human Space Flight Program after 50 years of leadership in space exploration. Obama, Senator Bill Nelson, and Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas have succeded in dismantling [Read More]
Comparing Apples and Oranges and Space Plans
With all the other news going on lately, many people are not aware that there are now four plans being pushed to replace the Space Shuttle Program. There are of course Constellation, which was first proposed by President Bush seven years ago, and Obama’s plan proposed [Read More]
Start of Discovery’s Final Voyage
Today, Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) rolled over to the Vehicle Assembly Building to be stacked and mated in preparation for being rolled out to Launch Complex 39A. This will be Discovery’s 39th and last mission. Though Discovery launched on her first mission August [Read More]
NASA Administrator: Forget the Moon, Let’s Worship Allah and Sing Kum Ba Yah!
I was going to do some RV type posts today, but then this story came up on Fox News that just blows my mind. It is said, ”Reality is stranger than fiction,” and stories like this prove that cliche’ so true. It seems that NASA Administrator Charlie [Read More]
Civil War: America’s First Space Battle and it’s on Earth!!!
Although Obama and NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden have tried since January 2010 to push Obama’s Power Point plan as America’s new Human Space Flight Program, calling the matter “settled”, seven months later it is far from settled and a Civil War has broken [Read More]
Obama’s April 15th Speech at Kennedy Space Center
I watched with great interest Obama’s speech at Kennedy Space Center and had to take a few days to think about how I would reply to it. (Please also see this post.) I think the first thing that needs to be covered is the ending of the Shuttle Program. I have found, [Read More]
Off Topic, but Important
Though this is a blog chronicling the misadventures of the crew of RV-103, many of you know I am retired from Kennedy Space Center and Human Space Flight is near and dear to my heart. A major event recently occurred that I want to comment on. It is not a launch, but [Read More]
