an educator has been given a starring role on Endeavor

And, Barbara Morgan was the backup for Christa McAuliffe on the ill-fated Challenger mission. 21 years have passed. Read her bio and learn about patience and perserverance: http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html

Try "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. A true astronaut's inside look at the shuttle program. I can't imagine what Barbara has endured.

Ken.

ps: JW, It's on it's way. Had to read it again before sending it...

I can't imagine what Barbara has endured.

Don't think that before she drifts off to sleep she won't be thinking about Christa and how she should have had the experience, too. The thing that blows me away is that she's two years older than me! Maybe there's hope... nah. I also realize that some younger members of our club weren't born 21 years ago, including Art. Right, Art? Close, by almost a year? I THINK we only have three years left for the shuttle program, then it's up to Orion, I believe made right here in Denver at Lockheed Martin, to take over.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/orion/index.html

A lot of Orion is getting designed right here in some buildings at Wadsworth and Hampden, and there is at least one NCR member working on it. The rest is spread out between Houston, Arizona, Cleveland, Chicago, Louisiana, and probably plenty of other places. Definitely a big program. The structural parts will be built in Louisiana and it will get tested in Houston and at the Cape in Florida.

The idea for Orion is to remove most of the inherent fragility of the Shuttle, (falling ice, huge aerodynamic forces during ascent, no abort modes for certain phases of flight) while making a vehicle that's a lot more capable than Apollo. The challenging part is that most of the avionics guys are used to making heavy, power-hungry boxes for ISS and the shuttle, and the launch vehicle is a single Shuttle solid booster with a brand new second stage stuck on top, and it can't get any bigger. I'm more humbled by the Apollo achievement every day. Pretty much whenever something in the design is out of whack, it turns out that it's because we're doing it differently than Apollo did. As indispensable as our powerful computer tools appear to be now, it's not at all clear that they've made us better engineers.

I'm more humbled by the Apollo achievement every day. Pretty much whenever something in the design is out of whack, it turns out that it's because we're doing it differently than Apollo did.

God Bless Wernher von Braun, my childhood mentor, and his crew of ex-patriot German rocket boys! Same problems as we're facing now though and we'll always face, and there's ALWAYS more than one way to solve a problem. Apollo was more the TRA way, more power will get you there, than NAR sophistication. However, what gets you there gets you there. 😉

Well, it's not really possible to get to the moon with 3 people with any less power than Apollo used. The current plans already call for the use of far more total power than any Apollo mission 🙂

It was an amazing achievement, no doubt (and it really bugs me when some people claim that it was all a hoax 🙄 )

I'm more humbled by the Apollo achievement every day. Pretty much whenever something in the design is out of whack, it turns out that it's because we're doing it differently than Apollo did.

God Bless Wernher von Braun, my childhood mentor, and his crew of ex-patriot German rocket boys! Same problems as we're facing now though and we'll always face, and there's ALWAYS more than one way to solve a problem. Apollo was more the TRA way, more power will get you there, than NAR sophistication. However, what gets you there gets you there. 😉

And even more so Be sure not to forget to bless Wernher Von Bruan's Mentor and hero. The grandfather of Rocketry and the future of space flight and all what seems the ideas of where we are at in that realm today. Robert Goddard. I was fortunate enough on a trip that James and I took together to Roswell NM. to go to the Goddard museum. Its his entire shop as it was left by him (moved to the museum piece by piece and put just as it was left by Goddard by the USN) Outside on the front lawn of the museum is an actual A5 Goddard in its original launch tower. One of 3 original A5's left. But to see it there in this enormous tower pointing upwards still looking ready for flight. What a sight. Just to think he was flying to 3000 to 4000 ft max back then. That was back close to 80 years ago that he got started doing things. What a genius. What ingenuity. I highly recommend the visit if ever in Roswell.

I remember the challenger disaster. I was even watching it on TV when it happened. Such was a sad day. Now 21 years later Barbera Morgan gets the dream ride. Thinking about the Challenger again brings back the feelings I felt then. Godspeed to all. May they all come home safe. And if only Werner and Goddard could see us now.

I was fortunate enough on a trip that James and I took together to Roswell NM. to go to the Goddard museum.

My wife and I went there on our first vacation, like being in a church for us rocket guys, right, bro? 😉

I was fortunate enough on a trip that James and I took together to Roswell NM. to go to the Goddard museum.

My wife and I went there on our first vacation, like being in a church for us rocket guys, right, bro? 😉

Amen to that..!

Ah I feel a tear welling in the corner of my eye...'sniffle, sniffle'.

I'm more humbled by the Apollo achievement every day. Pretty much whenever something in the design is out of whack, it turns out that it's because we're doing it differently than Apollo did.

God Bless Wernher von Braun, my childhood mentor, and his crew of ex-patriot German rocket boys! Same problems as we're facing now though and we'll always face, and there's ALWAYS more than one way to solve a problem. Apollo was more the TRA way, more power will get you there, than NAR sophistication. However, what gets you there gets you there. 😉

And even more so Be sure not to forget to bless Wernher Von Bruan's Mentor and hero. The grandfather of Rocketry and the future of space flight and all what seems the ideas of where we are at in that realm today. Robert Goddard. I was fortunate enough on a trip that James and I took together to Roswell NM. to go to the Goddard museum. Its his entire shop as it was left by him (moved to the museum piece by piece and put just as it was left by Goddard by the USN) Outside on the front lawn of the museum is an actual A5 Goddard in its original launch tower. One of 3 original A5's left. But to see it there in this enormous tower pointing upwards still looking ready for flight. What a sight. Just to think he was flying to 3000 to 4000 ft max back then. That was back close to 80 years ago that he got started doing things. What a genius. What ingenuity. I highly recommend the visit if ever in Roswell.

I remember the challenger disaster. I was even watching it on TV when it happened. Such was a sad day. Now 21 years later Barbera Morgan gets the dream ride. Thinking about the Challenger again brings back the feelings I felt then. Godspeed to all. May they all come home safe. And if only Werner and Goddard could see us now.

Con,

While i was always a fan of Goddard, I believe it was this man under whom Von Braun studied, that had the most influence.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Oberth

Next to this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Tsiolkovsky
Oberth probably had the greatest influence in developing the ideas that make rocketry possible. Von Braun made them work.

Maybe Joe or Jon S know to what extent Tsilokovsky influenced Goddard himself. But for my nickel, Tsilo. remians the godfather of all spaceflight.

I'm more humbled by the Apollo achievement every day. Pretty much whenever something in the design is out of whack, it turns out that it's because we're doing it differently than Apollo did.

God Bless Wernher von Braun, my childhood mentor, and his crew of ex-patriot German rocket boys! Same problems as we're facing now though and we'll always face, and there's ALWAYS more than one way to solve a problem. Apollo was more the TRA way, more power will get you there, than NAR sophistication. However, what gets you there gets you there. 😉

And even more so Be sure not to forget to bless Wernher Von Bruan's Mentor and hero. The grandfather of Rocketry and the future of space flight and all what seems the ideas of where we are at in that realm today. Robert Goddard. I was fortunate enough on a trip that James and I took together to Roswell NM. to go to the Goddard museum. Its his entire shop as it was left by him (moved to the museum piece by piece and put just as it was left by Goddard by the USN) Outside on the front lawn of the museum is an actual A5 Goddard in its original launch tower. One of 3 original A5's left. But to see it there in this enormous tower pointing upwards still looking ready for flight. What a sight. Just to think he was flying to 3000 to 4000 ft max back then. That was back close to 80 years ago that he got started doing things. What a genius. What ingenuity. I highly recommend the visit if ever in Roswell.

I remember the challenger disaster. I was even watching it on TV when it happened. Such was a sad day. Now 21 years later Barbera Morgan gets the dream ride. Thinking about the Challenger again brings back the feelings I felt then. Godspeed to all. May they all come home safe. And if only Werner and Goddard could see us now.

Con,

While i was always a fan of Goddard, I believe it was this man under whom Von Braun studied, that had the most influence.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermann_Oberth

Next to this guy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Tsiolkovsky
Oberth probably had the greatest influence in developing the ideas that make rocketry possible. Von Braun made them work.

Maybe Joe or Jon S know to what extent Tsilokovsky influenced Goddard himself. But for my nickel, Tsilo. remians the godfather of all spaceflight.

John

If ever you go to the Goddard Museum, there are several if not many pictures of Von Braun with Goddards wife actually dedicating the museum/memorial for Dr Goodard. Von Braun even himself claims in his own words there of the importance to him that Goddard was and what he ment to being the begining of the future. It was quite very cool to see. Actually Von Braun was the first to ever fly or produce a liquid fueled rocket.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Goddard_(scientist)

As I also know about Oberth and he to was a highly influential man in his time. It was he and Von Braun that made it possible for the USA to win the space race and make it to the moon. But both still were after Goddard's time of work that actually made it into the air. All of these guys were all important, Just my observation to what I know has been stated at his memorial and in other books ive read about Goddard, including comments about him by Von Braun.

Now if memory from past conversations serveres me right (some many great stories ive heard and been told). My good friend John Wickman has had the pleasure to work with Oberth in past as a partner. Herman Oberth's work came a little later in time. In 1929, Oberth launched his first liquid fuel rocket, named Kegeldüse. In fact he did it with the help of Students and one of wich being Von Braun. (so yes you could say that Von Braun did [proably learn alot from Oberth..BUT.....Oberth wasnt first it was Goddard that got the ball a rolling) Most of them (Oberth, Von Braun, ect) did themselfs consider the work of Goddards to be the pioneer and him the grandfather of it all. Goddard was the first to use active control with directional boosters as well as the first to fly a liquid fueled rocket. He also developed and created much more. Doing work with Microwaves, Inventor of the Radio tube, and even work in solid propellants.

Anyhow all of the past and these figures in it are all improtant and none of there work nor accomplishments should be forgotten. I think highly of them all. Goddard for me is important as he was here in the states and was the earliest to do most of what had evolved.

Con,

I stand corrected--even tho they never met and the work was more parallel than based on each other's, it would seem Goddards 1919 book may have influencd Oberth and his student, Von Braun Still the ideas of multiistaging and much of the math goes back to the Russian. So to me he remains the granddaddy. The rest are all fathers. I feel badly fopr Goddard insofar as his genius was mostly unrecognized and he dies practically penniless and in obscurity.

I absolutely plan to check out the museum (along with the aliens in Roswell) when I go down for the Lunar challenge. I asked Jim A to consider printing up some hats or shirts for local fans--should be a gas!!!
Cheers,
J

Teacher's back!