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Master and Commander
Posts: 1405
Location: Houston, TX (Best state in the US) | Subject: Endeavor Launch
Still get a lump in my throat watching the liftoffs.....And it doesn't make any difference that I'm in the NASA area of Houston....just a fantastic feat. I'd still be impressed with the program if I lived in bugtussle junction. Damn, I love America and her people and her technology!
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 811
Location: NW Connecticut | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
I agree..and I too still feel the surge of pride watching every launch,
But I guess it's no longer PC to raise a toast to their success.. But I will anyway. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Stoops, You've got it!! I can still remember taking leave to stay home and watch EAGLE land on the moon....The United States space program will be among the wonderous contributions to history we will be remembered for, along with the medical advances that have relieved the suffering of millions...Our marvelous technological inventions...Flight...the automobile...nuclear science....synthetic textiles....radio...TV....computer and communication technology....food production....navigational technology....and the birth control pill. Seriously, I agree wholeheartedly.... what we have given to mankind....what we have sacrificed to stem tyrany and liberate the oppressed....feed the hungry...stamp out desease....and bring Walt Disney's wonderful annimated world to the world's children. My wife was Norwegian...After their liberation compliments of the bravery and persistence of the Allied forces, the movie house in her hometown, Hamar, Norway showed SNOW WHITE...When the film ended the little Norwegian children sat there in wonder and awe...They didn't want to leave....She said, they had witnessed magic from America...America was to the children of Norway,"the source from which all blessings flowed." ...to include dolls that closed their eyes. Her favorite phrase was,"Bob, Only in America...only in America" As we lay stretched out on the bed watching the EAGLE decend to the surface of the moon, she whispered..."Only in America. What wonders come only from America." ( Later the motto of the ARMSTRONG clan in Scotland, whose motto read INVICTUS MANEO...Trans. "I remain unconquered" was changed to INVICTUS MANEO-FIRST ON THE MOON...Thanks to Brother Neil.) Stoops, every launch...every landing of unmanned vehicles on distant planets...every addition to orbiting satelites that brings us new technology and life improvements...remain exciting miracles to me and bring forth feelings of childlike amazement. Today, like you, I sat and watched another miracle. With all the turmoil, strife, hate and discontent in the modern 21st century world....isn't it great to pop some Orville Redenbacher, grab a bottle of pop and sit back and watch NASA light the fuse on another space rocket? YOU BETCHA...Stoops, Thanks for putting into words what many of us were feeling in our hearts. You Sir, captured the moment. DEX |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
I try to watch every launch... and have done so for years. The ol' shiver down the spine. Whenever I hear "Tranquility Base here.. the Eagle has landed" I get goose-bumps. I remember my parents waking me and my one brother up... not being too happy about it ... and watching the moon landing live. I did a search on Amazon not too long ago where they have DVDs of entire missions.. I may get this one.. and Apollo 8, which I saw lift off in December of 1968 when I was in Florida.
Sometime after COLUMBIA didn't come home, my wife asked me if I'd ever go up in the shuttle, given what's happened. I said in a heartbeat.
GOD SPEED ENDEAVOR |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
My Grandson, Shane, at the age of 3 1/2 is fasinated with the moon and stars. When shuttle launches go up he's very interested. He says he's going to go to the moon one day when he's a big boy and he's going to take me along because "we are buddies". I tell him I'm ready whenever he says "let's go". More than likely I'll be in a zip lock bag by then, so, I'll be ready.
All of the launches have given me a thrill and someday soon I hope to take Shane to witness a launch at the Cape. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1405
Location: Houston, TX (Best state in the US) | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Ralph Luther - 2007-08-09 8:33 AM
All of the launches have given me a thrill and someday soon I hope to take Shane to witness a launch at the Cape.
Ya know, it might be kinda fun to have a submariner group out in force to watch one! Might get kinda tricky making plans because of the weather and hotel rooms might be hard to come by....but still...it would be an experience you would never forget! |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
An interesting thought...
Has there ever been a submarine-qualified astronaut?? I know Laurel Clark, who died aboard COLUMBIA was an undersea medical officer (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-107/memorial/clark.html), but has there ever been an astronaut with (SS) after his name?? |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1405
Location: Houston, TX (Best state in the US) | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Jim M. - 2007-08-09 9:01 AM
An interesting thought...
Has there ever been a submarine-qualified astronaut?? I know Laurel Clark, who died aboard COLUMBIA was an undersea medical officer (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-107/memorial/clark.html), but has there ever been an astronaut with (SS) after his name??
Not sure....there is a tavern not too far from here called THE OUTPOST which a number of NASA folks frequent....great burgers and cold beer....Got a lot of pictures of the various flight crews from NASA and I swear I've seen a set of gold dolphins on one of them.....That will give me a good excuse to quaff a few cold ones while I reexamine the pictures. |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 781
Location: Port Orchard WA | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Supposedly the first has not been yet Upon completion of the submarine training pipeline he spent three years attached to USS PARCHE (SSN 683) and completed qualification in Submarines on USS POGY (SSN 647). After attending the MIT/WHOI Joint program in Ocean Engineering he reported to USS AUGUSTA (SSN 710) for duty as the Engineering Officer. During this tour he qualified for command of nuclear powered submarines. In 1997 he reported to the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) in the Office of Plans and Policy and worked on the USSOCOM Future Concepts Working Group. For 9 months in 1999 he was the Reactor and Propulsion inspector for the Navy's Submarine Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV). In May 2000 he became the first Executive Officer of the Pre-Commissioning Unit VIRGINIA (SSN 774) the first of the new VIRGINIA Class submarines.NASA EXPERIENCE: Bowen is the first Submarine Officer selected by NASA in July 2000 as a mission specialist. He reported for training at the Johnson Space Center in August 2000. Following the completion of two years of training and evaluation, he was initially assigned technical duties in the Astronaut Office Station Operations Branch. Bowen is assigned to the crew of STS-124. The STS-124 mission to the International Space Station will be the second of three flights that will launch components to complete the Japanese “Kibo” laboratory. Launch is targeted for April 2008. but from what I can find here is the first submariner into space and he was enlisted before you DBFers get to excited (Ibelieve he is one of those dreaded NUCs from what I can find his DBF was like most nucs two or three week stashed awaiting Nuc school) EXPERIENCE: After graduation from high school, McCulley enlisted in the U.S. Navy and subsequently served on one diesel-powered and two nuclear-powered submarines. In 1965 he entered Purdue University, and in January 1970, received his Naval Officers commission and both degrees. Following flight training, he served tours of duty in A-4 and A-6 aircraft, and was selected to attend the Empire Test Pilots School in Great Britain. He served in a variety of test pilots billets at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland, before returning to sea duty on USS SARATOGA and USS NIMITZ. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
I like the post about Shane...I have a little," just four", grandson named Calvin aka "Bulldozer". (On his birthday he phoned..."Gran-Gran zisses Calbin, I'm FOUR...I kin nebber, nebber,nebber be free agin. Bye, Luv you...Wanna speek to your daughter?"). We're passe...We've had our turn at bat. The world now belongs to the Shanes and the Calvins...And as Shane so gracefully put it....He wants to take his Granddad with him....Hope Calvin wants to take me. Would that I could see the world through his eyes...with the innocence, wonder, awe and all the surprises that lay in store for him and Shane...Just hope Calvin gets a bride in his Grandmother's league. I think it was STAR TREK that called space,"The New Frontier"....Here's hoping that future generations never run out of frontiers and always have that God given gift to man...Curiosity...Curiosity that drives them to find out about, and explore what lies "just over the next hill"...The old,"The Bear Went Over The Mountain" concept. Thank you Shane for wanting to keep a seat in your spacecraft for your Granddad....all granddad's need a lad like you in their lives. DEX |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 602
Location: Visalia, Ca. | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Jim M. - 2007-08-09 7:01 AM
An interesting thought...
Has there ever been a submarine-qualified astronaut?? I know Laurel Clark, who died aboard COLUMBIA was an undersea medical officer (http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/archives/sts-107/memorial/clark.html), but has there ever been an astronaut with (SS) after his name??
I worked for one who ALMOST made it.
In 1986 Lt. William "Bill" Toti reported onboard USS Buffalo SSN-715 from the Naval Post-Graduate School, where he had taken his MS in Spacecraft Electrical Systems. While at NPG school he applied to the NASA Astronaut Program. He was progressing well through the screening until his second eye exam turned up just a trace of color deficiency. It was not enough to wash him out of Nuclear Power or Submarines, but it did knock him out of the Astronaut program.
Mr. Toti became LCDR upon his relief as Engineer. Capt. Toti was on duty at the Pentagon on 9/11, helping evacuate wounded from the rubble of the collapsed section. He was in charge of the tests that USS Georgia did with the Advanced Seal Delivery System a couple years ago. He also writes an occasional article for Proceedings.
One of the best Officers I ever worked for.
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 557
| Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
I watched the launcxh "live" on the beach about a block from my house here in Florida. |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 2360
| Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Stoops - 2007-08-09 10:42 PM
Ya know, it might be kinda fun to have a submariner group out in force to watch one! Might get kinda tricky making plans because of the weather and hotel rooms might be hard to come by....but still...it would be an experience you would never forget!
Hey, sounds like an idea to me, and a good one to boot!
Blue *_* |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 877
| Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Going to a launch live...you can't beat that. I saw Apollo 8 go up in 1968... even 12 miles away, it was bright as day...and those Saturn Vs could really cause the ground to rumble.. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
It would be great to have a gathering of Submarine Sailors there for a launch. It would be necessary to have someone in the area to head it up though.
I've got an 8x10 tent we could use. How many could we put in it if we all stood up to sleep? |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1107
Location: Tucson AZ | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Ralph Luther - 2007-08-10 7:58 AM
It would be great to have a gathering of Submarine Sailors there for a launch. It would be necessary to have someone in the area to head it up though.
I've got an 8x10 tent we could use. How many could we put in it if we all stood up to sleep?
Heck, Ralph, if you squeeze 21 men in there, then just tip it over on its side ... you've just duplicated the 21-man berthing compartment on a 637 boat. Shucks, might even be a skoshe roomier! |
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Old Salt
Posts: 359
Location: Saco, Maine | Subject: A Skoshe?
I had not thought of that term in THIRTY SEVEN YEARS! |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Endeavor Launch
Remember John that a skoshe is much larger than an RCH. When you got to the RCH limit you knew you were getting close. |
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Endeavor Launch
