NASASpaceFlight.com Forum
General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: aurora899 on 03/17/2009 12:28 pm
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I originally posted this to the STS-119 Launch Viewing thread but I think the subject is worthy of a wider debate:
It looks as though NASA PAO are still experimenting with the format of their countdown coverage. Last time (STS-126) we had Candrea Thomas in the firing room relaying the countdown and Allard sat outside in a deckchair talking to various people. This time Candrea had the interviewees sat at her console whilst Allard popped up now and again with a few bits and bobs. I'm not sure whether this format worked better or not.
As a UK resident, I was interested to hear that one of the questions NASA PAO endeavoured to answer was from "Laurence" in Bournemouth. Of course, most English people would pronounce this delightful seaside town as "Bournem'uth" so it was quite funny to hear Candrea call it "BourneMOUTH."
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As a UK resident, I was interested to hear that one of the questions NASA PAO endeavoured to answer was from "Laurence" in Bournemouth. Of course, most English people would pronounce this delightful seaside town as "Bournem'uth" so it was quite funny to hear Candrea call it "BourneMOUTH."
Totally forgivable, not that I think you're having a go at her over that. Heck, we can't even work out how to pronounce Shrewsbury yet :D There was also a question from someone in Lincoln read out.
I thought it was good coverage. Sure there were a couple of times they talked over the loops, but NTV isn't aimed at hardcore console fans. Allard is one of the cool PAOs who doesn't sound like a machine and makes it all more user friendly to hardcore and part time followers, and I could listen to Candrea's accent all day as far as I'm concerned *drool* ;)
Saw some notes on another forum where they were picking Candrea apart for the slight boo boo at T-0, but I'd say that's actually a REALLY tough part of the commentary. How many of us are shaking wrecks coming out of the T-9 hold? I know I am, and she's in the LCC!
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No, I wasn't knocking her at all. Like you, I find her tones quite dulcet!
If I do have one minor criticism it is that, at times, she can sound a bit stilted; it's fairly obvious that she's reading from a prepared script. If Candrea could just be a bit more natural then I think she's got it cracked.
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I thought it was good coverage. Sure there were a couple of times they talked over the loops, but NTV isn't aimed at hardcore console fans. Allard is one of the cool PAOs who doesn't sound like a machine and makes it all more user friendly to hardcore and part time followers, and I could listen to Candrea's accent all day as far as I'm concerned *drool* ;)
I'm sure many of us here (myself included) would appreciate more 'subdued' PAO chatter (mainly just passing on relevant MCC data, like ECO status and problem reports, but generally staying quiet... especially after liftoff).
That said, a few commenters on several other science blogs announcing the launch actually wished for *more* PAO commentary, and complained about "too much dead air" with respect to listening to MCC comms.
So, I think PAO is striking a pretty good balance. People like to complain about Rob Navias, but I think he has done a good job calling ascents, allowing most of the capcom/shuttle audio through and still passing on status and explaining callouts (George Diller was good at that as well). That comes from experience, when to stay silent and when it's ok to talk, especially when unexpected callouts or transmissions occur.
Also, is it *always* necessary for EVERY launch PAO to countdown the last 10 seconds even when the launch timekeeper is counting down over the loop as well? (and it's especially amusing when the PAO commentator can't even keep up with the voice in the background!)
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She could check her math a little better. She stated that the new arrays would increase ISS power by 25%. Or, maybe her wording.
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Of course we had two female commentators for STS-119: Candrea Thomas in the LCC covering the countdown and the delightfully named "Kylie Clem" at JSC for the ascent.
Launch commentator is a bit of a thankless task when you think about it. On the one hand you've got the cognoscenti who want to hear all the technical stuff and on the other, Joe Public who doesn't want to be bamboozled by a load of NASA jargon and techno-babble.
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She could check her math a little better. She stated that the new arrays would increase ISS power by 25%. Or, maybe her wording.
What is 100/4? It's 25! Four Solar Array Wing modules(S4, S6, P4 and P6). So this is the final set of SAWs.
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The coverage is fine as long as the countdowns are smooth -- which is a more than reasonable assumption. My concern is that the new PAOs wouldn't be able to improvise if something off-nominal came up late in the count.
And I think they have some responsibility to inform the audience of changes that happen during the countdown, so I do wish they'd pass along news of things that occur while pre-recorded material is running. (I didn't get the feeling Candrea was going to say anything about the T-0 adjustment and when she spoke with Pete Nickolenko, he only mentioned it in passing.)
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The coverage is fine as long as the countdowns are smooth -- which is a more than reasonable assumption. My concern is that the new PAOs wouldn't be able to improvise if something off-nominal came up late in the count.
That's a good point. Candrea's greatest challenge will come if, and when, something goes "off-nominal" and she has to ditch her carefully prepared script and start thinking on her feet. I'm still backing her though.
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She could check her math a little better. She stated that the new arrays would increase ISS power by 25%. Or, maybe her wording.
What is 100/4? It's 25! Four Solar Array Wing modules(S4, S6, P4 and P6). So this is the final set of SAWs.
It's the "increase" part -- percentage of increase over the *existing* capacity, not percentage of the eventual total -- that wasn't correct. The existing 3 modules are about to "become" 4, which will be 4/3 of existing capacity, which is an increase of 1/3, which is 33%, not 25%. It's a very common error.
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People like to complain about Rob Navias...
I didn't know that! I think he's awesome.
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She could check her math a little better. She stated that the new arrays would increase ISS power by 25%. Or, maybe her wording.
What is 100/4? It's 25! Four Solar Array Wing modules(S4, S6, P4 and P6). So this is the final set of SAWs.
It's the "increase" part -- percentage of increase over the *existing* capacity, not percentage of the eventual total -- that wasn't correct. The existing 3 modules are about to "become" 4, which will be 4/3 of existing capacity, which is an increase of 1/3, which is 33%, not 25%. It's a very common error.
And isn't that still wrong, because there are other solar arrays on the station besides the (soon to be) four US arrays...
e.g. Zarya, Zvesda, (eventually) RKA, and visiting Soyuz spacecraft all have solar arrays.
All of which proves that it's harder to give "good" information than is generally understood.
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She could check her math a little better. She stated that the new arrays would increase ISS power by 25%. Or, maybe her wording.
What is 100/4? It's 25! Four Solar Array Wing modules(S4, S6, P4 and P6). So this is the final set of SAWs.
It's the "increase" part -- percentage of increase over the *existing* capacity, not percentage of the eventual total -- that wasn't correct. The existing 3 modules are about to "become" 4, which will be 4/3 of existing capacity, which is an increase of 1/3, which is 33%, not 25%. It's a very common error.
And isn't that still wrong, because there are other solar arrays on the station besides the (soon to be) four US arrays...
e.g. Zarya, Zvesda, (eventually) RKA, and visiting Soyuz spacecraft all have solar arrays.
All of which proves that it's harder to give "good" information than is generally understood.
That's true -- it's not an easy thing to do.
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e.g. Zarya, visiting Soyuz spacecraft all have solar arrays.
All of which proves that it's harder to give "good" information than is generally understood.
Zarya's are retracted and Soyuz don't supply power to the complex
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Personally I like the ESA commentary idea, which is to be quiet during the final countdown and initial flight. I do like the idea of payload.mission promotion videos.
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There should be an automated process that cuts off PAO every time chatter comes on the comm loop. I don't mind PAO talking, but I'm annoyed when it's over something on the comm loop.
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Remember that NASA didn't do the "no PAO" feed on the media channel this time because they had nobody (except maybe me :) ) express interest when they did it for STS-126... I'd suggest dropping a line to the contacts from that press release if you want it back.
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Well, I tried it, and it would have been great if it worked. But IIRC the audio on it was absolutely terrible in quality.
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I wonder what, if any, training the PAOs go through prior to taking up a launch commentating role? Would Candrea have "shadowed" somone like George Diller before being let loose on her own launch? Or would she have gone through a dummy countdown and had "off nominal" situations thrown at her to see how she coped?
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I wonder what, if any, training the PAOs go through prior to taking up a launch commentating role? Would Candrea have "shadowed" somone like George Diller before being let loose on her own launch? Or would she have gone through a dummy countdown and had "off nominal" situations thrown at her to see how she coped?
That gave a morning chuckle, picturing a PAO simulator where they have to avoid talking over the loop, otherwise the simulator starts shaking and rolling over with *siren, siren* "SHUT UP" *siren, siren* "SHUT UP* being alerted to them, before the lights come back on and a veteran PAO puts a friendly hand on their shoulder informing the glum faced newbie that "everyone crashes the simulator the first time." ;D
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I wonder what, if any, training the PAOs go through prior to taking up a launch commentating role? Would Candrea have "shadowed" somone like George Diller before being let loose on her own launch? Or would she have gone through a dummy countdown and had "off nominal" situations thrown at her to see how she coped?
That gave a morning chuckle, picturing a PAO simulator where they have to avoid talking over the loop, otherwise the simulator starts shaking and rolling over with *siren, siren* "SHUT UP" *siren, siren* "SHUT UP* being alerted to them, before the lights come back on and a veteran PAO puts a friendly hand on their shoulder informing the glum faced newbie that "everyone crashes the simulator the first time." ;D
You mean like this?
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/nasa_simulator_prepares
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Yeah! Just like that! :D
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Yeah! Just like that! :D
IIRC, one of the PAOs said in a TV interview that they studied manuals (L2-style material) to prepare for doing commentary. But that interview was done back in the old days, before time existed. No idea what they do today, but one of the disadvantages today is the lower flight rate...easier to get on the job training back in the 90s when the flight rate was twice what it is now.
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I thought it was good. There's room for improvement, but they won't be able to please everyone.
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I wonder what, if any, training the PAOs go through prior to taking up a launch commentating role? Would Candrea have "shadowed" somone like George Diller before being let loose on her own launch? Or would she have gone through a dummy countdown and had "off nominal" situations thrown at her to see how she coped?
That gave a morning chuckle, picturing a PAO simulator where they have to avoid talking over the loop, otherwise the simulator starts shaking and rolling over with *siren, siren* "SHUT UP" *siren, siren* "SHUT UP* being alerted to them, before the lights come back on and a veteran PAO puts a friendly hand on their shoulder informing the glum faced newbie that "everyone crashes the simulator the first time." ;D
I'm glad it made you laugh but it was a serious question!
I hope no one from NASA PAO is reading this thread...
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I've just watched (or rather listened to) a re-play of the STS-119 launch:
"12, 10...6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...and...booster ignition and lift-off of the space shuttle Discovery."
So, yes, there was a bit of a stumble (or more correctly a slight hesitation) at T zero but nothing to lose any sleep over, and I'm surprised if people have been having a go at Candrea Thomas over that.
As with her previous launch (STS-126) Candrea seems to have a bit of an aversion for the SSMEs; we don't get anything about "main engine start." Does it matter? Probably not. In fact, it might be deliberate. She might be trying to develop her own distinct style of launch commentary. But having listened to more than a hundred shuttle launches over the past twenty five-plus years, you do get used to a certain cadence during the terminal count and it doesn't sound quite right without a "go for main engine start...we have main engine start."
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As with her previous launch (STS-126) Candrea seems to have a bit of an aversion for the SSMEs; we don't get anything about "main engine start." Does it matter? Probably not. In fact, it might be deliberate. She might be trying to develop her own distinct style of launch commentary. But having listened to more than a hundred shuttle launches over the past twenty five-plus years, you do get used to a certain cadence during the terminal count and it doesn't sound quite right without a "go for main engine start...we have main engine start."
With the exception of auto-sequence start, I don't recall confirmation on any of the late GLS milestones after APU start. Still doesn't matter as long as everything goes off on-time, just a matter of preference.
The general audience might not care (probably doesn't), but the question is what kind of impression one wants to present about the countdown; one of the things I appreciated as a kid intuitively -- and which made me more interested -- were the details that Hugh Harris provided. Tanks were being pressurized, devices were being armed, positioned for liftoff, the engines were ready to start, and so on.
As unimportant as it is, I think commentary that presents the countdown as opaque, with pretty much only time to liftoff, creates an impression that little is happening and I think that makes the procedure seem less interesting.
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"As unimportant as it is, I think commentary that presents the countdown as opaque, with pretty much only time to liftoff, creates an impression that little is happening and I think that makes the procedure seem less interesting."
agreed, I didn't like it at all... since they pick up the count at T-9 is when most TV broadcast companies transmit the launch so the PAO has to participate as much as she can to make the launch interesting and attract the attention of people...I believe she should have a 9-minute speech prepared and practice it a million times....the mistake she had at T-0 for me is unforgivable....I will never forget the KSC and MCC PAOs of STS-121 (don't know who were), they were just AWESOME!!!
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....the mistake she had at T-0 for me is unforgivable....
That's a bit harsh isn't it? As I said in my earlier posting, I thought it was more of a stumble or hesitation than a mistake.
And let's not forget that Barack Obama managed to fluff his inauguration oath! Of course, he had the opportunity to do it again. Poor Candrea didn't!
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I am still waiting for a PAO to get "Press to MECO" right.
Danny Deger
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....the mistake she had at T-0 for me is unforgivable....
That's a bit harsh isn't it? As I said in my earlier posting, I thought it was more of a stumble or hesitation than a mistake.
And let's not forget that Barack Obama managed to fluff his inauguration oath! Of course, he had the opportunity to do it again. Poor Candrea didn't!
Actually the guy reading the words for him to repeat fluffed, and Obama was taken aback by it ;)
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My favorite MCC commentator is the one for STS-121 on July 4, and Barbara Morgan's launch. "The shuttle now heads down, wings level, taking aim on the International Space Station...." And who can forget his description of Barbara's launch, after they passed the throttle up call, "Barbara Morgan, riding into space on the wings of a legacy".
For KSC, I think George does the best job.
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Has George Diller relinquished his shuttle launch role to Candrea and Allard now? I know he was the "tanking commentator" for last week's STS-119 mission and I've heard him cover ELVs but it must be a year since he last did a full shuttle launch.
Regards,
David
President (and apparently sole member) of the Candrea Thomas fan club.
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I still vote for putting the flight loop on the web some where.
Danny Deger
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Years ago someone had a scanner in the area they put on the net, then he moved. Is any of the flight loop broadcast over the trunked radio system? Or is that just comms?
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Years ago someone had a scanner in the area they put on the net, then he moved. Is any of the flight loop broadcast over the trunked radio system? Or is that just comms?
Just comm.
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Thanks, given what other comms are covered (safety / camera crews / etc.) it still would be handy.
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Slightly off-topic, but I don't know of a better place to ask this.
I noticed on the NASA TV coverage of the STS-119 spacewalks that the PAO and some of the other mission control people often pronounce the combination 'st' as 'sht', as in German: ashtronaut, foot reshtraint. President Bush also did that a lot. I've never heard a Briton use this pronunciation. Is this a typically Texan pronunciation or is it a more general US English thing?
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Allard is one of the cool PAOs who doesn't sound like a machine and makes it all more user friendly to hardcore and part time followers
I hadn't realised that Allard is an ex-journalist and worked for CNN; that explains quite a lot. And George Diller, I think, worked in radio broadcasting. I'm not sure what Candrea's background is.
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Is this a typically Texan pronunciation or is it a more general US English thing?
It is regional. I've heard it frequently in Pennsylvania where there are lots of people of German descent.
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Whoever is the entry PAO, well he's dull as they come. Sounds like he doesn't even want to be covering it.
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Whoever is the entry PAO, well he's dull as they come. Sounds like he doesn't even want to be covering it.
You never heard any of the Apollo PAOs? One person's dull is another person's steady.
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I never felt that a statement of the profound was necessary, launches speak for themselves.
now for entry, PAO should sync up a reentry video like we have to show what is happening.
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I still vote for putting the flight loop on the web some where.
Danny Deger
I'll second that!
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Whoever is the entry PAO, well he's dull as they come. Sounds like he doesn't even want to be covering it.
I think it was Kyle Herring (or possibly Kelly Humphries). Interestingly, Bill Harwood's personnel list had the entry commentator down as Kylie Clem (who also covered the ascent) but it obviously wasn't! As long as you have a name that starts with a "K" it's probably alright.
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I thought the post-landing coverage was quite good. To be fair, I don’t know what it was like in the past; I’ve only had a broadband connection for about six months so it’s only the last couple of shuttle missions where I’ve had NASA TV streaming on my Pc. It’s always a delight to hear Candrea Thomas’ dulcet tones, particularly when she stops reading from her script and talks more naturally. The funniest moment was when the astronauts emerged from the CTV and were greeted by the assembled dignitaries. You could hear that guy from ULA whispering the names of the “B” list dignitaries to Candrea!
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I thought the post-landing coverage was quite good. To be fair, I don’t know what it was like in the past; I’ve only had a broadband connection for about six months so it’s only the last couple of shuttle missions where I’ve had NASA TV streaming on my Pc.
Pretty much the same over the years. (PAO was Kyle Herring...knew something had changed on Friday when he sat in with the Entry team for EOM-1.)
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Bill Harwood has set up (or re-created) his STS-125 Page and has George Diller down as the KSC Launch Commentator.
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By and large, I thought NASA's coverage of the STS-125 countdown and launch was pretty decent. Pity that we didn't get to see the crew walk-out live due to technical problems. Launch commentator George Diller did a solid and professional job - as you would expect - and Janice Voss gave some good insights during crew ingress. Mind you, she did have a little strop at one point ("I've got too many people talking in my ear!") which probably wasn't supposed to have been broadcast! And Candrea Thomas fans were rewarded with a little cameo during the T-9 minute hold when she interviewed Dr. David Leckrone. To be honest, I don't think she knew what he was on about but then he lost me as well.
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By and large, I thought NASA's coverage of the STS-125 countdown and launch was pretty decent.
It was "old school," from awareness to detail to attention to detail. In fact, some of Ms. Voss's "color commentary" was about being aware of not just what individual responsibilities were, but an overall awareness of current status and what's coming next. Mr. Diller's and Ms. Voss's repeated deferring of comments to callout of procedures on the launch team net demonstrated this.
But that's likely the last time we'll see this and expect coverage to be more like the previous three counts (124, 126, 119) from here on out.
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Good points:
Wayne Hale with his two shuttle models.
Not talking over the loop.
General coverage.
Bad points:
Heavy breathing down the open mic means they need to sort out a sound engineer.
No tanking coverage (good for us, but it deserves attention).
Overall, very good.
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George Diller's voice "...zero and LIFT-OFF of space shuttle Atlantis..." is the CLASSIC and forever memorable audio track (ok, substitute your favorite orbiter if you prefer). His pitch and pacing is just prefect. No one else does it right.
And we forgive him, because, no one can ever hear "five" over the roar of ignition via the pad mic.
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I hadn't realised until I replayed the launch that George Diller just counted the numbers down from T-10 and never mentioned "go for main engine start" or "we have main engine start." Candrea Thomas did that on her two launches but it's very unusual for George; perhaps this is now deliberate?
I don't think the sound levels were quite right because George nearly got drowned out after SSME start. I think that's why I didn't pick up the lack of a "we have main engine start" the first time around.
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Totally forgivable, not that I think you're having a go at her over that. Heck, we can't even work out how to pronounce Shrewsbury yet :D There was also a question from someone in Lincoln read out.
As a resident of that particular town, I can assure everyone that it's SHREW's BERRY not SHROW's BURRY. :-) Only posh people from Kingsland pronounce it Shrowsbury. Hence why STFC are The Shrews! :-D
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Thanks for that!
On a more serious note, did we actually have any questions & answers during the STS-125 countdown? I had NASA TV streaming on my PC and didn't see everything (I missed Wayne Hale with his models) but I don't recall George Diller ever saying, "and we have a question from Bill in Burnley" or "Wendy in Wichita Falls." Either I missed them all or the PAO never bothered with questions from the public this time.
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On a more serious note, did we actually have any questions & answers during the STS-125 countdown?
No outside questions.
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On a more serious note, did we actually have any questions & answers during the STS-125 countdown?
No outside questions.
Presumably deliberate, which is surprising given the public interest in Hubble. Either they felt it didn't work very well on the previous launches or it was never part of the plan; possible given that STS-125 was originally due last fall before the "new style" coverage commenced.
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For my 2 pennies worth, I think as someone else said, the STS-121 launch was the best I've heard. I don't know who the 2 gentlemen were but for me they are the best by far. They don't talk over communications and seem to get the "mood" and say it as I would want to hear it. The things I would change though:
I like a few of the older terms: "The shuttle has cleared the tower", and "Staging" as opposed to booster separation.
At staging, I prefer a ground shot as it looks more dramatic than the onboard shot of the boosters just falling away.
Apart from this, give me the guys from the STS-121 launch and the above points and I'm happy :)
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Call me peevish if you like, but the only real complaint I have is the PAO's need to append little 'tag lines' to every mission - some throw-away phrase to summarise the mission's purpose in the most idiot-friendly way possible. It just feels a little like they are talking down to the audience.
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"Staging" as opposed to booster separation.
"booster separation" is the proper terminology for the shuttle. It is not staging.
"The shuttle has cleared the tower"
This happens too fast and is no longer has a relevant meaning. The transition from KSC to JSC control is at T-0 vs tower clear
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"Staging" as opposed to booster separation.
"booster separation" is the proper terminology for the shuttle. It is not staging.
"The shuttle has cleared the tower"
This happens too fast and is no longer has a relevant meaning. The transition from KSC to JSC control is at T-0 vs tower clear
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhEZUr8YP6M
2:22 into the video the booster officer can clearly be heard saying "Copy Staging"
I was under the impression (but I'm no expert) that control transferred to Houston when the tower was cleared as opposed to T-0. I'm not sure which, but on a fairly recent lach they had "Cleared the tower" before "Houston now controlling"
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Usually JSC PAO says "Houston now controlling" when he first speaks, however KSC PAO gives his little soundbyte after liftoff, which means the call will often come late. On many launches you'll hear the call for the roll program before the "Houston now controlling" statement.
Handover is still at T-0, regardless of PAO.
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The earliest shuttle flights retained the transfer at tower clear; don't recall when the change was made. (Likely someone here does.)
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The earliest shuttle flights retained the transfer at tower clear; don't recall when the change was made. (Likely someone here does.)
Would be interesting to find out. Everything that I've found so far (Not sure why I'm bothered but hey....) says that control is handed over at T+7 when the shuttle has cleared the tower
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_Control_Center
But maybe somebody can confirm if or when the change was made?
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Would be interesting to find out. Everything that I've found so far (Not sure why I'm bothered but hey....) says that control is handed over at T+7 when the shuttle has cleared the tower
Wikipedia info (particularly on "stuff" like this) is often scoped in a misleading way and/or out-of-date. In the case of the LCC entry there, none of the information is attributed to any reference.
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Fair shout, but a European space agency report from last year as well as some blokes personal site run from his bedroom in alaska (ok I'm sure it wasn't but you never know...) also stated the same thing...........
Bloody hell I wish I could let things go! lol
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Fair shout, but a European space agency report from last year as well as some blokes personal site run from his bedroom in alaska (ok I'm sure it wasn't but you never know...) also stated the same thing...........
It's been noted as a part of Ascent Team PAO commentary for a long time. I can't cut out the bit of video I'm looking at right now, but I can source Kyle Herring from commentary during the STS-82 launch countdown (February 11, 1997) saying, "All continues to go smoothly here in Mission Control, with flight controllers standing by to take over control of Discovery and the STS-82 mission at liftoff. At T-20 minutes and holding, this is Mission Control, Houston."
When I get a chance (probably after STS-125), I'll post the audio.
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2:22 into the video the booster officer can clearly be heard saying "Copy Staging"
That doesn't mean it is right
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Just some thoughts on the above (although I think we're drifting off topic a bit but never mind):
1) Allard used "and the shuttle has cleared the tower" phrase during last year's STS-124 launch - something we've not heard for years. Jim is right - it's not really relevant anymore - so why Allard chose to use it is an interesting point. Perhaps the phrase has some resonance for him; a throwback to his childhood or the so-called "golden age" of the shuttle (i.e. pre 51-L). Responsibility for the flight certainly passes to Mission Control in Houston at T Zero and, again, has done for many years but I can't remember when the change was made from tower clear. If you have a lot of old books about the shuttle sitting on your shelf they will probably state that Houston assumes responsibilty at tower clear.
2) It's interesting how calls have evolved over time. In the early years of the shuttle program we used to have the "first stage performance nominal" call. This then got truncated to just "performance nominal" and now doesn't appear to be used at all.
I've got an audio recording of the 41-D launch (Discovery's first flight) from 1984. I can't quite pick-up what the commander says at booster separation but CAPCOM John Blaha replies, "Roger, staging!" So despite the rights or wrongs of the terminology, even the astronauts have used it in the past.
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Not quite sure where to post this, so thought I'd try here.
Does anyone know the reason for not having Closed Captioning on the NASA TV feed (the feed given to DirecTV and DISH Network)?
As far as I can tell, Television captioning was made mandatory by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 so I'm having a hard time understanding why it's missing from NASA TV.
Thanks,
--Michael
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They likely qualify due to the following exceptions from the FCC, and while I have no access to NASA TV books, I think they clear a little less than $3 million ;)
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/exemptions_from_cc_rules.html
(11) Captioning expense in excess of 2% of gross revenues. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any video programming if such expenditure would exceed 2% of the gross revenues received from that channel during the previous calendar year.
(12) Channels producing revenues of under $3,000,000. No video programming provider shall be required to expend any money to caption any channel of video programming producing annual gross revenues of less than $3,000,000 during the previous calendar year other than the obligation to pass through video programming already captioned when received pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.
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Thanks for the prompt reply.
I've asked the same question at nasa.gov, so we'll see what they say, but I'm thinking that you're correct.
Since I'm hard of hearing, I'm obviously biased but I think this falls in the catagory of "just because you can doesn't mean you should."
--Michael
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I know they feed CC over the web, but I'm not sure if they do that for missions to. If so, they certainly should push that to the satellite providers.
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I've not had any luck with the links posted at the top of 'General Discussion'.
http://www.nasa.gov/ram/122212main_main_portal_cc.ram (Closed Captions)
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/video/nasatv/nasatv-cc.ram (Closed Captions)
I can see a slightly delayed feed, but no Closed Captioning.
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FYI: I've never been able to get CC either whenever I checked (couple months ago & earlier) to follow along without sound. So you're not alone.
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Ahh, thanks for the confirmation.
I think I'll direct my efforts in that direction...the URLs -do- have cc in them.[g]
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Fair shout, but a European space agency report from last year as well as some blokes personal site run from his bedroom in alaska (ok I'm sure it wasn't but you never know...) also stated the same thing...........
It's been noted as a part of Ascent Team PAO commentary for a long time. I can't cut out the bit of video I'm looking at right now, but I can source Kyle Herring from commentary during the STS-82 launch countdown (February 11, 1997) saying, "All continues to go smoothly here in Mission Control, with flight controllers standing by to take over control of Discovery and the STS-82 mission at liftoff. At T-20 minutes and holding, this is Mission Control, Houston."
When I get a chance (probably after STS-125), I'll post the audio.
Found an older example (July, 1995)...STS-70 commentary (Rob Navias was PAO for ascent) at the same point in the countdown...audio excerpt is attached.
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On a more serious note, did we actually have any questions & answers during the STS-125 countdown?
No outside questions.
I wonder if they will do questions again for the next launch (i.e. STS-127)? Mind you, I haven't seen who the PAO is yet.
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On a more serious note, did we actually have any questions & answers during the STS-125 countdown?
No outside questions.
I wonder if they will do questions again for the next launch (i.e. STS-127)? Mind you, I haven't seen who the PAO is yet.
According to Bill Harwood's Space Place, the Launch PAO is George Diller again (with Kylie Clem as the JSC ascent commentator). Mind you, Bill has got someone called "Mark Poindexter" down as Endeavour Commander!
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Not sure whether this belongs here but, I find that NTV (via the internet) has ~50 sec delay from live (Sky TV for example). Is it just me?
Why would that be?
I'd like them to fix that.
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Not sure whether this belongs here but, I find that NTV (via the internet) has ~50 sec delay from live (Sky TV for example). Is it just me?
Why would that be?
I'd like them to fix that.
Thread on this earlier:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=11741.0
(Probably discussion in earlier threads, too.)
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Delay in internet video streaming has many causes, some of which are at the source (NTV side). But one of the most likely (and that builds up the longer you stay attached) is at your client software. Therefore you can often reduce the delay by restarting the stream (esp. if you've been attached to the same server for say 10 hours). This behavior is worse in TCP-based streams (such as Flash) which build up delay with each TCP windowsize reset (ie hiccup in path between you and server causing re-transmission of now older packets) and less of a problem in UDP-based streams (which will just have a picture drop out or fuzzy zone and keep going with next packets to arrive).
I find using WMP to watch NTV after 2 hours of connect time, I can eliminate about 10 sec of delay. However, I've never gotten the delay to less than 30 seconds or so (but I don't have a good reference time source, just the difference on countdown clocks shown before and after my restart)
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I've just noticed that the STS-127 press kit has Mike Curie down as the KSC launch commentator (not George Diller). I haven't heard of him before.
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It is too bad that the PAO cannot wait until the crew make their calls instead of stepping on them all the time.
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I've just noticed that the STS-127 press kit has Mike Curie down as the KSC launch commentator (not George Diller). I haven't heard of him before.
Mike Curie served as the tanking commentator for STS-118 and then as launch commentator for STS-120. And he did both very good.
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I hadn't realised that he'd done STS-120. In my defence, I think that launch happened while I was at work and I only really saw clips of the lift-off on the news afterwards, and didn't hear much (if any) of the PAO.
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I'll bump this up as STS-127 Launch Coverage is now underway with Mike Curie in the hot-seat. We'll see how it all goes and come up with some thoughts and conclusions once Endeavour is launched.
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I thought Mike Curie did a great job yesterday. There was one awful moment when he nearly called the Orbiter "Columbia" but otherwise it was fine with some good comments during crew ingress by a former member of the close-out crew.
Actually, there was one other error. As the count entered the T-9 minute hold, Curie handed over to Kylie Clem at JSC for an update, informing us that Mission Control in Houston would assume responsibility for Endeavour's flight "once the shuttle had cleared the tower." Kylie put him right just before handing back, casually mentioning that the ascent flight control team was ready to "take-over at solid rocket booster ignition."
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WRT yesterday's launch coverage, I agree that Mike Curie did okay, the closeout crew guy was great, and I'll add that the Endeavor flow manager did an excellent job.
The one major beef I had was the totally inadequate lighting during RSS retraction coverage. It was impossible to make out any detail. The animated gif assembled from stills was vastly superior!
I'd like to be able to select and switch cameras myself. I'd also like someone super-smart and knowledgeable like Mike Moses to do the commentary. None of the PAOs are especially talented, IMHO, and at least one of them is underwhelming enough to wonder why they were given the job.
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I'd like to be able to select and switch cameras myself.
That would be a great function to have while watching!
Also, someone may have an answer to this, but white room audio would be great to have as well. I wouldn't be shocked to hear it’s on the NASA employee channel and just not the one to the public.
Also why do commentators change every mission and who are they (previous positions held); is it just to give others the opportunity?
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Also, someone may have an answer to this, but white room audio would be great to have as well. I wouldn't be shocked to hear it’s on the NASA employee channel and just not the one to the public.
Channel 132 OTC there isn't much said on it from the whiteroom, just status.
212 is the one on NASA TV
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Also why do commentators change every mission and who are they (previous positions held); is it just to give others the opportunity?
George Diller has been commentating on shuttle launches for about twenty years and, I think I'm right in saying, has done the lion's share of them in the last decade. However, there seem to be four KSC Public Affairs Officers who currently cover launches: Diller, Allard Beutel, Candrea Thomas and Mike Curie. As with flight crews, if you're looking for some sort of logic in launch commentator assignments then I doubt you'll find it. It's too simplistic to say that they take it in turns. These people seem to be allocated on a willy-nilly basis (for example Candrea Thomas recently did back-to-back launches). As to who decides, I'm not sure. Perhaps it's whoever heads up External Relations/Public Affairs at Kennedy.
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"The shuttle has cleared the tower"
This happens too fast and is no longer has a relevant meaning. The transition from KSC to JSC control is at T-0 vs tower clear
Not sure I want to bring this up again but here goes...........
Now I know Jim you're at Canaveral, but Mike has just said that control hands over when the shuttle has cleared the tower (Just as they went into the T-9 hold).........
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And yesterday they said "at liftoff."
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"The shuttle has cleared the tower"
This happens too fast and is no longer has a relevant meaning. The transition from KSC to JSC control is at T-0 vs tower clear
Not sure I want to bring this up again but here goes...........
Now I know Jim you're at Canaveral, but Mike has just said that control hands over when the shuttle has cleared the tower (Just as they went into the T-9 hold).........
Same thing was said yesterday and the PAO was corrected by the
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Now I know Jim you're at Canaveral, but Mike has just said that control hands over when the shuttle has cleared the tower (Just as they went into the T-9 hold).........
PAO has said both over the years -- as I've posted.
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Mike Curie is wrong. He did that yesterday as well. Kylie Clem got it right when she handed back to him i.e. responsibility for the flight passes to Houston "at solid rocket booster ignition."
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Ah, cool. Must be set in his ways :)
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Scrub again... STS127. The Scrub mission...
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Scrub again... STS127. The Scrub mission...
Not sure it has even tied STS-61C or STS-73 yet.
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Scrub again... STS127. The Scrub mission...
Not sure it has even tied STS-61C or STS-73 yet.
Both those were tied on 6 scrubs before successful launches.
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Both those were tied on 6 scrubs before successful launches.
I count six scrubs for STS-61C and five for STS-73.
STS-61C:
18 Dec 85, 19 Dec 85, 6 Jan 86, 7 Jan 86, 9 Jan 86, and 10 Jan 86.
STS-73:
28 Sep 95, 5 Oct 95, 6 Oct 95, 7 Oct 95, and 15 Oct 95.
What did I miss on 73?
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Both those were tied on 6 scrubs before successful launches.
I count six scrubs for STS-61C and five for STS-73.
STS-61C:
18 Dec 85, 19 Dec 85, 6 Jan 86, 7 Jan 86, 9 Jan 86, and 10 Jan 86.
STS-73:
28 Sep 95, 5 Oct 95, 6 Oct 95, 7 Oct 95, and 15 Oct 95.
What did I miss on 73?
The delay on the fourteenth. (Actually, it was on the 13th, delaying from 14 Oct to 15 Oct.)
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Bumping up ready for tonight's launch attempt. Mike Curie is the Launch PAO again (according to the STS-128 Press Kit).
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Has anyone here tried Spaceflight Now's launch coverage?
http://www.livestream.com/spaceflightnow?origin=embedplayer&utm_medium=EmbeddedPlayer&utm_campaign=Videos&utm_source=spaceflightnow.com
It has live launch chat, and former astronaut Leroy Chiao is present to take any questions submitted by the audience via the chat. They have interviews, special guests, behind the scenes video features, etc.
They usually show all of the aforementioned during times when nothing much is happening in the countdown. It really helps to pass the time. They switch to show NASA TV whenever something significant is happening.
Also, the lag time is much less than NASA TV. I live in the UK, and NASA TV is roughly ~1m 30s behind real time. Spaceflight Now's coverage is about ~20s behind real time.
Hmm. Am I allowed to promote "the enemy" (i.e. Spaceflight Now) on here? :P
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Lag time is more dependent on your source, not NASA TV. If you go to spacevidcast (the HD service on UStream) then you'll get it even faster. But again it all depends on your ISP, your media player settings, etc. more than anything else.
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Unfortunately, most of the final countdown activities will be in the wee small hours for UK observers - so I shall be asleep! I intend to set my alarm clock for just gone 06.00 BST - that should be early enough!
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Unfortunately, most of the final countdown activities will be in the wee small hours for UK observers - so I shall be asleep! I intend to set my alarm clock for just gone 06.00 BST - that should be early enough!
Not me - I'm pulling an all-nighter (& all-morning'er?) :P
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Having been either at work or asleep for the last several shuttle launches, i've been able to see the last couple of Ariane launches live... I like how they have on the left side of the screen the model of the ascent trajectory, altitude and velocity. I think it'd be nice to include figures like downrange mileage and the assorted calls from KSC to the shuttle during ascent (i.e. go at throttle up, single engine 104, single engine ops 3, etc...)
Also, prelaunch...I'd like to have the board with the red/green criteria displayed more frequently if any of those criteria are in question whether launch is GO/NOGO. But that's just me...i'm no rocket scientist... :)
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Mike Curie did a great job last time (STS-127) but it will be interesting to see whether he makes the same mistake about responsibility for the flight passing to Houston once the shuttle has cleared the tower rather than at T zero.
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Even Mike Coats made that error very recently ;)
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[vent]
We have 13 astronauts working very hard in the ISS.
So why are we getting endless tv pictures of two robotic arms that aren't doing anything, some tin cans that the astronauts are working inside, and a space shuttle that isn't doing anything?
[/vent]
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[vent]
We have 13 astronauts working very hard in the ISS.
So why are we getting endless tv pictures of two robotic arms that aren't doing anything, some tin cans that the astronauts are working inside, and a space shuttle that isn't doing anything?
[/vent]
It's all about what the crew wants. Would you want to constantly have a camera looking over your shoulder while your hauling cargo back and forth from ISS to Shuttle (or Shuttle to ISS) or getting the SSRMS/SRMS ready for use?
I think we're very lucky to get live shots of the crew working inside the Station/Shuttle complex. But I'd think it very intrusive to constantly have a camera on them while they're trying to work.
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That idea is one point you could express. But look at America today, we shop at endless stores and there is endless cameras filming us in the store ,outside the store, going and coming up and down
streets. Then we get to our homes and lot of cities are filming our neighborhoods. Then we drive
our car even way out here in the country and police have cameras in their cars reading every license
plate. Then a lot of our work places film us all day long.,we never know who is reviewing the films.
Even on the internet, punch in someone's name and you can find out almost everything about them.
So to think because us people who are footing the bill for all this exploration would not, and
should not see more inside the ISS is not right. We all have to bear it on Earth every day,they must
realize they have to put up with it also!!! I don't like it down here but that's life today.
It be interesting to be able to tune in and watch what's taking place inside the Station,like a tv show.
I know there would be a lot more support for the program if you could!
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Mike Curie did a great job last time (STS-127) but it will be interesting to see whether he makes the same mistake about responsibility for the flight passing to Houston once the shuttle has cleared the tower rather than at T zero.
I never have understood why tower clear. Now I am thinking this gives the KSC PAO guy the floor for the "inspirational" lift off statement. I can promise you any failures after lift off will be handled by JSC. "Launch Control, this is Houston. That engine failed before tower clear. RTLS is your call" ???
I would also like to see the status of RTLS weather covered. I think I am correct that not a word is mentioned until Houston calls no-go for RTLS weather.
All in all, they do a great job.
Danny Deger
One last thing, a count down clock to actual launch in addition to the current one. If I tune in and the clock say T-9:00, I would like to know if I have enough time to go make a sandwich.
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I would also like to see the status of RTLS weather covered. I think I am correct that not a word is mentioned until Houston calls no-go for RTLS weather.
You missed it then ;) There was plenty of talk about weather in the 20mi radius (which is RTLS) as well as the STA (RTLS.)
One last thing, a count down clock to actual launch in addition to the current one. If I tune in and the clock say T-9:00, I would like to know if I have enough time to go make a sandwich.
If it takes you more than 9 minutes, you are making too much of a sandwich... Also the launch time is HIGHLY advertised in advance, so you can use your clock quite easily.
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i think my favorite is STS-123, not only was George doing it (and his post liftoff quip was awesome), but the mics at the pad were really turned up and you actually could HEAR SRB ignition....wow!
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1. Then we get to our homes and lot of cities are filming our neighborhoods.
2. Then a lot of our work places film us all day long.,we never know who is reviewing the films.
3. We all have to bear it on Earth every day,they must realize they have to put up with it also!!!
1. not mine
2, not mine
3. no, that is not legitimate reason
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Well, there was not a lot wrong with that. Full marks today I think!
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Still wish they had a PAO-less feed for those who'd rather hear the comms instead of having PAO speak over them.
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Well, there was not a lot wrong with that. Full marks today I think!
Agree, but unless one was pretty focused on the details of the broadcast and commentary, it seemed very similar to previous launches. And even some of the little, nitpick-type details weren't that much different.
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Was it just me or did the KSC PAO talk less before the launch today? I did like the time lapse of the roll out and other short films before launch.
I think the JSC PAO did his normal great job.
The KSC PAO has a much harder job because the rocket is sitting on the pad during the time KSC is in charge.
Danny Deger
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That roll out timelapse scene in the VAB of the crawler getting under the stack was pretty cool. The launch coverage was good, I thought.
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Well, there was not a lot wrong with that. Full marks today I think!
Agree, but unless one was pretty focused on the details of the broadcast and commentary, it seemed very similar to previous launches. And even some of the little, nitpick-type details weren't that much different.
True; the usual little gripes still stand and it's unlikely that they'll be addressed for the remaining flights.
We probably had the best combination of PAOs today - George Diller and Rob Navias. Diller is the ultimate safe pair of hands while Navias has a very distinctive style that is always worth listening to.
Although having said that about Diller, I'm not sure if he got a bit ahead of himself during the terminal count. He'd reached T-5 seconds before there was any sign of SSME start! In fact, for one awful moment I thought there'd been a cut-off.
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If the intention is that NASA TV is going to be rebroadcast during launches and landings for a non-technical general audience, then I think there may be a little more that NASA can do graphically: an onscreen countdown/MET clock all the way from T-9 to MECO would help media organisations and the public understand how close to launch they were. A little bit of captioning wouldn't go amiss too - for example having a caption on the feed from the ET camera, or the feed from MCC.
The BBC News Channel attempted with STS-129 to caption the ET camera footage. Unfortunately, because the NASA TV feed swapped back and forth between that and long-range ground cameras, no sooner had they got the caption up than they had to remove it again... I expect they'd consider something similar for the HUD at landing. As they don't have control over the shots chosen, it would look better if NASA did the captions.
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Anyone record that BBC caption footage?
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Speaking of shuttle launch coverage, I'd love to see Hugh Harris be the PAO for the last shuttle launch, it would be a blast from the past!
Orbiter
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Speaking of shuttle launch coverage, I'd love to see Hugh Harris be the PAO for the last shuttle launch, it would be a blast from the past!
Orbiter
i was thinking the EXACT same thing!!!
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Not launch coverage, but the PAO woman covering STS-129 now and during the mission is terrible. She can just about get three words spoken before a erm, or a uhh. Painful to listen to, very unprofessional.
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According to the STS-130 Press Kit, Allard Beutel will serve as KSC Launch Commentator (nice to see him doing one again) with Kylie Clem as Ascent PAO.
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STS-131 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: Mike Curie
Ascent/Entry Commentator: Brandi Dean
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STS-131 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: Mike Curie
Ascent/Entry Commentator: Brandi Dean
Mike Curie's great! STS-120, STS-127 and STS-128 he did very well with!
Allard did great with STS-124, but he must have been tired for STS-130.
Orbiter
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Whatever happened to Steve Nesbitt?
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STS-131 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: Mike Curie
Ascent/Entry Commentator: Brandi Dean
Mike Curie's great! STS-120, STS-127 and STS-128 he did very well with!
Orbiter
Mike Curie is a fine commentator, although he always insists that responsibility for each flight passes to Houston after the shuttle has cleared the tower rather than at Tzero. It'll be interesting to see whether he makes the same mistake on Monday.
Poor Brandi Dean took a lot of stick on this forum during the STS-129 landing when she continually mixed up her feet and miles! I don't know if she's covered a launch yet. Hopefully she'll have a better time on Monday.
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Why does he do that? I don't think I understand. As in he announces it at the wrong time?
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Why does he do that? I don't think I understand. As in he announces it at the wrong time?
Hugh Harris did it too..
'And liftoff of America's first space shuttle and the shuttle cleared the tower'
'And liftoff! Liftoff of America's return to space as Discovery clears the tower'
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Speaking of shuttle launch coverage, I'd love to see Hugh Harris be the PAO for the last shuttle launch, it would be a blast from the past!
Orbiter
How about closing out shuttle flights with giving John Young and Bob Crippen a "free" ride as crew numbers six and seven.
It would be interesting to compare Captain Young's and Crippen's health readings to their first launch in April 1981. Similar experiments to what were performed on John Glenn's shuttle flight.
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Why does he do that? I don't think I understand. As in he announces it at the wrong time?
When the countdown enters the T-9 minute hold, the KSC Launch Commentator hands over to the Ascent PAO at JSC for a brief update. During all his previous counts, Mike Curie has stated that "and after the shuttle has cleared the tower responsibility for the flight passes to Mission Control in Houston - and standing by for us at the Johnson Space Center with an update is Ascent Commentator [insert name]."
I don't have an issue with PAO saying, "and the shuttle has cleared the tower!" on lift-off. That's just a throw-back to the early days of the program when Houston genuinely didn't assume responsibility until tower clear. At some point (I guess during the 1990s) it was changed to SRB ignition. I think we've had this particular debate before. :(
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Well done, Mike Curie. He got it right today: "When Discovery lifts-off, control will pass to Houston."
Decent coverage all round from what I could see. NASA's offering is pretty standardised now - and I guess will be for the remainder of the program.
Discovery's launch has made most of the TV news bulletins here in the UK, presumably because it's a Public Holiday and nothing else much is happening. Good job the lift-off wasn't delayed 24 hours until tomorrow. It probably wouldn't have got a look in...
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STS-132 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: George Diller
Ascent Commentator: Kyle Herring
Entry Commentator: Josh Byerly
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STS-133 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: George Diller
Ascent/Entry Commentator: Josh Byerly
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I hope we don't have to hear Brandi's infamous flubs claiming the shuttle's 140,000 miles in altitude on final approach...or ISS being 214 feet above the Pacific Ocean...among other mistakes.
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I hope we don't have to hear Brandi
Just turn the volume down and you'll be set. I'd hardly call those "infamous" since the people that care already know, and the people who don't care still don't care.
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I hope we don't have to hear Brandi's infamous flubs claiming the shuttle's 140,000 miles in altitude on final approach...or ISS being 214 feet above the Pacific Ocean...among other mistakes.
Give the poor girl a break! :)
Anyway, I don't think you'll hear that much from Brandi Dean during this mission. Although she is listed in the press kit as one of the 'on orbit' commentators, her name comes after Josh Byerly (Lead) and Pat Ryan.
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Give her a break? It's her job to know these numbers. It's her job to be public commentator. I could do a better job for 10% of her pay (despite not having any idea what she makes), and actually enjoy it.
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I have to say, while I normally fall on the "give somebody a break" side of things, when it's your job to accurately communicate something like that, such flubs are really noticeable.
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Live commentary is a part of their job.
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True, and I'd expect somebody to be able to do all parts of their job and if something needs work it might be up to their employer to ensure some professional development.
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While ad-libbing on live TV, for hours at a time, with your sleep schedule all messed up is apparently a skill many posters here have -- speaking as one who did it for 3 minutes at a time, I can tell you there are quite a few occasions where I would misspeak.
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Tough crowd on here!
I don’t know much about Public Affairs but, as Philip points out, providing live commentary is surely only part of the job. There are media conferences to host, press and public queries to answer, visits to arrange and speeches to write. Obviously a PAO needs to be proficient in all those areas, but common sense suggests that individuals will excel in some and be slightly weaker in others. And rdale is spot on when he mentions the challenges of ad-libbing on live TV for hours at a time. Yes; Brandi Dean was not at her best during the STS-129 on-orbit and landing phases, but no one seems to remember that she actually did a competent enough job during the STS-131 ascent.
I actually created this thread and although I’m quite happy for it to develop into a wider-PAO discussion, I’m anxious that we don’t use it as a stick to beat Public Affairs over the head with, or single out individual PAOs just because they had a bad day at the office. And I’m not just saying that because I believe at least one NASA PAO actually reads this thread! :)
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So long as they sound interested, that's all I ask for. Some don't.
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Kyle Herring has recently “tweeted” the JSC PAO assignments for STS-134:
Ascent/Orbit 1: Kyle Herring
Orbit 2: Brandi Dean
Planning: Josh Byerly
Entry: Kelly Humphries
I’m not sure who the KSC Launch Commentator is yet. I also have to confess that I don’t know what the ‘Planning’ PAO actually does!
As I noted on the STS-134 processing thread (although it’s not a processing issue), the revised April 29th launch date now clashes with the UK’s Royal Wedding. I suspect that the majority of people on this forum have little interest in that event (however I must admit to being British and a Royalist!) but it is of massive interest to the world’s media – and that’s a real headache for NASA Public Affairs. If they were hoping to generate a great deal of coverage for Endeavour’s final launch then they could be in for a bit of a disappointment. I understand that many Americans are genuinely fascinated by British royalty and will be tuning into the wedding in droves! Fortunately, the launch comes later in the evening UK time (20:47) so any wedding-related events should be over by then. But it will be interesting to see how full the KSC Press Site is on April 29th. Bill Harwood has already noted that media organisations will have to split their resources between the wedding and the shuttle launch.
Of course, broadcasters such as CNN and Fox News only usually cover the last few minutes of the countdown so it’s probably not that big an issue. But I still fear that Endeavour will be very much the bridesmaid on April 29th!
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The planning PAO is the PAO on the planning shift. Orbit 1 PAO is there during the Orbit 1 shift, and Orbit 2 PAO is the one on console during the Orbit 2 shift.
The launch will get just as much coverage on this date as it would any other, and will generate just as much interest from the American public as any other.
I'm not sure I understand what you mean by them "splitting" coverage... I can't imagine the typical TV reporters who would go to KSC are now planning on going to England instead.
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I was just quoting Bill Harwood:
"As it now stands, news organizations will have to split their resources to cover the shuttle launch and the British royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton."
http://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/home/spacenews/files/f2e0f3200d7bfa109d4dac4ba75b89e4-206.html
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I suspect that the majority of people on this forum have little interest in that event (however I must admit to being British and a Royalist!) but it is of massive interest to the world’s media – and that’s a real headache for NASA Public Affairs. If they were hoping to generate a great deal of coverage for Endeavour’s final launch then they could be in for a bit of a disappointment.
PAO doesn't have that kind of control (kind of a function of what they can do).
British royal weddings aside, mainstream media interest in STS-134 was already overshadowed by Mark Kelly's situation.
(BTW, Planning = Orbit 3 for Shuttle.)
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The planning PAO is the PAO on the planning shift. Orbit 1 PAO is there during the Orbit 1 shift, and Orbit 2 PAO is the one on console during the Orbit 2 shift.
Thanks for that. I hadn't made the connection between 'planning' and the orbit 3 'planning shift.' Presumably the PAO's workload isn't too high on that one.
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I’m not sure who the KSC Launch Commentator is yet.
Bill Harwood's site lists George Diller as KSC commentator for the STS-134 launch.
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I’m not sure who the KSC Launch Commentator is yet.
Bill Harwood's site lists George Diller as KSC commentator for the STS-134 launch.
Copy that. I think George Diller was originally listed as the STS-133 KSC Launch Commentator but, after all the delays, was replaced by Mike Currie.
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Sorry for all of you who think otherwise, but public affairs is simply not a consideration for launch scheduling. I have never heard of any launch date discussion based on what is happening in other "media" markets. I don't think anybody in the shuttle program cares that the next launch coincides with the royal wedding.
You can discuss that mind set if you want, but that is the current mindset.
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Sorry for all of you who think otherwise, but public affairs is simply not a consideration for launch scheduling.
I never thought it was! I'm just pointing out that there'll only be one news story on April 29th and, sadly, it won't be Endeavour.
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Sorry for all of you who think otherwise, but public affairs is simply not a consideration for launch scheduling. I have never heard of any launch date discussion based on what is happening in other "media" markets. I don't think anybody in the shuttle program cares that the next launch coincides with the royal wedding.
You can discuss that mind set if you want, but that is the current mindset.
Bravo! It reminds me of the goofy posts we saw in 2008 when it was thought that STS-119 would possibly lift off on January 20, 2009. Some people believed NASA would be insulting Barack Obama by launching on the same day as his inauguration.
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I wish I hadn't started this now :)
Don't worry; I've never suggested that NASA should change the launch date just because these two events clash! That would be 'goofy.' And Wayne Hale is absolutely right when he says that no one in the shuttle program will care that the launch co-incides with the royal wedding. They'll only be interested in getting Endeavour off and getting her off safely on her final mission. But I'm sure there will be a few people in NASA's public affairs office who are thinking, "What a shame." Presumably, part of PAO's role is to both promote NASA to the American people, and try and maximise the agency's coverage in the media. From their perspective, April 29th is not the ideal launch date.
Of course, there'll probably be a 24 hour scrub for bad weather and Endeavour will end up going on April 30th :)
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STS-135 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: George Diller
Ascent/Orbit 1: Rob Navias
Orbit 2: Josh Byerly
Planning: Brandi Dean
Entry: Rob Navias
HQ PAO Representatives at KSC for Launch: Bob Jacobs/Mike Cabbage
JSC PAO Representatives at KSC for Launch: Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters/Kyle Herring/Dan Huot
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I wonder what George Diller's going to say when those SRB's light.
I don't want there to be some fancy, drawn out statement.
I just want 'Liftoff, liftoff of America's last space shuttle and the shuttle has cleared the tower!'
Orbiter
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STS-135 PAO Assignments:
KSC Launch Commentator: George Diller
Ascent/Orbit 1: Rob Navias
Orbit 2: Josh Byerly
Planning: Brandi Dean
Entry: Rob Navias
HQ PAO Representatives at KSC for Launch: Bob Jacobs/Mike Cabbage
JSC PAO Representatives at KSC for Launch: Nicole Cloutier-Lemasters/Kyle Herring/Dan Huot
Ascent/Orbit 1: Rob Navias
Orbit 2: Josh Byerly
That's the A-Team! Rightly so too. Great we'll have Josh (we're all fans of Josh here, I know) on Orbit 2.