Crew Questions for Press Conference -- Suggestions?

• Crew Questions for Press Conference -- Suggestions? by JimO on 14 Nov, 2007 19:13
• I'll be working with my NBC clients at Friday's mission and crew press conference, including the private one-on-ones after the main televised events. Are there any suggestions for insightful personal/professional questions for the crewmembers, especially during the one-on-ones?
  
  I won't be able to post results for a few weeks until NBC decides which to use on-air, but I can probably get away with private-messaging the authors of questions I get to use.
  
  The sort of thing I'm interested in is whether the push to get everybody flown is leading to less experienced -- and maybe less well trained -- crewmembers, eh? Does it make sense to fly 'everybody' once and have most of them then leave NASA, with their experience -- or fly the younger members twice, and count on many of them staying another 10-20 years?
  
  How many of them want to fly Soyuz to ISS in the gap, versus working Orion, and why?
  
  Questions like that.
  
  
• #1 by c.steven on 15 Nov, 2007 00:38
• Jim,
  
  Thanks for the great offer. To follow up on your question, does the increased number of rookies cause a crunch during the training cycle as the flight rate has ramped up to nearly a flight every other month. When I say crunch, I mean availability of training personnel, time availability for certain task training devices, etc., as multiple crews are trying to train for very complex tasks. And what about the first time EVA folks? I know there's a benchmark for NBL hours per EVA hour, but what about suit, airlock, and basic EVA procedures training? Then you take Love, who is a rookie doing both. Is his training cycle more intense than the one Rex is going through?
  
  Is there enough time to debrief with the previous crew before the next flight so lessons learned can be passed along?
  
  This is a not a high-level question, but it is one I haven't heard answered. Even thought the shuttle is the most complex machine built by humans, it uses almost antique software and computer systems. As you send and receive e-mails, documents, and even videos between orbit and Houston on somewhat modern laptop computers, does it ever strike you as odd that the machine that got you there was designed in the seventies and uses computers that are generations behind what many people have their homes?
  
  Finally, we've seen several crews lately who were in training together as a crew for long periods of time. Now we're getting into shorter training flows between crew announcements and launch dates. Does this hurt crew coordination or compatibility on these complex flights?
  
  Probably not good questions since I'm a little out of practice, but thanks for taking the time to read them.
• #2 by edfishel on 15 Nov, 2007 09:57
• Jim - Ditto C. Steven on the great offer. In no particular order, I would love to know:
  
  * what are the lessons we have learned about spacewalking over the last several missions? Have any techniques evolved (checking gloves periodically is a good example) and new tools (torque multiplier) evolved? Have we found that bolts torqued for 60 lbs on earth have turned up torqued for 120 lbs in space, for example?  How are those lessons being passed on and saved for future generations?
  
  * do STS crews take on different personalities?  If so, how would the commander describe his STS-122 team? Pegg's team seemed joyful and emotional, for example. Is that a reflection of the commander's style? Does NASA try to put together like-minded team members?
  
  * what systems have evolved to improve communication (professional and personal) between the ground and ISS?  We have all heard "the big loop", but what other systems such as direct internet access may have evolved to allow astronauts to communicate with their team on the ground or their families?
  
  * what science projects are they taking with them or conducting while in space? even high school projects? we haven't heard anything about them in recent years?
  
  * any foreign language skills to converse with European journalists in their native languages since they are taking the European module to the ISS? It might mean a lot to the European "audience" to hear things explained in their respective native languages. Is this a part of the flight planning?
  
  * what's the coolest thing(s) about the European module and how does it differ from the U.S. Destiny lab? Does it have different features and sub-systems? Are the racks standardized for the Destiny and the European module or did ESA come up with its own standards for the racks, for example?
  
  * what is the relationship between astronauts and their ground trainers/teachers? We got a hint of this relationship in Dan Tani's decision to mention each instructor by name following his robotic operation yesterday.  Is there a small group of trainers who live/work with these astronauts for years before they get to fly?
  
  * finally...for each rookie...what is the "one big thing" you are looking forward to the most about this first space flight? the sense of accomplishment of your particular assignment? the opportunity to see earth from a different perspective? the ride into space? the sense of "team"?
  
  Thanks, Jim.
  Ed
  Retired NBC guy
• #3 by kimmern123 on 15 Nov, 2007 10:32
• *Do the former crewmates Steve Frick and Rex Walheim think that combining crewmembers that've flown together before makes it easier to wokr together and ultimately prepare better, especially with preparing the rookies for flight, as with this flight two crewmembers have flown together and know how to work together? Is this a more effective approach in terms of training flow and the chemistry between the crew?
  
  *Second, Rex Walheim is of Norwegian descent. What is his view on installing the European laboratory, which Norway has supported through ESA, and will he bring with him something on the flight to sort of honor that ancestry?
  
  *For Steve Frick, what has been the most challenging aspect of preparing the flight for him as the commander? Especially as this is a really important mission for ESA and the ISS program, what is his thoughts on being selected as CDR for exactly this flight?
  
  *What has been the most exciting, the funniest, the most challenging and "best" moment for the crew during the training?
  
  As a 16-year old from Norway I'm really looking forward to this flight, with both Columbus and a partly Norwegian crewmember.
  
  I hope some of these questions are of interest, Jim
  
  Best,
  Kim
• #4 by hutchel on 15 Nov, 2007 15:27
• Great offer -
  * one thing that would dovetail to your line of reasoning is at what flight rate does KSC get max'd out - they seem to be working round the clock trying to make this flight rate, weekends, holidays etc.  That has got to be pretty taxing to the ground support personnel.  Don't get me wrong - they are doing a superb job and the fact that we've had a string of very clean flights now is a testiment to their work - I just know that with a continuous surge, problems do start to happen.
  
  Lee
• #5 by Jason on 15 Nov, 2007 19:06

• How many astronauts are not getting anymore STS flights because of assignments to the Constellation program?

  Are any of those assigned to Constellation unflown?

  Who of this crew is sticking around or interested in being assigned to an Orion crew?

• #6 by astrobrian on 16 Nov, 2007 04:09
• Do any of the astronauts know that they are indeed staying on board for Orion? If so who and how was that decision made?
• #7 by JimO on 16 Nov, 2007 11:42
• OK, thanks!!