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#60
by
nathan.moeller
on 02 Apr, 2007 23:02
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TNCMAXQ - 2/4/2007 4:50 PM
I wonder if Hugh was a little nervous in the count leading up to the launch of 26 as I think he made a couple of errors, or left some sentences unfinished. In any case, I will never forget that day. I am pretty quiet usually but after 32 months of waiting after the 51L accident a lot of emotion had built up. I screamed "YES!! YES!!" at the TV. :laugh:
"Americans return to space as Discovery clears the tower!" You could tell he was excited and proud too. As were the network commentators. Gene Cernan was on ABC and said "go baby!" What a day.
I was only one year, three months old when STS-26 launched so it would be a bit vague in my memory
But I remember STS-114 as if it were yesterday. I didn't scream at the TV (though I wanted to so badly...my brother was asleep), but after one year it was time to let out the excitement when STS-121 rolled around. My whole family was sitting in the living room watching and I was the only one who lept off the couch at booster ignition and let out a huge "YEEEAAHHH!!!" The same has been true with STS-115 and STS-116 (STS-116 being the most exciting of all). I woke up my roommate with STS-115 and scared him with STS-116 (at which point Gary was in the room cheering as well so that added to the scare factor)
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#61
by
shuttlepilot
on 03 Apr, 2007 12:10
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#62
by
spaceshuttle
on 03 Apr, 2007 17:04
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nathan.moeller - 2/4/2007 6:02 PM
TNCMAXQ - 2/4/2007 4:50 PM
I wonder if Hugh was a little nervous in the count leading up to the launch of 26 as I think he made a couple of errors, or left some sentences unfinished. In any case, I will never forget that day. I am pretty quiet usually but after 32 months of waiting after the 51L accident a lot of emotion had built up. I screamed "YES!! YES!!" at the TV. :laugh:
"Americans return to space as Discovery clears the tower!" You could tell he was excited and proud too. As were the network commentators. Gene Cernan was on ABC and said "go baby!" What a day.
I was only one year, three months old when STS-26 launched so it would be a bit vague in my memory But I remember STS-114 as if it were yesterday. I didn't scream at the TV (though I wanted to so badly...my brother was asleep), but after one year it was time to let out the excitement when STS-121 rolled around. My whole family was sitting in the living room watching and I was the only one who lept off the couch at booster ignition and let out a huge "YEEEAAHHH!!!" The same has been true with STS-115 and STS-116 (STS-116 being the most exciting of all). I woke up my roommate with STS-115 and scared him with STS-116 (at which point Gary was in the room cheering as well so that added to the scare factor)
I clapped for 114, but for some reason, I flipped my lid for 121...115, i was excited...and 116, I was glued to my computer staring at that night launch. Next on my agenda: seeing this summer's launch IN PERSON.
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#63
by
nathan.moeller
on 03 Apr, 2007 18:20
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spaceshuttle - 3/4/2007 12:04 PM
I clapped for 114, but for some reason, I flipped my lid for 121...115, i was excited...and 116, I was glued to my computer staring at that night launch. Next on my agenda: seeing this summer's launch IN PERSON.
That would be awesome! Yeah I think I was more in shock that 114 had actually launched so I didn't go nuts. But when 121 lifted off I couldn't contain myself (same with STS-115 and STS-116). I woke up my roommate when Atlantis launched on STS-115 (Saturday morning and he was still passed out from the night before). With STS-116, my friend Gary had come over to watch the liftoff with me. I had my dad on the phone 200 miles away while he was at a party and we were literally screaming at the TV as she launched and started the ascent. He said there was no doubt that she had launched because of all the 'commotion.'
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#64
by
STS-500Cmdr
on 03 Apr, 2007 22:14
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As i expected i teared up, wept watching 114--George Diller's excitement commentary and James Hartsfield's voice "Houstons now controlling Commander Eileen Collins confirming Discovery rolling onto course for rendezvous with the International Space Station" and the roar, crackle of those SRBs Hartsfield--the man who had to tell us "NASA has declared a contingency" last time we'd heard him I've always liked Hartsfield ever since hearing him on STS-61. STS-114 i got the idea theyd be too scared to ever launch
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#65
by
TNCMAXQ
on 05 Apr, 2007 18:48
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Adding to the drama of 26 I suppose was the word from Launch Control at around T-1 minute 40 seconds that the clock would hold at 31. I felt my emotions "deflate" like a balloon. All the tenseness just flowed out of me because I thought there surely would be a scrub. I hated the thought of going through all this, and taking more time off from work, on another day. Up to that point I don't think a launch had ever occurred if a hold at 31 seconds had occurred, or of course if the count was stopped after auto sequence start. The TV commentators all yammered on and on about what was wrong. When Hugh Harris finally said "we will NOT stop the clock," the TV talking heads still were going on and on about the glitch. Finally they realized there would be no hold. One guy (I forget on which network, because I kept changing channels,) said "apparently the problem has cleared itself." No kidding. When liftoff occurred at 11:37 AM ET I think the whole country was thrilled and relieved.
One reason perhaps that I did not feel quite the same emotion when 114 lifted off was that we knew the shuttle had a finite number of missions remaining. It was like the beginning of the end. With the first Return to Flight in 1988, we thought the program was practically limitless.
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#66
by
Jim
on 05 Apr, 2007 18:53
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I believe T-31 holds did occur before STS-26, I will look
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#67
by
psloss
on 05 Apr, 2007 19:19
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Jim - 5/4/2007 2:53 PM
I believe T-31 holds did occur before STS-26, I will look
I believe the first during a launch count occurred on STS-2. (There was also the one on STS-61C in early Jan. 1986, but both days ended in scrubs.)
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#68
by
TNCMAXQ
on 05 Apr, 2007 22:09
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Yes they did occur, but they were always followed by scrubs. That was why I assumed once they called a hold that there would be no launch that day. I'm glad that was not the case. I don't know for sure but I think this was also the first time it was announced there would be a hold that was then called off.
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#69
by
psloss
on 05 Apr, 2007 22:43
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TNCMAXQ - 5/4/2007 6:09 PM
Yes they did occur, but they were always followed by scrubs. That was why I assumed once they called a hold that there would be no launch that day. I'm glad that was not the case. I don't know for sure but I think this was also the first time it was announced there would be a hold that was then called off.
There was at least one prior to 51-L: during the last 51-I launch attempt, a pending hold at T-5 minutes was cleared. But even counting weather holds at T-5 minutes, there weren't that many instances where the clock was held at a GLS milestone during the first 25 flights. In almost all the cases (before and after 51-L) I can think of, where the clock was held at a GLS milestone inside of T-9 minutes, a cutoff and recycle didn't necessarily sound like a given, even if that ended being the outcome.
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#70
by
Endeavour118
on 06 Apr, 2007 15:39
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STS-500Cmdr - 3/4/2007 6:14 PM
As i expected i teared up, wept watching 114--George Diller's excitement commentary and James Hartsfield's voice "Houstons now controlling Commander Eileen Collins confirming Discovery rolling onto course for rendezvous with the International Space Station" and the roar, crackle of those SRBs Hartsfield--the man who had to tell us "NASA has declared a contingency" last time we'd heard him I've always liked Hartsfield ever since hearing him on STS-61. STS-114 i got the idea theyd be too scared to ever launch
Hartsfield Does Not Sound The same As He does on sts-61 On Sts-61 His Voice Was A little Slower But Now its Faster.
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#71
by
shuttlepilot
on 07 Apr, 2007 09:09
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STS-61 launch video for Hartsfield's (and Buckingham's) fans
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#72
by
shuttlefan
on 07 Apr, 2007 12:27
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Endeavour118 - 6/4/2007 10:39 AM
STS-500Cmdr - 3/4/2007 6:14 PM
As i expected i teared up, wept watching 114--George Diller's excitement commentary and James Hartsfield's voice "Houstons now controlling Commander Eileen Collins confirming Discovery rolling onto course for rendezvous with the International Space Station" and the roar, crackle of those SRBs Hartsfield--the man who had to tell us "NASA has declared a contingency" last time we'd heard him I've always liked Hartsfield ever since hearing him on STS-61. STS-114 i got the idea theyd be too scared to ever launch
Hartsfield Does Not Sound The same As He does on sts-61 On Sts-61 His Voice Was A little Slower But Now its Faster.
How you talk about James Hartsfield with STS-107 and 114--I remember Steve Nesbitt was commentator when 51-L destructed, and then again when Discovery launched on STS-26 on September 29 '88. He must have had tears in his eyes for STS-26. He's probably glad we couldn't see him on TV, although it's OK to shead tears. I do it easily also. :frown:
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#73
by
STS-500Cmdr
on 07 Apr, 2007 20:21
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Kyle Herring's voice has changed a bit over the years too
BTW in the STS-26 video you hear obviously Dan Rather and the other voice is Jeff Hoffman--great astronaut.
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#74
by
Chris Bergin
on 07 Apr, 2007 20:25
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STS-500Cmdr - 7/4/2007 9:21 PM
Kyle Herring's voice has changed a bit over the years too
*Bangs head against the nearest wall*
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#75
by
TNCMAXQ
on 08 Apr, 2007 00:28
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I remember Jeff Hoffman trying to conceal his excitement during the launch of STS-26. I guess he didn't think it would be right for him to yell and let out too much emotion on live TV.
Over on ABC though Gene Cernan and others weren't quite so subdued. I think that added to the excitement for me too. I don't even remember who the other on camera expert was who started at T-10 saying "come on engines, let's do it! Let's do it engines!" :laugh: At about the time roll program began, Gene Cernan let out a "goooo... baby!" I probably missed some of the commentary because of my own hooting, hollering, and practically choking back the tears of joy.
One time when they overdid it I think is when Peter Jennings was talking over NASA at the point where the capcom said "Discovery, go at throttle up!" This of course was a dramatic moment everyone talked about waiting to hear because it was the point at which Challenger had broken up. I was eager to hear Rick Hauck's response but Gene piped up with "they're through the area where the winds would have given them a problem," or words to that effect. He was speaking even as Hauck replied, but you could clearly hear Hauck's confident call of "ROGER GO!" anyway. He sounded so strong and sure of himself it made me feel better.
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#76
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 07:52
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That is NOT Rye on the STS-105 link. That's Lisa Malone who has done shuttle launches since STS-29 in 1989. The rpess made a big story out of it whe she became the first female shuttle launch commentator back at that time. Rye has never actually done a shuttle launch before. She's done the tanking section between T- 6hours and T-3 hours on a couple of them and some Delta launches, but this would be her first actual shuttle launch. hopefully she's more impressive doing those than she has been so far. I really wish they'd retire George Diller. He drives me crazy listening to his hemming and hawing and soft spoken confusion on the air. Buckingham is allright. I really miss Hugh Harris, he was the best commentator.
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#77
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 07:57
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They sometimes do allright during the actual liftoff but in the final minutes of the T-9 count sometimes they say dumnb things, get things confused or backwards or just leave long periods of dead silence when they should be saying more of all the many things going on. Often Buckingham and Diller won't say anything after T-1 minute or so almost unitl main engine start, and that drives me crazy.
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#78
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 08:01
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Diller isn't that good anymore. He sounds like a confused old man. But an ironic note on that STS-51 launch, I saw it on CNN and John Holliman mentioned twice how excited the liftoff commentator sounded to have Discovery finally airborne after several scrubs. he said he virtually screamed " liftoff" Problem was.... Holliman said both times it was bruce Buckingham. It was Diller. Holliman often got his facts wrong.
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#79
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 08:05
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I like Hartsfiled. He does a good job. Rob Navias yaps way too much with cheesy lines trying to sound like a news anchor and always has the same exact canned lines at the same point in every single launch. Hartsfield isn't bad. The best ever was Steve Nesbitt who as far as I can remember only did 1 launch in 1988 and then one in 1997, STS-86 and hasn't been heard from since. Wish he was back on the air.
But I remember STS-114 as if it were yesterday. I didn't scream at the TV (though I wanted to so badly...my brother was asleep), but after one year it was time to let out the excitement when STS-121 rolled around. My whole family was sitting in the living room watching and I was the only one who lept off the couch at booster ignition and let out a huge "YEEEAAHHH!!!" The same has been true with STS-115 and STS-116 (STS-116 being the most exciting of all). I woke up my roommate with STS-115 and scared him with STS-116 (at which point Gary was in the room cheering as well so that added to the scare factor) 
