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#80
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 08:08
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I agrree about the begining of the end.. I think it is a terrible, bad decision and I hate the media dwelling on how there's only 4 years left... 3 years left... til 2010. I thnk they picked 2012 because it's a nice round number. We've finally figured out all the shuttle cpabilities nad fixed everythign that can go wrong and now they want to retrire it? doesn't make sense. bad decision programatically.
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#81
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 08:11
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After STS-26 Nesbitt only did one more launch commentary and it wasn't until almost exactly 9 years later.. I don't know why. But he did STS-86 on 9/25/97 after years of not doing them..then disappeared again.
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#82
by
AstroRJY
on 10 Apr, 2007 15:53
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Mitch Varnes first one was STS-47 in 1992.
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#83
by
shuttlefan
on 10 Apr, 2007 17:07
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AstroRJY - 10/4/2007 3:08 AM
I agrree about the begining of the end.. I think it is a terrible, bad decision and I hate the media dwelling on how there's only 4 years left... 3 years left... til 2010. I thnk they picked 2012 because it's a nice round number. We've finally figured out all the shuttle cpabilities nad fixed everythign that can go wrong and now they want to retrire it? doesn't make sense. bad decision programatically.
I know what you're saying but it is the overall design of the Space Shuttle that makes it unsafe compared to other launch vehicles. Forget Alan Shepard and John Glenn's first flights. They had a viable escape system. The Shuttle crews take way more risks than they did. The shuttle-a fragile heatshield attached to something that sheds debris easily, solid rocket boosters that can't be turned off in flight. I know they've corrected both problems but there's always the potential for them to re-appear, especially the foam problem.
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#84
by
TNCMAXQ
on 11 Apr, 2007 00:25
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I remember Mitch doing a couple of them. I didn't think he was too good. Going even farther back there was Rocky Raab, who did 41G as I recall, and maybe a couple of others. Jim Ball also did some launches prior to 51L. He surprised me by doing some countdowns going from T-10 seconds all the way down to 0 without saying anything about main engine start. I think he was the only one who ever did that. It certainly was different from what we had been used to, and what we have heard since. He was PAO during the RSLS abort on 51F, when I was at KSC. That was another big disappointment. :angry:
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#85
by
Rocket Guy
on 11 Apr, 2007 00:33
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There's been a few countdowns where he/she didn't say anything about main engine start.
Astro...I think you missed the parts about Rye no longer working in NASA PAO, and that Bruce moved on to another job.
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#86
by
STS-500Cmdr
on 11 Apr, 2007 09:28
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I started getting into watching these things in about 1993-STS-51, 58, 61, etc. I know Mitch Varnes from STS-58 "uhh T-6 5 4 we have main engine start 3 2 1 BOOSTER IGNITION AND LIFTOFF of Columbia on a life sciences mission for Earth and Space"
which brings me to Jeff Carr--i liked him miss having him doing the commentary--added excitement, drama to it. I remember hearing him on 58 and 62--recently discovered the vid of STS-53. Steve Nesbitt did the STS-62 landing in 1994--in between '88 and '97.
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#87
by
shuttlepilot
on 11 Apr, 2007 12:21
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#88
by
TNCMAXQ
on 11 Apr, 2007 18:59
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One more name to add is Joel Wells. He did a couple of launches in 2000, as I recall. I think his first might have been STS-99. I remember that one because I was there to see it.
It was the first launch of 2000 so he said "liftoff of Endeavour on a 21st century mission to put Earth back on the map." I thought that was pretty good. I think he did at least one other launch but I don't remember. I guess he left the public affairs office shortly after that.
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#89
by
AstroRJY
on 11 Apr, 2007 19:24
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NO that was Mitch Varnes doing STS-99 wiht the BRILLIANT line about Earth on the map...as though it ever wasn't?? I liked Mitch but he had some dumb lines.
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#90
by
AstroRJY
on 11 Apr, 2007 19:26
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Raab did 2: 41-G and 51-B. He also did the 41-D Discovery FRF.
Jim Ball did 4: 51-G, 51-F, 61-A and 61-C. He also did the 51-J Atlantis FRF.
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#91
by
AstroRJY
on 11 Apr, 2007 19:28
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You're right. I've heard a couple times a mention of another optionb that I almost never hear mentioned called " fast separation". The idea in " fast separation" is that if they have a few seconds knowledge that something is about to let go in the ET or SRBs the can quickly separate the orbiter from the stack and try to ditch it in the ocean while the stack careens off on its own and then does a range safety destruct. I don't know if it would work considering what speed and dynamic pressures they'd be at or what altitude and how the orbiter's iarframe would handle that. Has anyone else ever heard of it?
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#92
by
MATTBLAK
on 11 Apr, 2007 19:30
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AstroRJY - 10/4/2007 6:52 PM
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.
Whatever happened to Lisa Malone anyway?
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#93
by
AstroRJY
on 11 Apr, 2007 19:32
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Good question. I miss her. I actually spoke to her on the phone once years ago when I called NASA. I think her most recent launch was in 2001 on 105 but I think she's still working in NASA PR. I could be in error.
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#94
by
Jim
on 11 Apr, 2007 20:04
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She is in charge of the organization
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#95
by
Rocket Guy
on 11 Apr, 2007 23:08
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AstroRJY - 11/4/2007 3:24 PM
NO that was Mitch Varnes doing STS-99 wiht the BRILLIANT line about Earth on the map...as though it ever wasn't?? I liked Mitch but he had some dumb lines.
No Astro, it was Joel Wells on STS-99 and STS-92 as well as Mars Odyssey.
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#96
by
STS-500Cmdr
on 12 Apr, 2007 01:08
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Joel Wells does sound very much like Varnes--i miss both--i On Fast Separaton you'll probably find talk about it in the Q&A threads but fast sep is not believed to be survivable as the orbiter would not be able to gain control with its wing surfaces and glide back-would probably tumble--if not cooked by the solids roaring by. BTW i did some googling- Mitch Varnes is now the Pres. of Board Sport Management--a surfing outfit in the space coast area.
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#97
by
Endeavour118
on 12 Apr, 2007 08:04
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nathan.moeller - 8/3/2007 10:00 AM
shuttlefan - 8/3/2007 8:52 AM
shuttlepilot - 8/3/2007 8:50 AM
TNCMAXQ - 8/3/2007 3:09 PM
I am disappointed Bruce Buckingham is no longer with PAO.
I'm disappointed too. I think he's the best commentator since 1991 when he first time covered shuttle launch.
I believe PAO folks from Houston come down to KSC for every launch and help out with KSC PAO. Is it possible that one of them would do launch commentary?
Possible. Rob Navias is MCC PAO, not LCC. He's amazing with ascent commentary but I've never heard him do launch commentary. The only person I can think of that can fill Rye's spot now is George Diller. He makes the launches highly exciting
Rob Just Did Launch Commentary of expedition 15 launch
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#98
by
shuttlepilot
on 12 Apr, 2007 12:52
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Endeavour118 - 12/4/2007 10:04 AM
Rob Just Did Launch Commentary of expedition 15 launch
Everyone know this.
I think he was really good - better than guys from two previous Soyuz launches. I would like to hear him as shuttle LCC PAO
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#99
by
Endeavour118
on 12 Apr, 2007 22:32
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Who Did The Last 2 Launches?
It was the first launch of 2000 so he said "liftoff of Endeavour on a 21st century mission to put Earth back on the map." I thought that was pretty good. I think he did at least one other launch but I don't remember. I guess he left the public affairs office shortly after that.