I think I interrupted it during some kind of dirt bath meditation ritual, it was not digging, just rolling around in my flower pot with no other discernible purpose, but who knows with #squirrels.
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@Lizette603_23 so the longish version, I grew up around the Johnson Space Center, my dad work on Apollo from its early days. So I more or less followed in his footsteps, started working Space Shuttle in the late ‘80s in JSC’s Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), which was a high fidelity engineering & test simulator, what is called an “iron bird” - basically a complete set of Shuttle computers, avionics, cockpit, middeck, payload bay, laid out in a warehouse sized building.
@Trilobyter I'm envisioning it all. I was that star struck kid watching the first launches.
I've wondered if recent "space" tv show and movies have any valid representation of fact or even lingo. I certainly recall just about everything you wrote here from a few of them, so I guess that means someone consults with them who has expertise. I don't suppose you do that do you?
Was your dad a good teacher?
Wow, and entire shuttle RIGHT THERE -
@Lizette603_23 so the longish version, I grew up around the Johnson Space Center, my dad work on Apollo from its early days. So I more or less followed in his footsteps, started working Space Shuttle in the late ‘80s in JSC’s Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), which was a high fidelity engineering & test simulator, what is called an “iron bird” - basically a complete set of Shuttle computers, avionics, cockpit, middeck, payload bay, laid out in a warehouse sized building.
@Trilobyter I used to live just up the road from JPL
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@Lizette603_23 so the longish version, I grew up around the Johnson Space Center, my dad work on Apollo from its early days. So I more or less followed in his footsteps, started working Space Shuttle in the late ‘80s in JSC’s Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory (SAIL), which was a high fidelity engineering & test simulator, what is called an “iron bird” - basically a complete set of Shuttle computers, avionics, cockpit, middeck, payload bay, laid out in a warehouse sized building.
@Lizette603_23 In the SAIL we tested the electronics & software, ‘flying” full mission simulations, often with astronauts in our cockpit. The final step of systems integration testing done before each mission flew. So then the Columbia tragedy happened and in the aftermath they decided to bring the Shuttle program to an end - though it kept flying for many more years. But with that there was the initiation of the Constellation program and the Orion spacecraft was the crew-carrying part of that.
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@Lizette603_23 In the SAIL we tested the electronics & software, ‘flying” full mission simulations, often with astronauts in our cockpit. The final step of systems integration testing done before each mission flew. So then the Columbia tragedy happened and in the aftermath they decided to bring the Shuttle program to an end - though it kept flying for many more years. But with that there was the initiation of the Constellation program and the Orion spacecraft was the crew-carrying part of that.
@Trilobyter wow. you "flew"!!!!!!!!!!
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@Lizette603_23 In the SAIL we tested the electronics & software, ‘flying” full mission simulations, often with astronauts in our cockpit. The final step of systems integration testing done before each mission flew. So then the Columbia tragedy happened and in the aftermath they decided to bring the Shuttle program to an end - though it kept flying for many more years. But with that there was the initiation of the Constellation program and the Orion spacecraft was the crew-carrying part of that.
@Trilobyter In an entirely different context I spent a few weeks working next to a retired astronaut or two, and their approach to everything seems quite different than the average Joe. Did you find that part easy or not so easy? I'm not mentioning names, I'm just curious how it is to work with people who are involved in something you know the inner workings of so intimately in one way and they in another.
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@Lizette603_23 In the SAIL we tested the electronics & software, ‘flying” full mission simulations, often with astronauts in our cockpit. The final step of systems integration testing done before each mission flew. So then the Columbia tragedy happened and in the aftermath they decided to bring the Shuttle program to an end - though it kept flying for many more years. But with that there was the initiation of the Constellation program and the Orion spacecraft was the crew-carrying part of that.
@Lizette603_23 In 2006 after Lockheed Martin was awarded the Orion contract I and some of my other SAIL colleagues were recruited to help develop a similar facility for the Orion. I worked on both initially but after a year or so I became full time on Orion, and kept going till my retirement this week. Of course during those years the Constellation program was cancelled but the Orion part remained in development, and eventually became part of the lunar-focused Artemis program.
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@Lizette603_23 In 2006 after Lockheed Martin was awarded the Orion contract I and some of my other SAIL colleagues were recruited to help develop a similar facility for the Orion. I worked on both initially but after a year or so I became full time on Orion, and kept going till my retirement this week. Of course during those years the Constellation program was cancelled but the Orion part remained in development, and eventually became part of the lunar-focused Artemis program.
@Trilobyter Were you inclined more toward the Orion work or is that just how it happened?
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@Lizette603_23 In 2006 after Lockheed Martin was awarded the Orion contract I and some of my other SAIL colleagues were recruited to help develop a similar facility for the Orion. I worked on both initially but after a year or so I became full time on Orion, and kept going till my retirement this week. Of course during those years the Constellation program was cancelled but the Orion part remained in development, and eventually became part of the lunar-focused Artemis program.
@Trilobyter I'm so amazed to be able to talk to someone who over the decades has worked with an organization that's given humanity SO MUCH....in the medical field, in almost every way....heck, Memory foam!! Water filtration! MRIs fcs!! I mean, you are a major part of all of our histories.
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@Trilobyter I'm envisioning it all. I was that star struck kid watching the first launches.
I've wondered if recent "space" tv show and movies have any valid representation of fact or even lingo. I certainly recall just about everything you wrote here from a few of them, so I guess that means someone consults with them who has expertise. I don't suppose you do that do you?
Was your dad a good teacher?
Wow, and entire shuttle RIGHT THERE@Lizette603_23 no I’ve not done any such consulting but the better “space” shows do use them. It’s sometimes difficult for me to suspend disbelief & enjoy if it’s a show that is trying to be realistic but (for me at least) failing to do so. The more fantasy type sci-fi space shows are often easier to swallow in that regard. My dad, well he was from that emotionally minimalist/taciturn WW2/Korean War generation, but I know he was pleased I ended up working in the space program.
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@Lizette603_23 no I’ve not done any such consulting but the better “space” shows do use them. It’s sometimes difficult for me to suspend disbelief & enjoy if it’s a show that is trying to be realistic but (for me at least) failing to do so. The more fantasy type sci-fi space shows are often easier to swallow in that regard. My dad, well he was from that emotionally minimalist/taciturn WW2/Korean War generation, but I know he was pleased I ended up working in the space program.
@Trilobyter My dad was also from the WW2 era....Navy man, taciturn to a fault. I get that. I'm sure his emotions were very real and stayed where he put them.
I love anything to do with space that isn't insulting to my intelligence, especially if it's intentionally silly. That's big fun. Takes some of the scarey what if's out of space exploration. Yeah, I would think that those shows or movies that try to depict accurately are frustrating for you to watch, knowing what you know. -
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