It's the OMG NASA Pre-Apollocon Tour Report! (Part Three)
Wow, I really suck at getting things up in a timely manner, don't I? Never mind, let's consider this a thematic colusion with the Mars landing shall we?
So, in part one of the NASA pre-Apollocon tour report, we visited the NBL and met three astronauts and watched them work underwater around a mock-up of the ISS. In part two, we visited both mission control for both the ISS and the Apollo missions. At the first, we got amazingly lucky and got to talk with Tungsten Flight, one of the Flight Directors, and at the second -- which is a National Historic Site -- I got to sit in the Apollo Flight Directors chair. Very cool.
Today, we're off to the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. As always, contains lots of photos. No me this time, but later.
We were taken around the facility by Jeffery Musler. Because the shuttle missions have ended, most of the shuttle mockup has been taken across the highway and rebuilt at the Space Center. (we saw it later from a distance when we were at the Rocket Park/Saturn V building). As this was just after Dragon hooked up with the ISS, I asked Mr. Musler how he felt about Dragon and the ending of the shuttle program. He was thrilled about Dragon and not particularly upset at the ending of the shuttle program. The impression I got was that the people at NASA are excited about the chance to finally move out of low earth orbit after so many years, particularly now there's a chance of private companies running the taxi service to the station.
More on moving out of low earth orbit later.
I was pretty sure I'd taken a photo of the shuttle's cargo pods shrink-wrapped for transport -- because hey, shuttle cargo pods shrink wrapped -- but it seems I was listening to Mr. Musler instead. Listening is better.
Let's start with a photo of the expanded photo of the ISS. This should be in a book. (memo to self: check NASA's excellent website for a bookstore)
In the full resolution version you can actually read the labelling so if anyone wants a copy, let me know.
This is what one of the modules looks like on the inside. It's a mockup of one of the science modules.
At the entry to the module was a sign: "No more than 12 people inside at a time." Twelve very friendly people. There were six of us and it was plenty crowded. FYI, after you've typed module a few times, it no longer looks like a word.
This is one of the sleeping areas - compartment to the left, and the bottom and the top...
...and turning to the right, this is what they look like on the inside. Suddenly, VIA rail sleepers are looking much more spacious. Otoh, VIA rail doesn't come with zero gee so...
Leaving the ISS, on our way to the shuttle nose -- which is all of the mock-up left at the facility -- I took this photo of the exterior of one of the modules. I'm pretty sure it's one of the Russian's. Note the NASA employee under it for scale.
And the nose of the shuttle...
...and inside. Getting into the shuttle was the first time we really needed the comfortable clothes because it involved crawling and then scooting on your butt. Jael decided not to attempt it but Greg, and Tim, and I happilly crawled and scooted after Jeffery.
Remember the sleeping quarters on the ISS? (two shots up, guys) Well, this first photo is the sleeping quarters on the shuttle. The second is what you'd see if you turned around. The two squares on the floor are where the specialist's seats are secured during take-off and landing and the hatch leads out to the cargo bay. Or would if the cargo bay wasn't somewhere else, unphotographed but wrapped for shipping.
In order to get up into the cockpit, you had to climb a ladder then grip the back of one of the seats and kind of swing yourself up into the area behind the commander and the pilot's seats. The following three shots are what the commander of a shuttle mission would see from her/his seat. (Okay, technically, during a mission, they wouldn't see the SVMF out the window but use your imagination and replace with stars. Or the earth. Or the moon. Or the ISS.)
Yes, I was sitting in the shuttle commander's seat. How cool is that?
More of the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility to come.
So, in part one of the NASA pre-Apollocon tour report, we visited the NBL and met three astronauts and watched them work underwater around a mock-up of the ISS. In part two, we visited both mission control for both the ISS and the Apollo missions. At the first, we got amazingly lucky and got to talk with Tungsten Flight, one of the Flight Directors, and at the second -- which is a National Historic Site -- I got to sit in the Apollo Flight Directors chair. Very cool.
Today, we're off to the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. As always, contains lots of photos. No me this time, but later.
We were taken around the facility by Jeffery Musler. Because the shuttle missions have ended, most of the shuttle mockup has been taken across the highway and rebuilt at the Space Center. (we saw it later from a distance when we were at the Rocket Park/Saturn V building). As this was just after Dragon hooked up with the ISS, I asked Mr. Musler how he felt about Dragon and the ending of the shuttle program. He was thrilled about Dragon and not particularly upset at the ending of the shuttle program. The impression I got was that the people at NASA are excited about the chance to finally move out of low earth orbit after so many years, particularly now there's a chance of private companies running the taxi service to the station.
More on moving out of low earth orbit later.
I was pretty sure I'd taken a photo of the shuttle's cargo pods shrink-wrapped for transport -- because hey, shuttle cargo pods shrink wrapped -- but it seems I was listening to Mr. Musler instead. Listening is better.
Let's start with a photo of the expanded photo of the ISS. This should be in a book. (memo to self: check NASA's excellent website for a bookstore)
In the full resolution version you can actually read the labelling so if anyone wants a copy, let me know.
This is what one of the modules looks like on the inside. It's a mockup of one of the science modules.
At the entry to the module was a sign: "No more than 12 people inside at a time." Twelve very friendly people. There were six of us and it was plenty crowded. FYI, after you've typed module a few times, it no longer looks like a word.
This is one of the sleeping areas - compartment to the left, and the bottom and the top...
...and turning to the right, this is what they look like on the inside. Suddenly, VIA rail sleepers are looking much more spacious. Otoh, VIA rail doesn't come with zero gee so...
Leaving the ISS, on our way to the shuttle nose -- which is all of the mock-up left at the facility -- I took this photo of the exterior of one of the modules. I'm pretty sure it's one of the Russian's. Note the NASA employee under it for scale.
And the nose of the shuttle...
...and inside. Getting into the shuttle was the first time we really needed the comfortable clothes because it involved crawling and then scooting on your butt. Jael decided not to attempt it but Greg, and Tim, and I happilly crawled and scooted after Jeffery.
Remember the sleeping quarters on the ISS? (two shots up, guys) Well, this first photo is the sleeping quarters on the shuttle. The second is what you'd see if you turned around. The two squares on the floor are where the specialist's seats are secured during take-off and landing and the hatch leads out to the cargo bay. Or would if the cargo bay wasn't somewhere else, unphotographed but wrapped for shipping.
In order to get up into the cockpit, you had to climb a ladder then grip the back of one of the seats and kind of swing yourself up into the area behind the commander and the pilot's seats. The following three shots are what the commander of a shuttle mission would see from her/his seat. (Okay, technically, during a mission, they wouldn't see the SVMF out the window but use your imagination and replace with stars. Or the earth. Or the moon. Or the ISS.)
Yes, I was sitting in the shuttle commander's seat. How cool is that?
More of the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility to come.