It's the OMG Nasa Pre-Apollocon Tour Report! (Part Two)
I know, I know, I'm way behind. But I had to write a short story then go to Saskatchewan. You're right. It's not a good excuse but it's the only one you're likely to get.
For those of you joining us late I refer you to this earlier Lj post where I said "If the OMG in the title wasn't enough to clue you in, this tour was amazing. I'm not talking the "wander around peer down at distant bits from the cat-walk, finish in 90 minutes and end up in the gift shop" kind of tour, I'm talking about wearing a "Director's Guest" badge -- which we were told to guard with our lives -- and being able to get up close and personal with all sorts of cool stuff and cooler people."
(warning: photo heavy, contains me)
In that earlier post, I talked about the Neutral Buoyancy Lab and meeting astronauts and now we're about to move on to the Mission Control Center (MCC) for the International Space Station (ISS).
But first, in the lobby at the MCC is the mockup of the shuttle's Canada Arm controls. This is our one claim to space fame so I tried to casually drop the Arm into conversation whenever possible. And then apologise for mentioning it. I'm mostly kidding...
We were guided into MCC by Rebecca Marsh. I'd asked at the NBL if there were any restrictions on photography (there weren't) and I asked again here. Rebecca told us not to zoom in on any of the screens but, otherwise, we could photograph what we wanted.
Pretty cool right? Yes, but it's cooler than that. These men and women were working. They were, while we were watching, doing all the things Mission Control does during active mission in the International Space Station. The two screens on the left -- live coverage from inside the station. The screen on the far right -- a shot from the station's external camera. The map in the middle -- the path of the station in real time. The woman in red, the current CAPCOM, is the voice of MCC. CAPCON does the all the talking to the astronauts so there aren't half a dozen voices nattering at them to check this or do that. It all goes through her. Beside her on the left, is the Flight Director. (referred to as Flight) He's... well, he's in charge. The buck stops with him. Flight Directors have to see the big picture as well as understand all the smaller ones, be able to make informed decisions in an instant, remain calm under pressure, and keep half a dozen balls as well as a space station the size of a football field and the men and women on her in the air at the same time. Literally. Yes, I kind of fangirl the Flight Directors.
We were very lucky right about here because one of those Flight Directors, waiting for a group of French senators who were a little late, wandered into the viewing area while we were there. Royce J. Renfrew (Tunsten Flight) radiated confidence. He told us he came to NASA by a unique route -- after teaching high school. I figure that if you can keep a room full of teenagers on track and actually learning something, an ISS mission is cake.
One of the astronauts kept slipping through the screens on the left (Mr. Renfrew thought it might be Joseph Acaba who's been up since May) but he was moving so fast I couldn't get a decent shot. However just before we headed out, from the screen on the right, astronaut legs!
I loved that there was a hammer at the Thermal Operations and Resources station (THOR).
On the walls along the hall toward Apollo Mission Control were a gorgeous series of shots of the stages of building of the ISS. They should be in a book. I should have taken a pictures but given a choice between taking pictures and listening to Paul explain why everyone from MCC ISS was suddenly booting down the hall, I chose to be in the moment. Why was everyone from MCC in the hall? There are occassional three minute (approx) intervals where MCC looses contact with the station. While newbies in the control room get caught up in working with their data, the experienced members of the team realized that's their one (fast) chance to pee and get a coffee. People who work in other parts of the building know to get out of their way.
Apollo Mission Control is now a National Historic Site. Except for the screens at the front of the room that now show historical media (and the removal of the ashtrays and coffee mugs) it hasn't been changed.
Paul explained the pre-email message system.
And I sat in the Flight Director's seat. (note the tourists behind me -- behind glass, not in on the floor)
The mission crests.
And the wall opposite them...
...crests for Apollo 1 and the Challenger. Between them is a framed mirror, and under the mirror it says:
"This mirror flown on Aquarius, LN-7 to the moon April 11-17, 1970 returned by a greatful (sic) Apollo 13 crew to reflect the image of the people in Mission Control who got us back! James Lowell John Swigert Fred Haise"
Next, the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility.