Conversation with #ussatlantis at Wed Oct 23 20:57:36 2013 on VAdmBlackthorne@packetstorm.va.us.darkmyst.org (irc)
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(20:57:36) ChanServ has changed the topic to: We're working to finish up repairs ahead of getting underway again. Science and Engineering have devised a way to filter the impure metal donated by Ot's people to a Starfleet standard of purity using the transporters.
(20:57:36) ChanServ [chanserv@services.darkmyst.org] entered the room.
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(20:58:10) CdrTKirr [TKirr@90-43-96-75.res.bhn.net] entered the room.
(20:58:11) mode (+o CdrTKirr) by ChanServ
(20:59:36) CdrTKirr: Hey. =)
(21:00:22) DoctorTav [Bryan@90-43-96-75.res.bhn.net] entered the room.
(21:00:31) DoctorTav: Good evening.
(21:00:45) VAdmBlackthorne: Hi y'all
(21:08:32) VAdmBlackthorne: Wright posted that she couldn't make it on the site, and I just got a text from Mike saying he and Rachel can't make it either
(21:08:47) DoctorTav: Well, then. I guess that sets it
(21:09:03) DoctorTav: I saw Wright's post earlier
(21:09:47) CdrTKirr: Yeah I saw Wright's
(21:10:11) CdrTKirr: Too bad, how's your week otherwise?
(21:18:05) VAdmBlackthorne: Alright, yours?
(21:20:21) CdrTKirr: Yeah...started writing my DW sequel, and we've been putting stuff together for our haunted graveyard to freak kids out on Halloween.
(21:20:37) DoctorTav: It's gonna be AWESOME
(21:21:17) VAdmBlackthorne: cool
(21:26:22) VAdmBlackthorne: You know, I just noticed that the only things posted on the site since discontinuing the LotM have been "not gonna make it tonight" posts :(
(21:26:55) CdrTKirr: I'm sorry. =/
(21:27:22) CdrTKirr: I got you thinking about writing
(21:28:39) VAdmBlackthorne: No worries
(21:29:09) DoctorTav: Perhaps this will brighten your evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjrpuG2HOuI
(21:30:56) VAdmBlackthorne: I think I've seen that
(21:31:00) VAdmBlackthorne: But I'll favorite it.
(21:31:02) DoctorTav: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aCOyOvOw5c
(21:31:29) DoctorTav: Don't favorite that one I just gave you. You want this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2VygftZSCs
(21:32:38) VAdmBlackthorne: Nice
(21:33:40) DoctorTav: 17:30 is a great shot. You can see the orbiter's umbilicals being pulled away
(21:34:10) VAdmBlackthorne: I've watched that one
(21:34:53) DoctorTav: Liz got bored of it. I make that statement without comment.
(21:36:54) VAdmBlackthorne: I can understand that, it's quite techie
(21:37:05) CdrTKirr: Wha'?
(21:37:14) DoctorTav: Very much so
(21:38:04) CdrTKirr: What should I have commented on...? Got bored with what?
(21:38:37) DoctorTav: The slow-mo shuttle launch video I just linked here
(21:39:42) CdrTKirr: I...don't get it
(21:40:23) DoctorTav: Click the third Youtube link
(21:40:33) CdrTKirr: Okay...
(21:41:18) DoctorTav: You have no idea how long and how much work it took to figure out what the towers that house the umbilicals were. so now I particularly like watching them.
(21:42:35) CdrTKirr: And I'm bored, because I didn't comment on your statement.
(21:42:36) VAdmBlackthorne: I can't believe it, but it's been over two years since we all saw Endeavour launch
(21:43:18) DoctorTav: I know. I think that's what got me looking up videos today
(21:43:30) DoctorTav: I was looking up the abort sequences and stuff too.
(21:43:42) CdrTKirr left the room.
(21:43:46) DoctorTav: RTLS seems like it would have been completely impossible
(21:43:49) VAdmBlackthorne: And just a bit over that long since this country's had a manned spaceflight. :sigh:
(21:44:29) VAdmBlackthorne: RTLS was improbable, but trying it was preferable to certain death. It was just almost certain death. Or as Mike Mullane put it, "something to do while you wait to die"
(21:45:00) VAdmBlackthorne: The real problem was that any condition necessitating RTLS was also probably instant LOCV anyway
(21:46:24) DoctorTav: It IS my hope that companies like SpaceX will make it attainable for us laypeople. And RTLS, as John Young put it, Russian Roulette. Strange that they wanted to do that for STS-1. I also think it's interesting all the systems they put in place after Challenger. And, the question, why did it take that happening... especially when Challenger was so sudden when it finally started to fail?
(21:46:38) DoctorTav: I had some serious PTSD as a kid over Challenger
(21:47:18) VAdmBlackthorne: Go read Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane.
(21:47:24) VAdmBlackthorne: It'll answer your questions.
(21:47:30) VAdmBlackthorne: And make you laugh and cry.
(21:47:36) DoctorTav: Hmm. Thanks
(21:48:21) VAdmBlackthorne: Short answer is that culture at NASA was one of normalized failure in the face of pressure to launch very often
(21:48:34) DoctorTav: I get that.
(21:48:39) VAdmBlackthorne: Which also led to Columbia
(21:48:55) VAdmBlackthorne: But that book is the best shuttle-era astronaut book out there.
(21:49:38) DoctorTav: Yay for iBooks. I'm gonna start reading it now
(21:50:51) DoctorTav: I feel so privileged that, other than Challenger and Columbia, I got to see all the others in flight at least once.
(21:52:09) VAdmBlackthorne: I missed Discovery :(
(21:52:15) VAdmBlackthorne: Dad saw her go though
(21:52:45) DoctorTav: I'm sorry for that. I saw her once. Atlantis twice. A couple times, from the Monorail at Disney
(21:53:24) VAdmBlackthorne: That's one thing I'll miss about having named ships that fly repeatedly.
(21:53:27) DoctorTav: One of the last night launches I had THE best view. I held Monorail Blue just outside the Magic Kingdom station for about 5 minutes letting the people on my train get a view.
(21:53:32) DoctorTav: Yeah
(21:54:14) DoctorTav: How do you fall in love with a rocket that only goes up once? I mean, you love the model, but unless you saw it personally launch, you won't have the same fire
(21:54:43) VAdmBlackthorne: Right
(21:54:45) DoctorTav: I had it explained to me why they were going back to the build-a-new-one-for-every-launch style of craft
(21:55:01) VAdmBlackthorne: Dragon will supposedly be used for 10 flights or so each. I hope they get names.
(21:55:14) DoctorTav: That would be awesome. They should be
(21:55:17) DoctorTav: They should be named
(21:56:08) VAdmBlackthorne: Anyway, this chat makes me want to play Kerbal Space Program. See you next time
(21:56:23) DoctorTav: See you next week. Kerbal!
(21:56:31) VAdmBlackthorne: :jeb: