Shop OBEX P1 Docs P2 Docs Learn Events
Houston, we have a problem! — Parallax Forums

Houston, we have a problem!

iDaveiDave Posts: 252
edited 2011-04-19 18:53 in General Discussion
Aaaaargh, as a proud Houstonian I've been in a Smile poor mood today. We got jipped on this shuttle deal. It's communist plot I tell ya! I could definetly understand the Smithsonian and Kennedy space center getting a shuttle for retirement. I expected that but both L.A. AND New York getting one...is ...just sickening. Like N.Y. needs one more tourist attraction! Huh helllloooo, "houston" is first word spoken off the face of the moon, The Houston Astros(Astrodome) , Houston Rockets, etc. and I could go on but shan't. Well at least we'll always have a Saturn 5 there that you can just walk on up to slackjawed and drooling. It's the most incredible man made object I've ever seen and is 10 times more impressive than that space truck bus thing their doling out around the country. Ha! Alright, had to vent a bit to you guys and I feel a wee bit better. Thx.

p.s. I need to find that pic of me standing next to the Saturn 5....I think my sis has those pics
«1

Comments

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-12 20:35
    I missed the evening news. So NY and LA? That means the Seattle Museum of Flight didn't get one either. What a rip!

    -Phil
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-04-12 20:43
    Powered human flight was developed in Dayton, Ohio. The Air Force Museum is there. Neil Armstrong was born and grew up just a few miles from there. What does Dayton get?

    Laid off.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2011-04-12 21:03
    I agree that Wright-Patterson should have had a better shot. It's an amazing museum. I was very surprised to find out that the flight museum in McMinnville, Oregon, even had a chance, though. Sure they've got the Spruce Goose (which is actually one of their less interesting pieces, IMO), but they're located in the middle of nowhere -- literally. You have to drive for miles past endless groves of filbert trees just to get there, and it's all alone in the middle of a large field with scarcely any other development to be seen. 'Nice museum, though.

    -Phil
  • wjsteelewjsteele Posts: 697
    edited 2011-04-13 01:46
    Honestly, I've never even heard of McMinnville. I've been to the USAF Muesum several times. Considering how much the AF put into the shuttle program, I would have thought they would have got one as well.

    Oh Darn,... I guess I'll have to continue to go down to the Kennedy Space Center to see one! :-) I might even be forced to go all the way to Washington, DC to see one... bummer.

    Bill
  • schillschill Posts: 741
    edited 2011-04-13 05:46
    WPAFB would have been nice. It's only 3 hours from UPENE (and only 1 hour from me).
  • Bill ChennaultBill Chennault Posts: 1,198
    edited 2011-04-13 06:05
    iDave--

    I've seen the Saturn V in Houston. (Born there, by the way.) The closer one gets to that machine, the more amazement sets in. When I was right up close and personal to the business end, it was almost impossible to believe it was truly a manmade object.

    It is almost impossible to believe we will ever do it again, also.

    --Bill
  • TtailspinTtailspin Posts: 1,326
    edited 2011-04-13 06:35
    What about Lompoc? all Slick Six got was another launch pad, a long runway that never got used,
    And a 100 foot tall Golf Ball on a hilltop that can be seen from the freeway.

    Better then nothing I guess... :smile:
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2011-04-13 14:27
    Shucks, maybe I should feel bad about living in LA! But hey, Houston could have bid on this Soviet space capsule for its museum:
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42561606/ns/technology_and_science-space/

    FWIW, I've biked down the Pacific coast many times. McMinnville and Lompoc were regular overnight stops on my trips.

    BUT, I've never been to Houston. NASA had their chance when I submitted my astronaut application in 12 years ago, but they turned me down flat. I guess all my hours in my Cessna couldn't compare with fighter pilots.
  • Bill ChennaultBill Chennault Posts: 1,198
    edited 2011-04-13 15:04
    erco--

    Gee. Fighter pilot? Easy! I bet your Cessna doesn't have multi-million dollar radar and automated landing systems and two never-fail jet engines and artificial intelligence . . . well, maybe it does have the latter, but that's not important right now. NASA should have grabbed you when they had the chance.

    Houston ain't all bad. I hear they even have air conditioning, now. It wasn't until we moved from Houston to Colorado Springs in 1959 that I knew what being DRY was all about.

    --Bill
    ps I've actually been IN Friendship 7. It was on display in Houston when we returned from Colorado.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-13 16:40
    Maybe NASA figures Texas already got the Columbia?

    OK, I will now go punish myself for saying that by doing something with an Arduino.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-04-13 17:29
    erco wrote: »
    ... NASA had their chance when I submitted my astronaut application in 12 years ago, but they turned me down flat.....

    It wouldn't have anything to do with those plans you'd submitted for building a Mars rover out of plywood would it?
  • $WMc%$WMc% Posts: 1,884
    edited 2011-04-13 18:18
    The west coast didn't have the Balls to launch a rocket.
    '
    This is why it was done in FLA.
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-13 19:09
    Dude, the plywood was the PROTOTYPE. The actual Mars rover was to be made out of laser cut ACRYLIC. Erco had his design all ready to submit to Ponoko when Congress cut the funding.
  • iDaveiDave Posts: 252
    edited 2011-04-13 19:11
    Erco - I bet NASA didn't want u is cause they were afraid you'd try to pack a bike on the space capsule!

    Bill - about that air conditioning - there was a statistic years ago about Houston (Space City) being the most air conditioned city in the world. Practically invented here. I bet that doesn't hold true anymore. I bet a chinese city would hold that title now, what with the humidity and population levels they have now.
  • TtailspinTtailspin Posts: 1,326
    edited 2011-04-13 21:43
    Vandenberg AFB is littered with Rockets..
    They have so many rocket's, they have to put some of them in big round holes in the ground.
    Believe Me, You don't want them to launch the ones they keep underground... :tongue:

    @ erco, What do You think of this Space Shuttle?
  • lanternfishlanternfish Posts: 366
    edited 2011-04-13 23:55
    Bill Chennault wrote: »
    iDave--

    .... It is almost impossible to believe we will ever do it again, also.

    --Bill

    But did they ever really do it in the first place? [Evil Grin - then runs for cover]
  • Dave HeinDave Hein Posts: 6,347
    edited 2011-04-14 07:43
    I'm sure there were many locations on the list for receiving the space shuttles. It would have been nice to see a shuttle go to JSC since it's less than a 4-hour drive from where I live. Maybe JSC lost points because the Houston humidity caused the Saturn V on display there to deteriate badly. It has since been restored and is now housed in a climate-controlled building.

    I wonder if the Cosmosphere was on the list for getting a shuttle. This is a little-known museum located in Hutchinson, Kansas that restores and displays some amazing space artifacts, such as Gus Grissom's Mercury capsule and the Apollo 13 capsule. Ultimately, I think it does make sense to place shuttles at the LA and New York locations because more people who are not space geeks will be able to seem them.
    Bill Chennault wrote: »
    ps I've actually been IN Friendship 7. It was on display in Houston when we returned from Colorado.
    I would probably need a large shoe horn to squeeze inside of a Mercury capsule, and they would have to turn it over and shake it to get me out. I did sit in an Apollo capsules that was used for one of the Skylab missions, which is very roomy compared to a Mercury capsule. It was being stored at the NASA-Ames Research Center during the time I worked there. It's now hanging in the Smithstonian Air and Space museum.

    Dave
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,260
    edited 2011-04-14 08:26
    @Ttailspin: Sweet!

    I thought me having run 100+ marathons, cycling ridiculous distances nonstop, and being nimble enough to contort my 6' torso into and out of a Cessna 152 was proof enough to NASA's ASC that I had "the right stuff".

    I thought wrong. Now my plan is to exact my revenge by living well.
  • JimInCAJimInCA Posts: 80
    edited 2011-04-14 09:24
    iDave wrote: »
    ... I could definetly understand the Smithsonian and Kennedy space center getting a shuttle for retirement. ...

    Doesn't the Smithsonian already have a shuttle? They have the Enterprise, which was the first shuttle to fly, but not into space.
    Jim...
  • WhitWhit Posts: 4,191
    edited 2011-04-14 09:42
    I just back from my daughther's class trip to NASA in Houston. It was amazing and the Satun V is all Bill said and more. They were a bit light on cool robotics stuff, but did have the Robonaut and a Spider rover. It is a very cool place.

    I live in a town of about 500 people - with all my robots we propably have a higher robot to people ratio than almost anywhere. Don't we deserve a Shuttle?
  • icepuckicepuck Posts: 466
    edited 2011-04-14 16:21
    Just imagine if the damn politicians weren't involved, We'd still be on the moon and maybe even on to mars by now.
    -dan
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-14 18:03
    I recently passed through Huntsville, Al and visited the Saturn 5 there -- actually they have two, one a mockup out on the tarmac in front of the museum and the real one that is mounted horizontally and separated so you can see the business ends of everything in the main museum. While perusing the museum an old guy introduced himself to us as being just a visitor, but also one of the people who made these rockets, and he proceeded to tell us many interesting stories about the exhibits. When he realized I actually knew some Apollo history he really opened up and, using the museum exhibits for reference, told me many inside stories about how Apollo came to be. He was a shop floor guy like me and it was clear he knew the inside dope. My wife and I spent a couple of hours with him before she coughed and I realized it would probably be a good idea to see the rest of the museum. Which, if you like the phrase "garden of rockets," you will want to see. Our informal host understood and very obviously went scanning for new converts as we made for the exit.
  • K2K2 Posts: 693
    edited 2011-04-14 19:07
    localroger wrote: »
    Maybe NASA figures Texas already got the Columbia?

    I knew I was a bad person when I laughted out loud at this.
  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2011-04-14 21:45
    iDave wrote: »
    ...just sickening. Like N.Y. needs one more tourist attraction! ...


    It's okay. The Postal Service just got revenge on N.Y. They just issued a new postage stamp commemorating the Statue of Liberty....

    ...except they used a photo of a replica that stands in Las Vegas.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/us/15stamp.html?hp

    travel_g_vegas01_576.jpg

    "Give me your tired, your recently bankrupt, your polyester donned masses of Dunkin Donut-eating drunkards and wearers of cheap perfume..."
  • ajwardajward Posts: 1,130
    edited 2011-04-15 09:59
    Bill Chennault wrote: »
    iDave--

    I've seen the Saturn V in Houston. (Born there, by the way.) The closer one gets to that machine, the more amazement sets in. When I was right up close and personal to the business end, it was almost impossible to believe it was truly a manmade object.

    It is almost impossible to believe we will ever do it again, also.

    --Bill

    There was recently a multi-part documentary on the Apollo program and a good part of one episode was about the Saturn V. GAWD... what a monster!

    Amanda
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-04-15 14:55
    ElectricAye wrote: »
    It's okay. The Postal Service just got revenge on N.Y. They just issued a new postage stamp commemorating the Statue of Liberty....

    ...except they used a photo of a replica that stands in Las Vegas.

    Aren't you glad you don't get all the government you pay for???? :)

    Thanks.. This was the funniest thing I've seen all week.

    OBC
  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2011-04-15 14:58
    localroger wrote: »
    Maybe NASA figures Texas already got the Columbia?

    OK, I will now go punish myself for saying that by doing something with an Arduino.

    You know, I've bit my tongue for TWO DAYS to make sure I didn't crack that joke.
    Have fun with your Arduino...

    OBC
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-04-15 16:32
    ...I'm missing the joke.

    STS-51 and STS-107 remembered,

    DJ
  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2011-04-15 16:47
    davejames wrote: »
    ...I'm missing the joke.

    Lest you miss the usefulness of gallows humor for coping with painful things, allow me to acquaint you with something I wrote elsewhere about the Columbia: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2003/2/1/154329/9031
  • davejamesdavejames Posts: 4,047
    edited 2011-04-15 16:55
    That was a well-written homage.

    Thank you,

    DJ
Sign In or Register to comment.