Aerospace peeps rollcall

I started working at JSC in 1985 (my first mission was STS-51G), working for Northrup in Bldg. 7, Crew Systems Lab (they changed the name since). We did bends prevention testing, canned EVA suit tests, the space potty mod tests, and other biology tests. I also worked in Bldg. 32, the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (2 huge thermal vacuum chambers) and Bldg. 33, Space Environment Simulation Test Facility (smaller thermal vacuum chambers).

I transitioned to a new contract (STSOC) working for Bendix/Allied Space, later replaced by United Space Alliance and moved to Mission Control. I also supported systems the spaceflight meteorology group, plus Bldg. 16, SAIL (Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory) and Bldg. 5, the simulations building. Directly supporting missions was the best, especially under Gene Krantz when he was the director for MOD (Mission Operations Directive).
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Tig said:
I started working at JSC in 1985 (my first mission was STS-51G), working for Northrup in Bldg. 7, Crew Systems Lab (they changed the name since). We did bends prevention testing, canned EVA suit tests, the space potty mod tests, and other biology tests. I also worked in Bldg. 32, the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (2 huge thermal vacuum chambers) and Bldg. 33, Space Environment Simulation Test Facility (smaller thermal vacuum chambers).

I transitioned to a new contract (STSOC) working for Bendix/Allied Space, later replaced by United Space Alliance and moved to Mission Control. I also supported systems the spaceflight meteorology group, plus Bldg. 16, SAIL (Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory) and Bldg. 5, the simulations building. Directly supporting missions was the best, especially under Gene Krantz when he was the director for MOD (Mission Operations Directive).
b5ae6aadf382d05a0e16500f797e8cc4.jpg
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Cool. I was in Bldg 44, Electronic Systems Test Lab (ESTL) from 91-95 or so, then went to the offsite Lockheed bldg on NASA Rd 1 after that. I didn't get over to the Mission Control area (Bldg 1 & 2 was it?) very often, but I remember seeing Krantz there a couple of times when I did. The guy's a legend. He was still sporting the flat-top crew cut in the 90's.
 
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Tig said:
I started working at JSC in 1985 (my first mission was STS-51G), working for Northrup in Bldg. 7, Crew Systems Lab (they changed the name since). We did bends prevention testing, canned EVA suit tests, the space potty mod tests, and other biology tests. I also worked in Bldg. 32, the Space Environment Simulation Laboratory (2 huge thermal vacuum chambers) and Bldg. 33, Space Environment Simulation Test Facility (smaller thermal vacuum chambers).

I transitioned to a new contract (STSOC) working for Bendix/Allied Space, later replaced by United Space Alliance and moved to Mission Control. I also supported systems the spaceflight meteorology group, plus Bldg. 16, SAIL (Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory) and Bldg. 5, the simulations building. Directly supporting missions was the best, especially under Gene Krantz when he was the director for MOD (Mission Operations Directive).
b5ae6aadf382d05a0e16500f797e8cc4.jpg
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Oh, I forgot to mention the STARS chamber I ran. Back in the day it was used for long term testing of life in a space suit. It even had an ante chamber with SS bunks that remind me of a jail cell. It had a 1/6g simulator as well. System Test and Astronaut Requirement Simulation Chamber.

We used it to freeze dry the books after the Stanford Law Library was flooded. Also, it had large pyrex windows so we could watch antennae deployments on the spin table, and sometimes to sublimate goldfish, mice, etcDude00
 
335clone said:
This is aerospace, so the distinction is blurred. LMSC was both Missile Systems and Space Systems.
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yes....but Skunk wasn't involved with space exploration, only missle defense.....specifically the missles.
that's what i meant.
(in the vein of "i wish to have an arguement")
 
I was on the other side -- between 1987 and 1990 I worked for the Defense Contract Audit Agency in Sunnyvale. We audited Lockheed, Ford Aerospace, TRW, among others...
 
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Well, after 'Nam I got into cropdustin', and uh, been doin' that ever since.

Actually I work in the engineering business (not as an engineer) so it is conceivable that I could find a spot in the aerospace biz someday. But they have even less job security than we do in energy. Still, I'd love to contribute to some kind of space effort.
 
tiger roach said:
Well, after 'Nam I got into cropdustin', and uh, been doin' that ever since.

Actually I work in the engineering business (not as an engineer) so it is conceivable that I could find a spot in the aerospace biz someday. But they have even less job security than we do in energy. Still, I'd love to contribute to some kind of space effort.
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There are quite a few commercial aerospace start-ups. Do you do microwave?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkna...nch-rockets-with-beams-of-power/#8f7a9ba5dbd5
 
335clone said:
Oh, I forgot to mention the STARS chamber I ran. Back in the day it was used for long term testing of life in a space suit. It even had an ante chamber with SS bunks that remind me of a jail cell. It had a 1/6g simulator as well. System Test and Astronaut Requirement Simulation Chamber.
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Imagine my face at the age of 22 walking into my first real job and seeing this...
:eek:
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From an article:
Designed in 1965 to fit the Apollo command and service modules mated together, Chamber A stands 120 feet tall (36.6 meters) and has an exterior diameter of 65 feet (19.8 meters). Inside is a volume of 400,000 cubic feet (11,327 cubic meters), which means when its 40-foot (12.2 meter), 40 ton door — the largest single-hinged door in the world — is open, there are 25,000 pounds (11,340 kilograms) of air inside.

When at vacuum, Chamber A has, at the most, 0.000033 pounds (15 milligrams) of air remaining.

"The air in the chamber weighs 12.5 tons, about 12 and a half Volkswagen Beetles," project engineer Ryan Grogan said. "When all the air is removed, the mass left inside will be the equivalent of half of a staple."
 
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North American Rockwell OV-10A Bronco 1988-1991

Fairchild Republic A-10 Warthog 1991-1994

:tongue:

Actually, my dad designed a circuit breaker for the Apollo spacecraft. There used to be a couple of them around the house when I was growing up, but none of the family can find any of them today :( It would've been nice to have it today, but us dumb kids (me & my brothers) probably lost them.
 
Tig said:
Imagine my face at the age of 22 walking into my first real job and seeing this...
:eek:
news-040513a-lg.jpg

From an article:
Designed in 1965 to fit the Apollo command and service modules mated together, Chamber A stands 120 feet tall (36.6 meters) and has an exterior diameter of 65 feet (19.8 meters). Inside is a volume of 400,000 cubic feet (11,327 cubic meters), which means when its 40-foot (12.2 meter), 40 ton door — the largest single-hinged door in the world — is open, there are 25,000 pounds (11,340 kilograms) of air inside.

When at vacuum, Chamber A has, at the most, 0.000033 pounds (15 milligrams) of air remaining.

"The air in the chamber weighs 12.5 tons, about 12 and a half Volkswagen Beetles," project engineer Ryan Grogan said. "When all the air is removed, the mass left inside will be the equivalent of half of a staple."
Click to expand...
I can relate. This is Hubble rolling in to the Lockheed acoustic test chamber for trans orbital simulation. There are 2 4' thick 100' tall concrete doors that weigh 120 Tons each that roll on railroad track. They can be opened or closed with a 1/2" drive ratchet if necessary. We used to mark the progress of cracks in the doors after earthquakes. One of the N2 powered horns is a 10' diameter 20hz monster.

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Awesome show on tonight about the Orion Mars mission on Impossible Engineering on the Science channel. I can't imagine 9 months in a 15' diameter crew capsule, and that is just to get there!
 
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