Kwa insee trepe nor

Imagine it. One hundred and eighty miles straight up. You rode 1.5 million pounds of thrust to get there. The vehicle is sturdy, robust and reliable. And yet compared to the harsh environment just inches away, it is a mere eggshell that could blow open for all the precious air to hurry out if even a micrometeoriod pierced through the wall.

And then you leave the safety of your craft and don an extravehicular activity (EVA) pressure suit and step outside. If a micrometeoriod could ruin your day inside the space craft, it would drive through the suit layers much easier. Those layers are all that stand between you and instant death. A small opening might stand chance of repair. Small. Very relative term. How small? How much margin before the pressure differential cannot be held back by the damaged material? So every hour you stop whatever you are doing, no matter how long or hard the task, and meticulously inspect the gloves. And astronauts have found cuts on their gloves during EVA.

Then imagine fastening onto the end of a fifty foot arm and going full reach away from the space craft. That is truly as alone and helpless as it gets. Hanging out over the entire earth, total blackness of space in the other direction and all help not just fifty feet away, but getting into the airlock and beginning the repressurization...stalled in the airlock for the wait since instant pressurization would be deadly. That far away from assistance. Yes, a fellow astronaut, always on EVA. However, extended, extensive, permanent help, rest, and safety are further away not just in distance, but in time as well.

Imagine it. No words or drawing can paint the picture. I can't, because I've never been there. But I think about it. I try to imagine what it is like, and I can't. Not fully. Only the few who've been there know, truly know what that moment is.

When comes the day when that experience is usual and normal for the average citizen rather than for the few selected and trained and pared down...months and years of waiting and training. Whence the day when a commute to space is no more than a commute to work is now?

I don't expect it in my life time, but I hope that my work contributes some part to making it so for the not distant future.

Dream it.

If you can dream it, you can do it.

Visnomy as it seems thus far

What a beautiful and uneventful landing for Atlantis yesterday. It was a great mission, no major hitches and quite a clean launch. No TPS concerns. Delayed though it was by ECO sensors, the mission itself was a smooth one. Endeavour will launch in three weeks, which is a little startling, but pleasing.

The "erratic" or "dead" satellite (so called spy imaging satellite) was shot down successfully by the Navy last night. Good show. All sorts of implications and things one could speculate on, which I will not go into here, as I consider it beyond the scope of this blog. Why did I mention it then? The shot itself was of great interest.

There was a total eclipse of the moon last night. That was fun and interesting to watch. Though I've seen so many and completely understand what is happening, I never cease to be amazed by it. I enjoy watching the heavens which delcare the glory of God. The firmament showeth His handiwork.

Haven't much to say today. Dragging because of this cold that has lingered a couple of weeks. Just cave canem. Carpe canem. In hoc signo vinces. Haec lim meminisse ivvabit. Abeunt studia in mores. Si vis amari ama. Res tuas cura. Vale.

A tour of stuff

I'm gonna burn myself out fast if I keep posting at this rate. But it's kinda hard to shut up too. It's good to talk to the computer because it doesn't roll its eyes when I say some things, or have eyes to glaze over, or a mouth that says, "That's nice, but let me tell you...(about me)." Oh, don't mistake me, I do want to hear other people and I do care about what they do and say and think, but it would be nice if they showed (or at least feigned) interest in me. I've heard all the pat answers too. It's easy enough to figure out if someone is listening, cares, etc.

For instance, I love my work. I work for NASA. But these days NASA is passe and it's fashionable to trash NASA. Other than my spouse (an engineer), none of my friends really want to hear about that. They will interact with me on that subject for five minutes tops. But to me it's really more than a job. I would be exceedingly interested in the space program even if I didn't work for NASA. It's the only job I ever wanted, the only place I applied out of college. My dream job. How can I not love it? Okay, love it, but don't tell me about it, for goodness sakes. Let's talk about something important...like the big sale at Kohl's! Did I tell you what I bought and how much I saved?!

I thought I had some interesting hobbies, the sort of things you'd bring up when a person asked about you: drawing, writing, reading all kinds of books on many subjects. Gee, I missed the class in relationships that says you should focus only on the other person. If you mention anything you have accomplished then you are an arrogant jerk. And the people I work with are always surprised to find out the sorts of things I do...when (if) they do find out.

I guess I sound like someone just starting out, or someone just moved here. But I'm 49 and have lived and worked here for 26 years. Just when people should have had friends for ages and get together with them always for dinners, movies, or just fun, I find that the older you get, the harder it is to make friends. What an isolated world we live in. And how difficult it is for someone who learned the social game in a totally different world. I think that's as much a part of it as anything else. The world has changed so greatly and I guess I haven't changed enough with it.