Author Topic: How about an introduction?  (Read 82109 times)

Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #60 on: October 29, 2005, 11:54:31 AM »
Welcome aboard, Don. We can always use more people with knowledge of the Russian space program.
" We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."
 - John F. Kennedy

Offline dcsugeek

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #61 on: October 29, 2005, 11:59:23 AM »
Just found this site, very cool! Got into this stuff way back on Oct 24th 1956 (I think that was the date) when I was 12. Much later, 1964 worked on Saturn II stage testing at the Santa Sue field lab, Apollo 1 testing at the Downey plant, and Paraglider testing at Edwards.
This last message from skyjim brought back memmories! While waiting to begin work on third shift at Cocoa Test Stand, remember sitting in my old 63 corvette in the company parking lot around midnight under a heavy fog and watching the red glow and the noise from the F1 pump tests. wow, but wasn't as loud as the five J2's we tested at Cocoa.
In 1967 thru 1975 worked at UCLA's Brain Research Institute (BRI), Space Bio lab. under Dr. Ross W. Adey on a number of interesting projects, such as NASA's Biosat III.
While working on NASA Ames Bio3 was able to see 3 Saturn V launches, #8, 9 and 10. Ten was interesting as I was able to be at Hanger S at the cape while it (10) flew directly over my head. The rocket flame from the five F1's was a 1/4 mile long. We had to work many extra hours to get "Bonnie" up before Apollo 11 took off as we were going to use some of the same receiving stations around the globe. Bonnie was launched but the mission ended eight days later instead of the planned thirty. He stopped eating soon after liftoff.
After leaving the BRI worked as a consultant on the Teal Ruby and Teal Amber projects. Teal Ruby was to be mounted on the P80 unit and put in polar orbit by the 1st Space Shuttle launch from the west coast but ended up stored in San Berdo instead. As you all know the SS launches from Vandy were cancelled for good.
Even later and still at the "Rock", working on ISS EPS, (IDA, DCSU and MBSU ORUs) and lastly, the SSPTU system for the shuttles to allow extended visits while attached to the ISS EPS.

Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #62 on: October 29, 2005, 02:07:26 PM »
Welcome, dcsugeek! :)
" We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard..."
 - John F. Kennedy

Offline skyjim

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #63 on: October 30, 2005, 01:36:09 PM »
DCSU geek - were you over at the SPEL lab at De Soto while you were on the ORUs?

I was the manager of chemical/thermal processing in building 101 (Dept 421) when the SPEL was built and in initial operation - then they moved we turbomachinery guys down to Canoga...

Jim
« Last Edit: October 30, 2005, 01:37:47 PM by skyjim »

Offline spacecat27

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #64 on: October 31, 2005, 10:38:23 AM »
Wow- this means I'm no longer the official old guy here!  Suddenly I feel so young!  :lol:
Welcome to youngster Don & old guy dcsu!  :D

dcsu- as of my last round of contracting at the Cape ('97-'99) I can report Hanger S still looks pretty much as you remember it- from the outside, anyway.  I was with Life Sciences in Hanger L, and worked out on old Complex 34 (before the soil remediation guys came in chasing tri-chlor) and what amazed me were the number of folks working there now who had little or no knowledge of the history of these places!

Offline SCEtoAUX

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #65 on: November 14, 2005, 09:59:07 PM »
Just joined a few days ago, and have been having a great time reading the older posts.

Am 38 years old, and employed as an electronics/instrumentation geek for a university research lab. Essentially one half of a 2 person department (the other guy is a machinist) that designs and builds prototypes and one-off instruments and equipment for laboratory and field research. Primarily coastal oceanography and environmental science kind of stuff, as well as facility support for a high-speed towing tank for hydrodynamic studies (the marine equivalent of a wind tunnel).

Hobbies include ham radio (extra class) and restoring vintage electronics. Also a collector of vacuum tubes (thermionic valves for the non-US folks).

One of my earliest childhood memories was being propped in front of the TV by my parents to watch the Apollo 11 EVA. Had no idea what was going on at the time, but apparently it stuck with me. :) Have always followed the space program somewhat closely, but in the last few months my interest has been reawakened through the eyes of my 3-year-old son.

It started a year or so ago, when I was up alone one night, and settling in to watch "Apollo 13" for the umpteenth time. My son came out of his room, and curled up on my lap. I figured he would quickly fall asleep and get tucked back into bed, but he ended up watching the whole 2-1/2 hour movie, and wanted to see it again the next day!  :D Since then, he has watched (multiple times) the entire series "From the Earth to the Moon", "Moon Shot", "The Right Stuff", and several others. He actually seems to prefer the "real" stuff to kid oriented films like "Space Camp".  He just went as an astronaut this last halloween, of course.

Should have guessed something was up with him when one of his first words was "MOON!", pointing up into the sky...:)

 
« Last Edit: November 14, 2005, 10:03:05 PM by SCEtoAUX »

Offline Bob B.

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #66 on: November 14, 2005, 11:45:48 PM »
Welcome, SCEtoAUX.  It sounds like you have a little astronaut-to-be at home. :)

Offline spacecat27

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #67 on: November 14, 2005, 11:46:13 PM »
We should be next-door neighbors, SCE!
I've got a BUNCH of vacuum tubes, lots of vintage electronics (which I'm afraid I'm now trying to salvage from hurricane damage), started my career building SCE for Skylab while headed toward oceanographic stuff....
Welcome aboard!  :D

Offline SCEtoAUX

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Re: How about an introduction?
« Reply #68 on: November 15, 2005, 08:09:57 AM »
Was reading your "chronicles" pages, and it sounds like SPDF was a great place start a career.  :D I I started out in TV repair shops (back when TVs were still worth fixing), and worked a while in field service on broadcast equipment (transmitters, mostly) before taking my current job, where I have been for over 15 years. Like your job at SPDF, I was recommended for the job by a former electronics instructor.