Posts Tagged ‘Discovery’
Put Your Face In Space!
From the NASA web site: “Fly Your Face in Space NASA wants to put a picture of you on one of the two remaining space shuttle missions and launch it into orbit. To launch your face into space and become a part of history, just follow these steps: First…Select the [Read More]
Join the Misadventures!
RV-103 is proud to announce the RV-103 Lecture Series. The RV-103 Lecture Series is designed to present to civic groups, schools 5th grade and up, and scout troops what it is like to be involved and work in Human Space Flight, specifically the Space Shuttle Program. The [Read More]
Time Lapse Video of Shuttle Discovery
This was done by the Air and Space Museum during Discovery’s last mission prep and launch. This is my ship and my former co-workers. I think this is the fastest I’ve ever seen them move. Well done OPF 3, TPS, and United Space Alliance. Enjoy! [Read More]
05-02-10 Here At The Rock…
I got a call this morning that really caught me off guard. It was from the mysterious Dan C. calling from an undisclosed location at KSC inquiring about my geographic status. On the speaker phone with him were other members of his team and Dan’s current class for that [Read More]
When Things Go Viral
About a week ago I posted an analysis on Obama’s speech ending our Human Space Flight Program. I was surprised to find it being featured on at least seven web sites, including NASAwatch.com. My first clue was when I couldn’t log on to my website. The message I kept [Read More]
05-02-10 Hardeeville RV Park
We got up early this morning and broke camp. We traveled all day through Florida and Georgia, stopping in South Carolina. The only problem we ran into during our trip was the generator. For some reason the generator runs, but doesn’t kick on the AC power. I was [Read More]
05-01-10 Jetty Park at Port Canaveral
Our first stop was only a short 3 hour drive to Jetty Park in Port Canaveral. It is the only “public” campground we usually go to right on the Atlantic Ocean. We usually stop there when we are heading north in order to visit with family and friends due to the [Read More]
05-01-10 Mission #3 The Empire (State) Strikes Back.
RV-103 is finally restocked and ready for Mission #3 We will be returning to the Empire State of NY for research, recreation, and to await the crew’s birth of their first grandchild. Gypsy has been hard at work provisioning RV-103 with all the needed supplies while I [Read More]
That’s My Girl!!! Fly Baby Fly!!!
Early Easter Morning Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) lit up the pre-dawn sky from Launch Complex 39A. She was the first ship I got to work on when I was employed by United Space Alliance and is what RV-103 is named after. From the NASAwebsite: Discovery Lifts off An exhaust [Read More]
Inside OPF 3, the Home of OV-103 Discovery
I have a treat for you all. Astronaut Mike Massimino recently took a video camera into my old work place, Orbiter Processing Facility 3 at Kennedy Space Center. In the video you will see a few of my former co-workers of United Space Alliance preparing Shuttle Discovery [Read More]
Now A Word From Our Sponsor…
The purpose of our web site is to keep our family and friends informed of our misadventures in full time RVing. We have been quite surprised at how much it has grown and the number of non-family that now read it each week from all over the world. We never meant for the [Read More]
01-08-10 to 01-26-10 Where is the California Sunshine?
The Beach Boys used to sing about the California Sunshine and I am beginning to think it is just a myth. For the last 18 days it has rained nearly every day. And the wind! Storm after storm coming off the Pacific has brought winds that would gust up 50 mph. I would [Read More]
Off Topic, but Important
Though this is a blog chronicling the misadventures of the crew of RV-103, many of you know I am retired from Kennedy Space Center and Human Space Flight is near and dear to my heart. A major event recently occurred that I want to comment on. It is not a launch, but [Read More]
Endeavour Launches!
This picture was taken by my friend Larry Tanner. He was on the outside staircase at the Launch Control Center way past his bedtime to get this shot. The LCC is only 3 1/2 miles from the Pad. [Read More]
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled
According to NASA: “Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour’s next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST. [Read More]
The Beginning of the End
Space Shuttle Endeavour, or OV-105, will be launching early Sunday Morning, February 7th 2010, at 04:39 am EST. This will be the last night launch of the Space Shuttle Program and after this mission, only 4 more shuttle flights will be left before the program is ended in [Read More]
Go Fever! 12-22-09
Go Fever is a an old NASA term that meant you were so focused on meeting a launch deadline that you would overlook or dismiss warning signs of a problem. “What, the left wing of the Space Shuttle is falling off? Not a problem! The shuttle still has its right wing to [Read More]
12-19-09 Launch day for Mission #2
As we were closing out the condo, we discovered Commander Merlin hiding under…errrr…doing a final walk down under the bed. It took both crew members to coax her out so she could report for duty on the bridge of RV-103. We loaded her up in her own little special [Read More]
11-29 to 12-19-2009 Back in the RV Processing Facility
RV-103 is back and being readied for her next mission. This is the time to go over “lessons learned” from the shakedown, take off supplies we realized we didn’t need and take on supplies we found we did need. We also needed to get routine maintenance done. Up to [Read More]
11-14 to 11-29-09 Completion of Mission #1 Shakedown
We stayed at the Philadelphia West Chester KOA while doing our research work at Drexal University Library Special Collections. This was our first time staying at a KOA and it appeared well run. Nothing special about it as we learned about all the KOA’s we ended up [Read More]
11-14-2009 Houston We Have A Problem The Sequel
It was a Saturday and we prepared to leave NY for Philadelphia to continue our research work. The previous Monday I had gone to Camping World and bought a Master Tow Dolly for $1,400. Camping World said they would have to have one brought in from another store and [Read More]
11-09-2009 Commander Merlin Orders The Crew To Stand Down
We had a free day today thanks to Commander Merlin. She had decided we all needed a down day and of course led by example by laying in bed all day watching TV. The crew decided to try out their new gold panning kit in the local creek. Though New York is not known for [Read More]
10-30-09 New York New York!
Evergreen Trails Campground does not accept any club discounts, but with it being off season, the campground manager Mark did give us a nice discount. The weather up here was already cold with temps getting down into the 20’s at night and they had already had some snow [Read More]
10-29-09 Houston, We Have A Problem!
Prior to leaving we needed a tow dolly to tow the SUV. I had searched in the local paper and on Craig’s List. Most tow dollys I found were $1000 or more that were capable of towing our vehicle. I eventually found a used dolly on Craig’s List for $700 and went to [Read More]
10-28-09 There Is A Reason For Rules
We had established two rules and have found during our travels if we broke them, life became more difficult. Rule #1 Never drive at night if you can avoid it. Rule #2 Never set up your campsite at night. By the evening of Oct 28th we were in Virginia and it was already [Read More]
10-27-2009 3…2…1…LAUNCH!!!!!
“The clock is running! We have cleared the tower!” Sorry, I had to quote Commander Lovell in Apollo 13. Yes folks, after all this time, we are finally on our way. Mission #1 of Discovery RV-103 is a shakedown cruise for the ship and the crew. With our fearful [Read More]
10-25-2009 Moving to the Launch Pad!
Today is the day! We packed up RV-103, closed out the condo, and proceeded to our “launch pad” for the shakedown mission of Discovery. We traveled from our home in the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area to the Port Canaveral Campground in Cape Canaveral FL. There we got [Read More]
Satellite TV: Dish Network or Direct TV?
RV-103 is blessed with a satellite dish and had an old Dish Network receiver. It took me awhile, but eventually I learned how to manually point the dish in the right direction and choose the correct azimuth. Once I was able to lock into a satellite, that’s when we [Read More]
Blast From the Past
Yeah that’s me when I was Rocketboy. I’m the one in the center with the Mickey Mouse ears. That was in 1973 when my now deceased grandparents took me and my two older cousins to Kennedy Space Center. I was nine years old at the time. At that time you [Read More]
Fall 2009 To Present Let’s Go Clubbing!
We have found with our research, if you are going to do any serious RVing, then you should have a club membership to get discounts at the RV parks. There appear to be many RV clubs, both big and small, and many of them require some sort of yearly dues. We ended up [Read More]
