Getting Ready for Tuesday's Launches.

Hello Troops,

Starbase One is scheduled to launch the Voyager, Magellan, Odyssey, Phoenix and Galileo for their summer voyages on Tuesday evening. The ships are prepared and nearly ready for departure.  There are a few hiccups in the Odyssey, the Magellan's retrofit from a space station to starship is nearly complete, the Voyager's orders into the Wild West region of the Galaxy are still being written, the Galileo's new air conditioning system is installed and the Phoenix has its new controls debugged and running as per expectations.  I'm feeling confident about our missions into the unknown and honored many of you kind readers decided to enlist in Starfleet and venture into deep space with us on missions of deep space exploration.

The Voyager's command officers ran a detailed simulation of their mission into the Wild West last night.  The simulation was a bit rough as everyone learned their duties and responsibilities.  Bracken Funk was at the helm, assisted by Jon Parker and Emily Paxman.  The simulation exposed several potential problems requiring a bit of fine tuning.  The simulations are necessary to ensure the safety of the Paklid Prince Horace as the Voyager transports him to Paklidia.  Another simulation is scheduled for 10:00 A.M. tomorrow.  Command is convinced this training will prove beneficial to the success of the mission.

Last night, the commanders of our ships gathered in Starbase One's Forward Lounge.  We sat at one of the long banquet tables closest to the transparent aluminum windows overlooking the slowly rotating Earth.  There was a great deal of reminiscing about old times and old missions while the commanders enjoyed a few drinks of non alcoholic Romulan Ale.  As the minutes passed, the reminiscing morphed into boasting as the commanders verbally jostled with each other in an attempt to prove their summer mission was the most important to the overall success of the Federation's long term plans for the exploration and colonization of the Galaxy.

"You call transporting a snot nosed, obnoxious Paklid prince home an important mission?" Christine laughed as she reached across the table to take a handful of peanuts from a green illuminated bowl.  Emily saw Christine reach and moved quickly to intercept the bowl.  She moved it closer to her person.

"I haven't eaten anything today so I'm claiming these as mine," she said while encircling the bowl with both arms thus creating an impregnable fortress.

"Why don't you order something, it's not too late?"  Jon suggested.  "Adrian Stevens is on duty in the kitchen.  She's working a few extra shifts to make a little extra money before the Voyager sails Tuesday night.

"Exactly why I'm not ordering anything to eat," Emily replied.  "Have you noticed how many times she's poked her head out of the kitchen's doors  to see if we're still here.  She want's to go home.  Who knows what she'll do to my food if I ordered something right now, so close to closing time."

"There's always the replicators,"  Nicole suggested. "The food tastes like cardboard, but its better than starving."

"The peanuts will be fine until I get back to my quarters.  I've got a bit of something stashed away to get me through."  Emily tapped one index finger against her nose signifying whatever it was she had tucked away was good.

Bracken jumped into the conversation's pause.  "The Odyssey's mission is nothing compared to the Voyager's.  You know what will happen if anything goes wrong with the Paklid Prince.  We could lose the Dilithium contract, and that would be devastating to the Federation's future plans."  He picked up his shot glass, held it up to the ceiling and watched the light from the ceiling fixtures bend and wave through the green liquid.

Christine shook her head and waved him off.  Zac reached down and picked up his guitar.
"Anybody for a tune or two?"

"Sure, play something relaxing," Dave put his head down on the table as he spoke.  It was far past his bedtime.  He knew his wife would be wondering where he was.  He thought to tap his communicator and call but didn't want to disturb her in case she had gone to bed without him.

"Relaxing.....?" Zac thought for a moment before strumming a tune unknown to everyone at the table.  It sounded like a old Earth ballad.

"I think everyone would agree the Phoenix's mission is the most important."  Megan spoke over the music.  "Of course, I can't prove it because our orders are sealed, and none of you are cleared to read them."  She looked rather proud of herself for pointing that out.  "You'll all get a chance to read the mission debriefing when we get back." 

" I'd love to read your mission debriefing - if we make it back alive," Stacy was slumped half way down her chair as she spoke.  "The Galileo's mission will place us in harm's way and I'm not sure we will make it."  She sat up straight and held her glass high. "So cheers to impossible missions."

"The Galileo? Honestly, the Galileo?  The words Galileo and dangerous should never be put together."  Zac stopped playing to make his point.  "The Magellan is the ship that gets the most dangerous missions.  If you want something done right, send the Magellan."  

"I'm outta here before it gets to deep," Bracken stood up emptied his glass, wished everyone a good night and disappeared through the lounge's double doors and into corridor leading to the turbolift elevators.

"Let's break this up and get some sleep," I suggested.

"Look, North America is coming into view," Christine stood up and moved closer to the large windows making up one full wall of the lounge.  The others joined her.  I bid them all a good night and walked out of the lounge.  Tuesday will come fast and there is still much to do.

Mr. W.
  

New Era in Space Travel

 

ISS CanadArm releases Dragon cargo spacecraft.

SpaceX Made space history yesterday, and set the path for future commercial activities in space. On Thursday morning, astronauts aboard the ISS used the remote manipulator CanadArm to move an undocked Dragon cargo spacecraft from the U.S. Harmony module. Dragon had just completed its task to be the first commercial (non-government project) spacecraft to deliver supplies to the ISS. However, it was still scheduled for one more task: a safe return to the Earth.

Camera view from CanadArm: "Dragon Flight 001 now departing for California."

The Expedition 31 astronauts and cosmonauts had received 1000 pounds of supplies brought up by the Dragon, after a successful rendezvous and docking procedure that went nearly flawlessly. Then, with the cargo space emptied, they carefully packed in about 1,400 pounds of scientific equipment and samples that needed to be returned to NASA. With the closing of the shuttle program, the ability to bring back equipment (other than tiny packages in a Soyuz capsule) had been lost.

With the hatches aboard Dragon and the ISS sealed, the craft was undocked and the robot arm moved the Dragon gently away from the Harmony module. Upon release, SpaceX mission controls remotely control thrusters to move the Dragon away from the station and lower in orbit. A short time later, the Dragon service module engine began a 9-minute retrofire burn to slow down the Dragon from its speed of 17,500 mph. The service module was then jettisoned and the capsule began orientation to enter the atmosphere.

Artist rendering of Dragon re-entry. Credit: SpaceX.

Dragon began a fiery re-entry over the Indian ocean and proceeded towards the west coast of the USA. The parachutes deployed perfectly and the Dragon splashed down in the Pacific Ocean not far off the coast of Baja California. Recovery vessels soon found the craft and recovered it.

Hoping that Dragons aren't seasick. Credit: SpaceX.

With the successful completion of this test mission to the ISS, SpaceX completes its tests for the government and will now begin regular supply mission to the ISS, returning US space supply capability to our space program. Instead of terribly costly shuttle missions bring supplies to the ISS, NASA can hire out delivery services, saving millions of dollars. This will be the new norm for space exploration in Earth orbit: NASA will lead the way in exploration while private business takes over the routines of supply and travel infrastructure. Of course now it remains for a private company to supply human flight opportunities to low Earth orbit and the ISS. We should see these developments expand during the next few years. SpaceX and other companies are already designing, building, and testing human-rated capsules for use on new and current rocket boosters.

By Mark Daymont
Space Center Educator

The End of the School Year and the Start of the Summer Season.

Hello Troops,

Tonight we put the last of our school year campers to bed.  The School Year Camp Season started on October 7, 2011 with Lindon Elementary School.  The School Year Camp Season ends tonight with Orem Elementary School's 6th Grade.  The summer season starts tomorrow with the first of our summer private missions at 11:00 A.M.  The first overnight camp for the season will be June 5th.  Our last summer season camp will be the overnight camp of September 28.

It has been a good school year season.  We've weathered the recession and survived everything Fortuna threw our way (and I write that with humility, not wanting to upset the Olympians and tempt Fate).  Our success was earned on the backs of our fantastic staff and volunteers, all good people who make my job easier and give me the occasional shoulder to lean on.  Thank you.

We start this new season not knowing what lies ahead.  Will the seas be calm and the winds reliable?  Will our campers be considerate and follow the rules?  Will the volunteers be willing and able to help us staff our  missions?  Will our sanity have the mental reserves to remain firm even in the strongest tempest? The answers are out there in that labyrinth called 'the future'.  There is one thing you can count on.  No matter what cometh our way, be it friend or foe, light or dark, or good or bad, this blog will report it all, truthfully (except when I believe a bit of imagination added to the telling will enhance the point I'm trying to make).

The bell rang today at 10:30 A.M. dismissing our students for the summer.  Just before the bell rang the sound of Central's third grade students counting down the seconds to freedom echoed up and down the Space Center's hallway; 3,  2,  1,  The Bell rang followed by a hugh cheer. Five hundred students came pouring out of their classrooms like prisoners just paroled.  It was like the running of the bulls.  It is a sight to behold!

It's strange, this being a Thursday night and I'm here at my computer at 12:06 A.M.  My mind is trying to convince me its Friday.  All day tomorrow I'll think its Saturday.  We will all be a bit befuddled until we get our summer legs beneath us.

The one major project accomplished today was the changing of the Galileo's air conditioners.  Thank you to Kyle Herring (The Great Fish) for his help along with our maintenance director, Kyle Jones.  Their is one remaining issue to be resolved.  The Magellan's sound system is being fussy. Maggie's subwoofer has forgotten its contribution to the overall quality of the Magellan's sound.  Zac and Megan used every incantation to correct the problem, but to no avail.  Once again we will rely on the generosity of the Great Fish to get us out of this pickle.

Now it's time to go to bed.  The camper are down.  The staff are quiet and sleep is all that remains on my "to do" list.

Goodnight,
Mr W.