16 November 2009

Atlantis: STS-129

Mission Parameters

Mission Duration: 11 days

- Delivering spare parts to the ISS
The spares are going up on two platforms – called external logistics carriers, or ELCs – to be attached on either side of the station’s truss, in hopes that wherever a failure happens, the necessary spare won’t be too far away. The ELCs carried up on STS-129 will be chocked full with two pump modules, two control moment gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, an ammonia tank assembly, a high-pressure gas tank, a latching end effector for the station’s robotic arm and a trailing umbilical system reel assembly for the railroad cart that allows the arm to move along the station’s truss system. There’s also a power control unit, a plasma container unit, a cargo transportation container and a battery charge/discharge unit. In all, that’s 27,250 pounds worth of spares to keep the station going long after the shuttles retire.- taken from NASA Mission Overview
- Fixing exterior wiring of the ISS (three spacewalks)
- Preparing the interior for the future STS-130 mission, which includes delivery of the last US space station module Tranquility.
- Returning crew Nicole Stott back to Earth.

"I have friends in high places."- a NASA lanyard

Ever since I moved to Space Coast for my first job in August of 2006, I've witnessed about 14 space shuttle launches from various vantage points. For STS-127, I took Glenn, my faithful motorcycle, up to Titusville in search of Space Park, only to detour into a small neighborhood and watched the night launch from across the intercoastal river. My friends and I have traveled to the parks, the beaches, the bridges (528 and 192), and even one time, Joe was fortunate enough to get launch tickets to view from the NASA Parkway (405), right on the Banana River about 11 miles from the launch pad.

Atlantis is my first live shuttle. I've written an entry about it here. On a sunny clear morning of 9 September 2006, Chris (aka "Squirrel") and I decided to drive to Patrick Air Force Base to see if we could get a decent view of STS-115. At the time, I didn't have a camera. I borrowed my mother's Sony Palmcorder and used the camera feature to take low resolution images from the recording.

On 16 November 2009, thanks to Marisa who currently works at the Cape, I became one of the lucky few who gained access to the VIP viewing area near the Vehicle Assembly Building.

I almost didn't go, because of a small misunderstanding about the location (I thought it was going to be on the NASA Parkway again). I didn't feel comfortable about the possibility of launch cancellation, and then sit in traffic for hours due to the mass exodus of grumpy, disappointed spectators. NASA has a tendency to change plans at the last minute, hence the humorous moniker "NASA: Never Absolutely Sure of Anything".

After I reassured myself that I had enough hours to offset for the afternoon, Glenn and I went drove off to the Cape to meet up with Marisa and her boyfriend Chuck.

It wasn't until I noticed we took a different turn from the usual route that I realized Marisa had a very special viewing pass.

The famous bleachers from the Apollo missions. This is where family members of the astronauts can view the launch platform from 3 miles away, the closest possible viewing distance. The countdown clock is a few hundred feet away from the viewing sight.


Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)

The Vehicle Assembly Building is a one story monolith. Since there are no other buildings that can be used for comparison of scale, the common description is that the flag on the side of the building has the length of 209 feet (63.7 meters, about the size of a football arena), and each individual star on the flag is 6 feet across (almost 2 meters). The building is so cavernous that there is a noticeable difference in air pressure when you go up in elevation (there are no "floors" per se in the VAB, just one continuous building with discontinuous floor segments). Birds also made nests within the building, so it is a strange bipolar environment of nature living side by side with dangerous chemicals.
It is expected that, starting in 2008-2009, the Vehicle Assembly Building will begin a transition for the assembly and processing of both the Space Shuttle and the Shuttle Derived Ares I crew launch vehicle for the upcoming Constellation Program. After the Shuttle's retirement in 2010, the VAB will become the assembly facility for both the Ares I, and the unmanned heavy lift Ares V launcher for the return to the Moon in 2018.- from Wikipedia
In Google Maps, you can get some idea of scale based on the huge shadow casts by the VAB. The viewing area is located only a few hundred feet away from the building.


View Larger Map

The Anatomy of "Liftoff!"

For the photos, I used my Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR (with the focal length at 200mm), a monopod and the D80. The weather was near perfect, good wind, and the sun was behind us, providing direct light against the shuttle as it took off. The shutter speed was set to 1/4000 of a second (the fastest possible speed for the D80), and the aperture was tweaked to 4-5.6 to prevent overexposure.

I also kept my Fujifilm F50FD point & shoot nearby for quick wide angle shots.

During the initial stage of the liftoff, the flames from the launch was so bright at 3 miles away, that it was easier for me to view the shuttle from the viewfinder. I tried several times to see the launch physically with my left eye, but I couldn't observe it for more than a few seconds.

Below are the launch photos of STS-129.

A study in smoke trails

Some of the more interesting characteristics of the shuttle launch is the smoke pattern in the sky. However, there is a danger to such a view: The plumes from the solid rocket boosters are quite toxic. This is due to the curing and binding agents used in the fuel as opposed to the fuel itself.

For further reading, AerospaceWeb has a great article on the anatomy of a solid fuel rocket.

Epilogue: Acid Rain Advisory

Because of our proximity to the launch site, we were given the "Acid Rain Advisory" by our announcer. Another by-products of the solid rocket booster is a low dose of hydrochloric acid hidden within the dense and colorful clouds. When the wind is just right, the acid could settle on your skin and cause irritation. The wind was blowing from the east at 7 mph, so after the SRB separation, we could see the orange clouds heading straight for us. As such, the announcer asked the viewers to leave the site shortly after liftoff.

When the 108 metric ton shuttle became a tiny star in the sky, we left the viewing area with burnt retinas and a happy memory of another successful launch.

06 September 2009

Views

Before painting the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo had to first construct a massive scaffolding to allow him access to the ceiling without interfering with the chapel's daily use. He had to develop special wax models so he could study the lighting effects to be duplicated in the frescoes, and come up with a special, slow drying plaster. He suffered constant deadline pressure from frustrated church officials and the pope who just wanted the ceiling finished. The work itself was uncomfortable and unending, with wet paint and plaster dripping on the face of the man who was not, after all, a painter, but a sculptor.

Such challenges arise in all the great works of human imagination. Be they the creation of our world rendered upon the ceiling of a church, or a view of our world evident by making the voyage from the earth to the moon.

--Tom Hanks

21 July 2009

Butterfly Nets


calm that wicked wind,
to pick you up
and carry you off eastward,
though i did release you
for to seek a warmer sky

should you be blown back
know that i will always run to greet you,
still surprised to catch you
every time

armed with this small butterfly net
only
i will face the world alone
and never be lonely

so calm that wicked wind,
and if you go, you could be gone forever
i will play awhile here
by and by and by and by -

armed with this small butterfly net
only
i will face the world alone
and never be lonely

up and up you go
for to steal the secrets of the heavens
will you share them with me
my bright & brilliant spy?

should you be blown back
know that i will always run to greet you
still surprised to catch you
every time

still surprised to catch you
by and by and by and by -


--by Bishop Allen

05 May 2009

Quantum Kitchen, Quantum Chicken

During lunch today, my co-workers and I were discussing how to properly marinade and grill vegetables. I didn't think that our conversation was going to take a turn for the...well, strange. I guess it was my fault after all...I did bring up the fact that a George Foreman grill's tray is not a singularity.

=== SNIP ===

[12:54] Alent_: mmm, grill...
[12:55] Alent_: i need a grill
[12:55] Conman: dude
[12:55] Conman: A grill is absolutely essential
[12:55] Alent_: like a real one, not that stupid george forman
[12:55] Alent_: i know XD
[12:55] Alent_: but i put it on hold for teh wedding
[12:56] Alent_: after the wedding, man, after
[12:56] Conman: the foreman grill I have dubbed The Flavor Killer
[12:56] Alent_: lol
[12:56] Conman: hahha
[12:57] Conman: all that stuff that drips off the bottom
[12:57] Conman: thats the flavor
[12:58] Conman: being sucked away into oblivion
[12:58] vnv_lain: you can reclaim it and serve as gravy
[12:58] vnv_lain: it's not oblivion. a tray is not a singularity.
[12:59] Conman: haha
[12:59] Alent_: maybe connor's is
[12:59] Alent_: connor has a quantum kitchen
[12:59] Conman: well problem is that the flavor and the fat that you DO want to come off is also in the tray
[12:59] vnv_lain: the food changes depending on how you observe them
[13:01] Conman: so all you have to do is not observe the food in the grill and there will always exist A perfect chicken breast
[13:01] Conman: or....use a quantum timer!
[13:01] Conman: and stick the whole damn thing in a box
[13:02] Conman: you will have perfect chicken and burnt chicken at the same time!
[13:02] Alent_: or an uncooked chicken, you don't know
[13:02] vnv_lain: LMAO
[13:02] vnv_lain: oh man
[13:02] vnv_lain: more than two states!?
[13:02] vnv_lain: I don't speak non-binary!!!
[13:03] Alent_: sure, just apply the state machine pattern = p
[13:03] Conman: a continuum of states
[13:03] Alent_: encapsulate what changes!
[13:03] Conman: all relating to how long it takes for timers half life to expire
[13:03] Alent_: are we talking about the same thing anymore?
[13:04] vnv_lain: it's a quantum kitchen. are we ever sure?
[13:04] Alent_: good point
[13:04] Conman: not until we observe
[13:05] Alent_: ahem
[13:05] Alent_: NERDS!
[13:05] Conman: but we must pay heed to the uncertainty principle
[13:05] Conman: an objects state is disturbed simply by observing the object
[13:07] vnv_lain: timmy has a solution
[13:07] vnv_lain: put in multiple chicken into the oven
[13:08] vnv_lain: one of them is bound to be of the right state when we observe
[13:08] vnv_lain: chickenS
[13:08] vnv_lain: damn plurals
[13:08] Alent_: XD
[13:09] Conman: haha
[13:10] Conman: well the oven applies the same heat to all the chickens
[13:10] Conman: we need like N quantum timer based ovens each with their own chicken
[13:10] Conman: with probability 1/N that we do not get a good chicken
[13:11] Conman: with N = 10 we have a 90% probability of getting a good chicken

=== SNIP ===

Ladies and gentlemen, we now know that the probability of getting a good roasted chicken is pretty high. Our calculations and concepts of understanding the subject is probably pretty off, but maybe in subsequent observations you will see that we are right. ;)

18 March 2009

Discovery: STS-119

Launch Date: 15 March 2009
Launch Time: 1943h EDT
Launch Site: LC-39A
Site: North part of 528 on Port Canaveral

Description: It wasn't a night launch. It was more like a dusk launch. The shuttle exhaust trail was partially illuminated by the last gleam of sun on the horizon.

As the shuttle blaze reflected on the water, Chris stood up, while Joe, Anna and Kelley watched on.


Two white specks underneath the bright white spec indicated successful separation of solid rocket boosters.

05 January 2009

Your Home...in 2.65 cubic meters

...or about 8.7 cubic feet.


If you cannot see the video, click here.

During my Science Channel binge, Beyond Tomorrow featured a segment on Micro-Compact Home discussing the O2 Village at the Technical University of Munich. The O2 Village is basically a student residential area consisting of six Micro-Compact houses.

I would really like to live in one of these homes. I know it sounds crazy, but restricting the amount of space in your living area can actually save you from bringing junk and clutter into your home. In fact, you'll think at least twice about grabbing that cheap swag from those technical conventions (Microsoft, I'm talking about you).

I also think that another reason why I like Micro-Compact House is because having a tight space appeals to my inner need to constantly hide and observe. :)

This type of housing is only suitable for one resident, and I wish that my graduate student housing back at Florida State University have this type of setup. Though I liked Alumni Village, the whole area really is just a hole in the ground. The townhouses and the duplexes have terrible insulation, and everything is quite old and dirty. The only reason students live there is due to cheap rent, the close proximity to the Engineering building, and the location isolates the residents from main campus football season turmoil, making the area ideal for students with children.

The units in the O2 Village are extremely energy efficient due to good insulation, and almost all the materials used to construct the units are recyclable. It is also the type of housing that doesn't shut you from the world, as the designer specifically wanted the resident to use his outside environment as a part of his home.

The timber frame is clad in anodized aluminum. Like a car, it has about an eighth-of-an-inch gap between the aluminum sheets, which gives it a very crisp appearance from the outside. The mast is for attaching solar panels without affixing them directly to the roof. The color of the exterior is slightly lighter than the interior, which means you can see out without a lot of reflection of the inside, and when you are outside you can’t see in very clearly. This is a trick also used by car and aircraft designers.

Sascha Kletzsch/courtesy Micro Compact Home


Dennis Gilbert/courtesy Micro Compact Home


Sascha Kletzsch/courtesy Micro Compact Home


This hypothetical clustered arrangement is intended for student housing or out-of-town visitors who need a home in the city. Its structure is made up of small steel columns that echo the surrounding trees.

Courtesy Micro Compact Home

Other uses for such a unit includes a portable home for traveling businessmen and people living in expensive areas (e.g. New York City). Obviously, the O2 is not recommended for family units greater than one person.