RSS Parrot

All eggs, One basket

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2024/08/17/all-eggs-one-basket/

Published: August 17, 2024 21:54

I am told that there is a principle that both the President and Vice President never ride on the same aircraft, for a pragmatic if ghoulish reason.  We can’t afford to lose both of them in one accident.  During a … Continue reading →

Flight Rationale

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2024/08/05/flight-rationale/

Published: August 5, 2024 17:45

Absolute certainty can never be attained for many reasons, one of them being that even without limits on time and other resources, engineers can never be sure they have foreseen all possible contingencies, asked and answered every question, played out ……

Breaking the [Flight] Rules

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2024/04/25/breaking-the-flight-rules/

Published: April 25, 2024 20:12

The official NASA history of STS-109 can be found on the agency web page:  The last part of that official account reads:  “After a successful launch, flight controllers in Mission Control noticed a degraded flow rate in one of two … Continue reading →

Putting Atlantis At Risk

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/putting-atlantis-at-risk/

Published: March 10, 2024 23:09

Warning: A long story that has a lot of technical details – and a moral. Reflecting on my career as a Space Shuttle Flight Director, there were many difficult decisions to make and sometimes some terrifying results.  Putting peoples’ lives … Continue…

Terminal Count

https://waynehale.wordpress.com/2024/02/17/terminal-count/

Published: February 17, 2024 16:32

Probably the most heart stopping moments in spaceflight occur at the final stages of a countdown to liftoff.  Will it go or not?  What happens once the engines start?  Success or failure or just wait for another day?  I lived … Continue reading →