Not Annoying the Slightest
Michael Heileman seems to think that it must be frustrating to work in the space program and send someone else to orbit. As an employee of a NASA contractor, I wholeheartedly disagree … and if you’d been sitting in the room where I was, watching the launch on a really grainy TV [over-the-air signal + TV as old as I am + metal building = not being able to read the countdown clock 
], you’d have understood. We held a lot of breath this morning.
There was no big celebration, either. No high fives, no happy dances. Just a feeling of satisfaction, and then a desire to get back to work.
It’s a damn shame, though, that we in the contractor community don’t stop, take a breath, and watch every launch and landing as a team. We really should. I have my corrective action for our next status meeting. 
++. Very cool hearing it from the horses mouth so to speak
July 26th, 2005 at 15:23So I guess you’d have the same answers to these questions as I would:
Q: “Given all the concerns about shuttle safety would you go on a shuttle flight if someone walked in here and offered it to you?”
July 26th, 2005 at 21:06A: “Yes, now, let’s go, when do we launch? If there isn’t enough space on the shuttle you can just strap me to the outside of the shuttle.”
Q: “What’s the big deal, it’s just the space shuttle, shouldn’t we concentrate on problems here on earth before spending money on space?”
A: “Ohhh, I’ve been looking for someone to practice my bludgeoning skills on.”
Michael: More like a horse’s ass, man.
Geoff: No, I wouldn’t. I understand aerodynamic heating, and I prefer a gun to a knife. [But I'm used to justifying manned spaceflight to people who ask.]
July 27th, 2005 at 15:09