Jonathan H. Ward's Blog, page 7

Columbia’s final flow

Last time I talked a little bit about Columbia’s final time at the launch pad and why it had to extend over the annual year-end holiday period. This time I’d like to take you back to those days 14 years ago and recall it in more detail.

The final Launch Team training exercise for STS-107 happened on Friday, December 6, 2002. It was the last chance for the whole team to practice together in an environment that simulated launch countdown conditions as closely as possible. It was also the ‘cert...

Telling Columbia’s Story in “Real Time”

Time is a fascinating phenomenon. Setting aside discussions of special relativity, it’s pretty safe to say that objectively, time flows at the same rate every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year.

Subjectively, though, we perceive time’s passage as highly variable. It can zip past or drag on endlessly. Ask a ninth-grade student sitting in a boring class at 2:10 in the afternoon how long hefeels it will be until school lets out, and he’ll...

Launch fever

In an earlier posting, I talked about ‘schedule pressure’ and how it should have more correctly been referred to as ‘schedule awareness’. Awareness of the schedule contributed to good, productive decision-making. Pressure-based decisions could be shortsighted or worse, destructive.

What about decisions on launch day itself? Hundreds of subordinate schedules and decisions are about to pay off. Pressure? Awareness? Something else?

There’s a phenomenon in the launch business called “Launch Fever...

Schedule pressure

I was asked in a press conference once if ‘schedule pressure’ had affected my decision for a launch. I wanted to throw the reporter out of the room, but I liked my job. Schedule pressure affecting a decision? Instead of a tirade, it was clear the reporter needed a little refresher in the basics of Project Management 101. Here it is:

Work scope. Budget. Schedule. Magic, huh?

Numerous times in the Shuttle program we were accused of letting the schedule affect some decision made. News flash—of c...

Interviews and truth

BringingColumbia Homeis my third book. Other than the obvious similarity with my other two books, in that it deals withthe American space program, it shares another key element: it relies heavily on oral history and interviews.

I can’t adequately describe what a thrill it is to interview people who were on the scene during important times and events in history. Some people had “bigger” roles than others, consistent with their job titles or the scope of their responsibilities. However, events...

Astronaut families on launch day

Put yourself in the role of an immediate family member of an astronaut on Launch Day. What do you do? What do you feel? Where are you? Will your wife, husband, or parent be OK?

Imagine the multitude of thoughts and emotions as the most important person in your life is about to put her or his life on the line, literally. Do you think about Challenger? Columbia? Apollo 1? Of course you do, but you don’t allow yourself to be consumed by them either.

If you’re the parent of a youngster, what do y...

Schirra and Lovell tour the hangar

Former astronauts Wally Schirra and Jim Lovell (at right) inspect a recovered elevon actuator fromColumbia in the reconstruction hangar, March 3, 2003. Looking on with them are (from left) Mike Leinbach, Lisa Malone, Steve Altemus (kneeling), and Jon Cowart. (NASA photo)

One of the many things NASA does really well is attending to worker morale. Since the 1960s, the Space Flight Awareness program has helped workers at every level of the program understand the importance of their jobs and con...

Manned spaceflight traditions

Traditions play an extremely important role in almost all aspects of life. Think of your work, your personal doings, your religion. Think about how your parents raised you, and how you raise(d) your kids. Think of politics—well, OK, don’t! Traditions are everywhere, and deservedly so.

Traditions in the American manned spaceflight business run deep. From those that were born in the Mercury program—like the ceremonial “Farewell” words from the capsule communicator to the astronaut on board the...

Interview (ApolloReview.com)

Arnold Ringstad has undertaken an important project - to review all of the books about the Apollo space program. He recently interviewed me about my books and also about my writing process.

The transcript is at: http://www.apolloreview.com/interview...

White powder from outer space?

Over the course of the 100 days followingthe Columbia accident, NASA and the EPA responded to 12,000 calls from residents in Texas and Louisiana about space shuttle debris sightings.

Representatives fromNASA and the EPA personally investigated every call. The EPA was responsible for checking the debris for hazards, rendering it safe, and then transporting it to one of the four collection centers along the debris pathin Texas. The NASA representative madean initial determination whether or not...