Tuesday, September 25, 2012

ARE ASTRONAUTS ORDINARY PEOPLE?

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Throughout history people have been lifted to unparalleld heights by others who regarded them as heroes. Within the human psyche there seems to be a need for such regard, something akin to the need to become subjects of ill-defined deities. Some immediately come to mind: Thomas Paine, Horatio Nelson, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther, Edith Cavell, Irena Sendlerowa, Nelson Mandela, Oliver Cromwell. The list seems endless, though none enjoy universal acceptance. For instance, the German monk Martin Luther broke with the Catholic Church and generated a huge following. Among other issues, he took it to task for the abomination of selling indulgences. Separation into what became the Lutheran church did not endear him to the Vatican. Late in life, he was also known to have become strongly antisemitic.  Oliver Cromwell was a strong military leader as well as political, but is not admired by the Irish for his genocidal ventures in Ireland. Of course there are countless individual heroic acts, but those are generally accepted as singular manifestations of being caring and responsible human beings.

 Since the beginning of the space age, new heroes have appeared on the scene, at least for some, in the form of astronauts.... the brave souls that dare to venture into space. Some among astronauts are pleased to wear that crown, but the less egocentric would  prefer the stand taken by the late Neil Armstrong, the first to set foot on the moon. Armstrong argued that he was only doing his job, a position easily supported by acknowledgement that it would not have occurred but for the labors of thousands of scientists, design and development engineers, technicians, manufacturing and tooling engineers, craftsmen and assemblers, and the billions of dollars coughed up by the public. But the aura remained, as shown by how he was honored following his recent passing at 82 years. Perhaps there is a connection to be drawn from the naming of the first launch vehicles to carry astronauts into orbit after mythological heroic figures - Apollo, Atlas, Saturn and Titan.

  My interest in this subject was sparked following the recent publication of a commentary in Space News by former astronaut Walter Cunningham, in which, as a climate change denier, he claimed that he and others within the NASA community were winning the “war against global warming.” The arrogance and irresponsible nature of the commentary by someone who had had the extreme privilege of viewing this fragile planet from space during an Apollo mission begs the question of whether opinion by former astronauts should carry any special weight above that of other citizens. Then three other recent events, closely related; the fiftieth anniversary of the first American to orbit Earth by John Glenn, the forty-third anniversary of the first landing by humans on the moon and a month later the death of Neil Armstrong, the first to set foot there, prompted the question: Are astronauts ordinary people? At first glance, poring over the bios of the two hundred thirty-eight astronauts who have left the profession, one might reach that conclusion. Married, raising children, golfers, hunters, hikers, craftsmen, mountain climbers, pilots, cyclists, musicians.... even artists, all common to middle class America. End of story. Or is it? It might be interesting to dig a bit deeper. In this young profession that began with John Glenn’s Earth orbit flight in 1962, twenty percent are no longer alive.
Getting down to basics, what does it take to be an astronaut? It is someone in excellent physical condition who will carefully and faithfully follow prescribed directions.....someone who  can be depended upon not to panic in a bad or unexpected situation but immediately attend to it with sensible and sometimes innovative solutions.  As it happens, there is a vast pool of such experts in various fields, both men and women, where performance requirements are virtually the same and where enthusiasm about space exploration runs high.

             NASA’s requirements for application to the Astronaut corps are straightforward: a BS degree in engineering, bio-engineering, mathematics or the physical sciences; Three years of progressively advancing experience in the applicant’s chosen field. That requirement is lessened by one year with a Masters degree and does not apply if the applicant is a PhD, or if the applicant has 1000 hours of pilot-in-command experience with commercial or military jet aircraft. The applicant must meet basic requirements of 20/20 vision, be a citizen of the United States, blood pressure not over 140/90 and height between 62 and 75 inches. The applicant is subjected to interviews and medical examination. Success here leads to selection for the candidate training program, which lasts two years. The best of the graduates are then selected for the final intense training program, out of which astronauts are chosen and assigned to missions. After passing military water survival tests and achieving SCUBA proficiency in preparation for EVA training, astronaut training includes International Space Station systems, EVA skills, Robotics skills, Russian Language and Aircraft flight readiness.

            It stands to reason that NASA would have a preference for experienced pilots in its astronaut complement as they have already demonstrated the high level of skill needed to follow complex directions and to rapidly assess and take corrective action when something goes wrong. Following are four interesting events.
           
The Apollo flights were preceded by the Gemini program, a series of eight low Earth orbit flights to practice rendezvous and docking in space. A two-man crew was orbited in the Gemini capsule, somewhat larger that the preceding Mercury capsules. Separate flights orbited unmanned Agena spacecraft which were fitted with  a docking interface. On the eighth flight, crewed by Neil Armstrong and David Scott, the first U.S. docking operation was performed as planned, joining Gemini to the Agena spacecraft. Then suddenly the combined spacecraft began to spin. Picture trying to analyze a situation like this while spinning at ever more rapid speeds. Yet, Armstrong managed to stabilize the joined craft by activating the reentry control thrusters on Gemini. It was concluded that a roll thruster on Gemini had remained open, and confirmed by rapid depletion of thruster propellants. The mission was terminated and Gemini was returned to Earth in an emergency landing in the Pacific.

Apollo 13 was crewed by astronauts James Lovell, John Swigart and Fred Haise. My contention that astronauts may be ordinary people is buttressed by the fact that this was not the originally scheduled crew, who were bounced for reasons of lax attitude toward training, extra marital affairs and exposure to a communicable disease. Fred Haise was a replacement for Ken Mattingly, who had been exposed to German Measles seven days before flight. Mattingly played an important role in subsequent events for this hair-raising flight. Apollo 13 was launched on April 11, 1970.  Fifty-six hours into the lunar flight the oxygen tank on the service module exploded, rendering the service module useless for providing utilities to the command module. The mission now was not a landing on the moon but how to get the astronauts safely back to Earth. With the limited provisions in the command module and lunar modules, it became an issue not only of a rapid reconstituting of flight mechanics, but of survival with limited supply of power, food and water, loss of cabin heat, and application of ingenuity under  extremely stressful conditions. A fine example of how humans can measure up to tough situations. Heroic? Not unless saving yourself can be termed heroic. Heroic is landing a disabled passenger aircraft in the Hudson River and saving its hundreds of passengers.
           
            Apollo 16, the fifth lunar landing mission, carried the second lunar rover, popularly known as the “moon buggy,” to enable exploration of extended territory. The rover was a two- passenger, four-wheel electrical drive vehicle built by the Boeing Company. Early in its use a fender extension broke when astronaut John Young bumped into it. No fixes were attempted, though astronauts reported dust covering everything and vehicle performance dropping off. We are in an age when people don’t fix their own cars anymore. But then again, some do. On Apollo 17 the fender extension broke again when Eugene Cernan accidentally struck it with a hammer handle. Repairs were attempted by taping the extension in place but it was lost after about an hour, the astronauts returning covered with moon dust.  Subsequently a fix was made with a lunar map, duct tape and a pair of clamps from the lunar module, which worked for the remainder of the mission. In this instance we see both clumsiness and innovation in play.

            Finally, the Skylab spacecraft that followed the Apollo lunar missions provides a spectacular example of how astronauts can function to save a mission gone badly awry.  Skylab was an orbital workshop that was built by using the Saturn V third stage as the basic structure and furnishing the inside with components to achieve America’s first space station. Skylab was launched into orbit on May 14, 1973 by a Saturn V that was left over from cancelled Apollo missions. Not long after liftoff a micrometeoroid shield whose function was to moderate the temperature inside the spacecraft broke away, In breaking off it partially deployed one of the spacecraft’s solar panels, which later in the flight was blown away by retro rocket fire from the second stage during separation. Once in orbit it was determined that the opposite array was entangled in debris and wouldn’t deploy. At that point the mission could have been aborted. A saving aspect was that some power was available from the Apollo Telescope Mount, attached to Skylab, when its solar arrays successfully deployed. Engineers took a couple of days to assess whether the spacecraft could be repaired and finally a three man crew, led by Charles Conrad, accompanied by Paul Weitz and Joseph Kerwin departed for Skylab with an assortment of tools and repair material. Arriving at the spacecraft, their first job was to fashion a shield, known as “the parasol” to take the place of the missing micrometeroid shield, which lowered the 100 deg F plus temperature inside the spacecraft to an acceptable level. Next they set about freeing the stuck solar array, finally getting it to deploy. Though still at lower power than hoped for, the station was able to complete its mission with two more visits by astronauts. The total occupied time for Skylab was 171 man-days.

If longevity is on your life agenda, you might not choose to be an astronaut. Thus far, for American astronauts, life expectancy turns out to be 52 years. Of two hundred thirty eight astronauts who have left the profession, forty-seven are deceased. One is tempted to compare with other professions where life expectancy is low, like logging, fishing and long distance trucking. An extrapolation (admittedly risky for so small a sample) reveals that flying to and operating in space is three to four times worse. Counting four lives lost in T-38 trainer crashes, 21 deaths occurred in the line of duty... seven crewmembers lost in each of the space shuttle accidents (Columbia and Challenger) and three in the Apollo command module fire on the Florida launch pad.  Eighteen deaths were from natural causes, of which five were from heart failure and the rest from different forms of cancer. The remaining eight deaths were from various causes, including plane crashes, auto, motorcycle and water ski accidents, one suicide and one death on Mt. Everest. The high rate of cancer in a group of humans presumably selected for extraordinarily good physical condition raises the question about whether space exposure has an influence.

            Experience thus far has shown that women are fully as capable as men in the astronaut occupation. There is little evidence that in the hands of men, performance is better. Yet, of the two hundred thirty eight astronauts who have left the field, only twenty seven were women. Before he became senator, John Glenn testified before Congress in an attempt to ban women from going into space. He failed, but what actually developed seems little more than a nod to the other sex by NASA administrators. It seems also that a course correction is advisable in selection of future astronaut complements.

            Where do retired astronauts go?  They are still young and most are obliged to find ways to make a living. The following information is more or less fluid, as occupations may change with changing opportunities. For example, astronaut Harrison Schmitt, whose single flight was on Apollo 17, logging 301 hours in space, took employment with NASA until 1975 when he left to run for United States Senator from New Mexico. He served a single six year  term and then returned to employment in academia, lecturing, consulting and other pursuits.  A geologist, Dr. Schmitt has recently aligned himself with climate change doubters like Walter Cunningham.

            It was no surprise to find that over fifty astronauts found employment at  companies that do business with the government. Only a few reached top level. Most were at vice-president, assistant vice-president, manager or director levels. That reminds one of the revolving door situation in Washington where staffers and legislators find jobs as lobbyists due to their insider connections. Twenty astronauts took employment in academia and a like number got jobs at various government agencies. Less than ten went into the medical field, where they had apparently had their original training.

            There seems to be not much desire to enter the political scene on the part of astronauts. . Besides Harrison Schmitt, only Jack Lousma and John Glenn sought careers in the United States Senate. Jack Lousma lost his bid to Carl Levin. John Glenn was elected Senator from Ohio in 1974 and served for four terms, retiring in 1999. Glenn was one of five senators caught up in the Lincoln Savings and Loan scandal. His ambitions extended to a try for the presidency and two tries for a vice-presidency but none were not successful. In 2012 there are one or two ex-astronauts campaigning for spots in the House of Representatives.

            The remainder of retired astronauts entered various occupations that included consulting, lecturing, investing, writing, and start-up businesses. Some, like Buzz Aldrin and John Young, work as advocates for the space program. A few immodestly take every opportunity to preserve a strong public image. Others went in interesting directions: Apollo astronaut Alan Bean became a successful artist, specializing in space exploration art works. Apollo 15 Astronauts James Irwin and Charles Duke turned to religion. Duke entered missionary work and Irwin became an evangelical Minister. Irwin added to his fame by organizing two expeditions to Mt. Ararat to find Noah’s Ark. In the second attempt Irwin was injured and had to make the descent on a horse. Scott Parazinski (MD), veteran of five STS flights, was a mountain climber. On the second try he was the first astronaut to climb Mt. Everest, reaching the summit on May 20, 2009. Another astronaut, Karl D. Heinz, was not so fortunate. He died in the attempt when he contracted pulmonary edema after reaching an altitude of 21,000 feet. The story of Brian O’Leary is especially interesting. An astronomer and expert on physical properties of the Martian surface, he was appointed in 1967 to be part of the first crew for a manned Mars mission. He left NASA  a few months later when prospects of ever getting into space faded. From there he returned to academia, authored over a hundred papers and several books, and also held positions at the Energy Department and Science Applications International Corporation. In later years O’Leary stepped outside the bounds of conventional physics to pursue ideas on anti-gravity and free energy. He moved his base of operation to Ecuador from where he conducted workshops and continued to write and lecture. O’Leary died in 2011.
             
            Two former astronauts made it big in the corporate world, attaining CEO status with large companies. Frank Borman, veteran of Gemini missions and the first lunar orbital flight in Apollo  8, rose to be  CEO of Eastern Airlines. William Anders, also of Apollo 8, entered government service where he served as executive secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, followed by appointment to be first chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Upon leaving government service he spent several years in senior positions at General Electric and Textron. In 1990 he entered General Dynamics Corporation as Vice-Chair and a year later became Board Chairman and CEO. Anders presided over a major reconstitution of the conglomerate assembled in the 1950’s by John J. Hopkins, including sell-off of major divisions like Convair Ft. Worth and the Astronautics Division in San Diego. Anders left bitter feelings, when, after assuring soon-to-be-unemployed workers at the Astronautics Division that it would not be sold, executed a sale of the division to Lockheed Martin within months. Anders resigned in 1993.
           
            In retrospect, it was probably not entirely Anders’ doing. There is some opinion that he was directed to take these actions by the Department of Defense...... the “Military/Industrial Complex” at work.” Others believe that major shareholders were in the mood for a shakeup in corporate assets.  He was simply following orders. That’s what astronauts do.

Copyright © 2012






Wednesday, September 5, 2012

JIM'S CHAIR

     Thinking the other day about who were the finest people I ever met, I almost missed someone who ranks near the top of the list..... Jim, gentleman barber, resident barber for Convair, San Diego, and later, Astronautics Division, for most of his salaried career. I never met his wife, but she must be someone special too as together the couple raised four children who returned  a level of pride most parents hope for.

    It was a banner day when one got promoted to a perk level where you were privileged to visit the company barber. And Jim was special because you knew intuitively that he was a sympathetic listener. You could unload on him and know that it would go no further. It didn’t matter if you were thrice married, divorced, had something going on the side, a raving conservative, a starry eyed liberal or someone being undermined in the various maneuverings that are always in play in the heirarchy. Jim listened and commented just enough, always sympathetically. So you walked away with a haircut good enough for a wedding and feeling as good as if you had visited the local shrink and plunked down fifty bucks for an hour on the couch.

    When Jim retired from Astronautics a quarter century ago he established a private practice, “Jim’s Chair,” that got bumped from location to location in the Kearny Mesa area. His clientele from Astronautics and Convair followed him, so he didn’t have to look for customers. Only as a special favor would he take on someone recommended to him. Jim is an avid golfer, and Jim’s Chair got to be known as the only place in town where you can get a haircut and a golf lesson for ten bucks.  Still barbering at ninety years and still a great listener, I must think to tell him: “Jim, it’s too bad you are not a writer. Your book would be a best seller.”

Monday, September 3, 2012

NEW WORLD II

Why had the prophets missed this,
the long moment of the great awakening?

Almost too late, the phenomenon of selflessness
replaced the dominance of avarice and greed.

It was the suffering that did it,
and the unexpected winter of the great die-off.

Now we know immortality is a shared experience,
the thread that runs from generation to generation.

In these happy lands rockets and submarines
lie buried at the bottom of the ocean.

Cathedrals, temples and mosques have been dismantled
to make homes for the weary.

Mecca and places like it are archeological curiosities
scattered beneath  the desert sands.

The Vatican is preserved.
We have made it a museum for false gods.

The labyrinths of Mars have revealed
the tenacity and fragility of life.

The internet has brought all people together.
Notions of class have been erased.

Evenings, when work is done,
poets read their works to tell how things are.

Musicians arrive, unpack their instruments
and everyone dances.

©September, 2012