John Watts Young
Discussion
Being 'of an age', many childhood heroes of mine were astronauts. Gordo Cooper and John Young, two in particular. What a life. But tonight, I'm just a little bit sadder.
Godspeed John Young.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-remembers-...
Godspeed John Young.
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-remembers-...
BBC doc from 1983. Well worth a watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n7yx_6IC8A
Space flights -
Gemini 3 (first manned Gemini flight)
Gemini 10
Apollo 10
Apollo 16 (walked on the moon in the Descartes highland region)
STS-1 (1st Shuttle flight)
STS-9 (1st flight of the Spacelab laboratory in the Shuttle cargo bay)
STS-9 nearly ended in disaster. They lost all their on board computers just before they started their re-entry procedures. They got the computers back up eventually and then lost another during re-entry. Then, during the last few minutes of flight, they had a fire in the tail of the Orbiter which very nearly led to the loss of the Auxiliary Power Units - which would have meant loss of control and a crash.
Luckily, they got it on to the ground before the fire had taken complete hold. They reckon they made it with a couple of minutes to spare.
The BBC documentary was originally shown just before the launch of STS-9.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n7yx_6IC8A
Space flights -
Gemini 3 (first manned Gemini flight)
Gemini 10
Apollo 10
Apollo 16 (walked on the moon in the Descartes highland region)
STS-1 (1st Shuttle flight)
STS-9 (1st flight of the Spacelab laboratory in the Shuttle cargo bay)
STS-9 nearly ended in disaster. They lost all their on board computers just before they started their re-entry procedures. They got the computers back up eventually and then lost another during re-entry. Then, during the last few minutes of flight, they had a fire in the tail of the Orbiter which very nearly led to the loss of the Auxiliary Power Units - which would have meant loss of control and a crash.
Luckily, they got it on to the ground before the fire had taken complete hold. They reckon they made it with a couple of minutes to spare.
The BBC documentary was originally shown just before the launch of STS-9.
Just been listening to the NASA audio files of the Apollo 11 countdown again.
Hearing Jack King again just got the adrenaline running fast.
No need to mock, criticise, pose existential questions.
That commentary took me back nearly 50 years to an age of innocence when the thrill at the sheer bravado of it still resonates.
Heroes. Much devalued now.
But back then.
Neil Armstrong. Chances of getting back? Just less than 50/50.
God speed, indeed.
Hearing Jack King again just got the adrenaline running fast.
No need to mock, criticise, pose existential questions.
That commentary took me back nearly 50 years to an age of innocence when the thrill at the sheer bravado of it still resonates.
Heroes. Much devalued now.
But back then.
Neil Armstrong. Chances of getting back? Just less than 50/50.
God speed, indeed.
As Eric notes, Young got the first flight in a vehicle class. Not once, but twice. In itself, that speaks volumes. Sure, he was probably always going to make STS1, but if he hadn't been up to it, he would not have flown it. To get two Initial Mission ticks in a logbook, I don't imagine we'll ever see that again' in space flight or conventional manned flight.
I exercised my democratic right to opt out of school the day STS1 lifted, and still have a few C90 cassette recordings of just about every single news broadcast that played out over the mission cycle. Geeky, maybe, but I walked everywhere with that cassette recorder and made sure I was next to a radio or tv whenever there was a broadcast.
I imagine they make for a resource now - listening to it, it's fascinating to hear the story of the missing tiles evolve, and how it was 'managed'. I remember too, thinking.. 'He's now in his fifties - that's ancient.' 'Into the Black' was required reading last year. I preferred the parts which focused on the politics behind the development, and I guess there's a *little* licence because I don't recall as much tension as it implies. Maybe that's just a societal thing.
Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Black-Rowland-White/...
I exercised my democratic right to opt out of school the day STS1 lifted, and still have a few C90 cassette recordings of just about every single news broadcast that played out over the mission cycle. Geeky, maybe, but I walked everywhere with that cassette recorder and made sure I was next to a radio or tv whenever there was a broadcast.
I imagine they make for a resource now - listening to it, it's fascinating to hear the story of the missing tiles evolve, and how it was 'managed'. I remember too, thinking.. 'He's now in his fifties - that's ancient.' 'Into the Black' was required reading last year. I preferred the parts which focused on the politics behind the development, and I guess there's a *little* licence because I don't recall as much tension as it implies. Maybe that's just a societal thing.
Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Black-Rowland-White/...
Edited by Ginge R on Sunday 7th January 09:14
Eric Mc said:
Thanks for that link, excellent watch 
Ginge R said:
As Eric notes, Young got the first flight in a vehicle class. Not once, but twice. In itself, that speaks volumes. Sure, he was probably always going to make STS1, but if he hadn't been up to it, he would not have flown it. To get two Initial Mission ticks in a logbook, I don't imagine we'll ever see that again' in space flight or conventional manned flight.
I exercised my democratic right to opt out of school the day STS1 lifted, and still have a few C90 cassette recordings of just about every single news broadcast that played out over the mission cycle. Geeky, maybe, but I walked everywhere with that cassette recorder and made sure I was next to a radio or tv whenever there was a broadcast.
I imagine they make for a resource now - listening to it, it's fascinating to hear the story of the missing tiles evolve, and how it was 'managed'. I remember too, thinking.. 'He's now in his fifties - that's ancient.' 'Into the Black' was required reading last year. I preferred the parts which focused on the politics behind the development, and I guess there's a *little* licence because I don't recall as much tension as it implies. Maybe that's just a societal thing.
Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Black-Rowland-White/...
I was working as a local government auditor in the North West of Ireland in April 1981. I was actually working at Longford County Council on the Friday 10 April that STS 1 was originally supposed to lift off. I took an extended lunch break and went to a local pub. I asked the bar man if he could turn on the bar TV. He said, "Oh, is there horse racing on today?" (this was Ireland, after all). I explained why I would like the telly on and he obliged, even if he was a bit bemused.I exercised my democratic right to opt out of school the day STS1 lifted, and still have a few C90 cassette recordings of just about every single news broadcast that played out over the mission cycle. Geeky, maybe, but I walked everywhere with that cassette recorder and made sure I was next to a radio or tv whenever there was a broadcast.
I imagine they make for a resource now - listening to it, it's fascinating to hear the story of the missing tiles evolve, and how it was 'managed'. I remember too, thinking.. 'He's now in his fifties - that's ancient.' 'Into the Black' was required reading last year. I preferred the parts which focused on the politics behind the development, and I guess there's a *little* licence because I don't recall as much tension as it implies. Maybe that's just a societal thing.
Book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Into-Black-Rowland-White/...
Edited by Ginge R on Sunday 7th January 09:14
As we all know, the Shuttle didn't go that day because of problems with the on board computers. It did eventually go on Sunday, 12 April. By then, I was back home with my folks in Dublin and watched it while eating some sausage and chips..
I remember that first launch very well. In the years leading up to the first launch, NASA had continually talked about the Shuttle making access to space routine. As I watched STS-1 leap off the pad and leave that long dense SRB plume my first and instant impression was "That is NEVER going to be routine".
My estimation of the bravery of Young (and Crippen) shot up that day.
"Into the Black" is excellent (White is a great story teller). I actually do remember that there was a lot of concern about the missing tiles and I do remember that NASA kept assuring everybody that it was not an issue. I also remember them not being clear about how they knew that.
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