|
Post by Rick Henry on Oct 4, 2005 20:11:15 GMT -5
What can I say Dave. Kinda sounds like you belong here. It's kinda like family. We may get into scuffles but the door is always open.
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Feb 12, 2006 21:16:22 GMT -5
I did my yearly job in Covington, VA a few weeks ago, and on the way out, I drove past South Carpenter Drive. Like I said...
|
|
|
Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Feb 14, 2006 15:23:50 GMT -5
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Feb 16, 2006 21:04:56 GMT -5
Tim, some time ago I began to notice how many times in my travels things popped up which reminded me of a certain brother/sister singing duo. Things like street signs, and tonight, passing The Carpenter's Cross Church of God.
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Feb 18, 2006 15:12:01 GMT -5
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on May 29, 2006 6:08:08 GMT -5
My favorite space agency, NASA, has a habit of celebrating some rather strange anniversaries, such as their 47th a year ago. Most folks would wait for their 50th. On May 24th, they celebrated the 44th anniversary of Scott Carpenter (Richard says he's not related) and his "Aurora" flight. They had a big to-do for him at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, even as they prepare for the STS-121 launch in July. As described in Gene Kranz's book "Failure Is Not An Option", Scott was the second American to orbit the Earth. In Gene's own words: "Each of the Mercury astronauts was made of the right stuff, but all were vastly different. While others would be making last complusively detailed checks on the spacecraft, Scott might be found on the beach, strumming a guitar." He retired from NASA in 1967, and went on to be instrumental in deep-sea research, living and working on the ocean floor. The results of his dedication can be found in a project NASA calls NEEMO. Those who eventually go on to Mars and beyond owe a debt of gratitude to Scott Carpenter.
|
|
|
Post by ps11932 on Jun 5, 2006 15:12:40 GMT -5
Thanks for the reminder of Scott Carpenter- he and the other 6 original astronauts (even Don Slayton, who never actually orbited) were among the big heroes to kids of my generation. Seems if I recall correctly, I saw most of the Mercury launches on T.V. back in my small hometown.
I know what you mean too, about signs and other reminders of the Carpenters, via their namesakes. I thought of the group often last year when Chris Carpenter won the N.L. Cy Young award and helped the Cards to the N.L. Central title. O.E.
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Jun 6, 2006 5:30:48 GMT -5
www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/slayton.htmlHiya there, O.E. Here's a link to the official NASA bio on Deke Slayton, since you mentioned him. Actually, he DID get to be on "top of the world" once, during the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975. I don't remember it because my grandmother passed away just two days before they lifted off. Here is a link to NASA's official chronology of on-orbit wake-up songs: history.nasa.gov/wakeup%20calls.pdfSome of them, especially during the Space Shuttle era are pretty esoteric. Last years' STS-114 flight featured the Japanese astronaut's daughter singing to her father. It was touching, to say the least. From what I read, you're about as old as I am, slightly over 50. Check out this quote: "There are specific lyric references, like the line "Good morning, America, how are you," from the song "City of New Orleans" played to the Apollo 17 crew in their Command Module "America." That same crew heard the Doors "Light My Fire" when it was time to burn engines to leave lunar orbit, and also heard The Carpenters "We've Only Just Begun." That was played to show that the last lunar mission would not be the end of lunar exploration. "
|
|
|
Post by ps11932 on Jun 6, 2006 16:52:09 GMT -5
Thanks, Dave, for the info. on Donald Slayton and onthe music accompanying the space flights- it will be informative to check out. You're right, I just turned 53 so I came up in the era when a lot of the kids wanted tobecome astronauts- along with the usual other dreams.
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Aug 4, 2006 20:45:37 GMT -5
Hiya, O.E. ;
Glad to be of service. You and Tim are the same age, and I just turned 51. Yes, we had our dreams, didn't we? Then reality set in. The Apollo-era space program had a 5'9" height limit, which I exceeded when I was 10. Although I loved to play sandlot baseball, the one year I played Little League showed me that I was not going to make a living playing baseball. I learned how things worked, discovered industrial instrumentation and controls, and only became involved in the space program in 2003, after the Columbia accident. So how do the Carpenters fit in? While searching for something else, I ran across a paragraph which mentioned that Agnes Carpenter, their mom, worked at the aerospace plant in Downey which manufactured components for the Apollo program and later, for Columbia. When I couldn't find it later, I asked Richard himself, and he confirmed this amazing bit of space trivia.
|
|
|
Post by ps11932 on Aug 5, 2006 13:16:07 GMT -5
Thanks Dave for the info. connecting Carpenters and the space program. Amazing how many connections ther are. Thanks for your work and service- someone who has developped the skills of brain and hands for mechanical controls is always of great value. I hear what you're saying about the sports dreams. (I just read on a post recently that Karen was a good softball player- she probably could hit better than I could.) Well, press on- and we never know what's around the corner, what new and unexpected opportunities may be next. O.E.
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Aug 5, 2006 18:55:55 GMT -5
You know, somewhere on here is a photo of Karen in catcher's gear...maybe Rick can find it for us.
|
|
|
Post by YesterdayOnceMore on Aug 5, 2006 19:28:46 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Rick Henry on Aug 5, 2006 22:11:06 GMT -5
Here's the picture you were talking about Dave - plus an extra one with Richard. The first one is one of my favorite pics of Karen.
|
|
|
Post by ps11932 on Aug 7, 2006 15:22:35 GMT -5
Thanks Rick, that is a great picture!
|
|
|
Post by wisejester7 on Aug 10, 2006 8:20:00 GMT -5
Thank you for sharing these great pics!
;-)wisejester7
|
|
|
Post by ps11932 on Aug 10, 2006 15:52:01 GMT -5
A couple weeks ago there was a thread, something to the effect of a Wish List, where people were saying they'd like to have a drum stick, etc. I didn't think I would have anything to request, but after seeing these great pictures again, I guess I would like to have Karen's catcher's mask! (I might even be tempted to use it- mine was destroyed in a basement flood at a friend's house a few years ago.)
|
|
Dave
Ultra Emissary
"sleeping in the arms of the cosmos..."
Posts: 1,515
|
Post by Dave on Aug 29, 2006 19:01:52 GMT -5
I ran across a TV show on BBC America called "If I Had You" last Sunday, I believe. I'll have to see if I can catch it and see if by chance they play Karen's solo song. Hey Ken, our UK "agent", see what you can find, and report back to Miss Moneypenny.
|
|