Soldier's Angels Adoptee To Get A Day Of The Right Stuff

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

Soldier's Angels does so many things for our troops and their families, many of which really aren't that well known. One thing they do is to "adopt" troops for letters and other morale support, and some truly wonderful things come from that. One such adoptee, Senior Airman Nathan F, will experience a day of "The Right Stuff" courtesy of the STS 122 Ascent Flight Control Team and the STS 122 Astronaut Crew -- and his Soldier's Angel Joan Kranz. If that name seems familiar, it should: she is the daughter of the legendary Gene Kranz. If that still doesn't do it for you, go watch Apollo 13, and note who says "Failure is not an option." It was true then, and it is even truer today...

Here is the story from the Soldier's Angels newsletter, that tells the tale:

Senior Airman Nathan F. to sit with Shuttle Flight Control Team

Have you ever dreamed of sitting in Houston's Mission Control to monitor the training of the Astronauts? Senior Airman (SrA) Nathan F. will get the opportunity of a lifetime on October 12, 2007. He will have unprecedented access to Mission Control and have the privilege of being the guest of the STS 122 Ascent Flight Control Team, as well as the STS 122 Astronaut Crew. The STS 122 Astronaut Crew is supposed to launch early to mid 2008. His Soldiers Angel, Joan Kranz works at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, and has arranged for Nathan to meet the Ascent Flight Control Team and possibly fly in the Shuttle Motion Base Simulator (SMS). The SMS is the simulator used by the astronaut crews to train for their shuttle flights.

Nathan F. will begin his day sitting with the STS 122 Ascent Flight Control team lead by Flight Director Mr. Norman Knight. (The Flight Director is considered the "Top Gun" and the "boss" of Mission Control, and the Ascent Flight Control Team.) If you've ever seen the movie "Apollo 13" directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks, the Flight Director in "Apollo 13" was played by Actor Ed Harris. (Ed Harris wore the white vest and had the crew cut in the movie and sat on console.) Ed Harris was nominated for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Flight Director, Gene Kranz. (Joan's father.) Nathan and Joan will be sitting on console, each wearing a head set, monitoring computer displays, while listening to the flight controllers, the flight director, and the astronauts all talking on the flight control loops. (Loops are like telephone lines.) The flight controllers normally monitor approximately six to eight loops, maybe more simultaneously so Joan will configure the loops so both her and Nathan can listen to what's going on in the simulation. Listening to six to eight loops simultaneously is a piece of cake! You listen to what you need to listen too, and ignore the rest of the "chatter." (Joan has worked in the Space Industry for 25 years, so she's conditioned to listening to many conversations going on at once.) Nathan might have a headache by the end of the simulation!...

....Simulations are scripted by the STS 122 Ascent Training Team to train both the Flight Control Team and the Astronauts. Nathan will get to see what it's like to monitor a space shuttle mission as an Ascent Flight Control Team member during the "liftoff or launch" phase of the mission. The "liftoff or launch" phase of any shuttle mission is the most dynamic (constantly changing) and the most critical phase of flight. After each test case is completed, the flight control team and the astronauts perform a debrief on the loops. Nathan and Joan will get to listen to the debriefs. The debrief is a discussion between the flight controllers and the astronauts about the malfunctions during the test case. The malfunctions are a way to test the flight controllers knowledge of their respective systems expertise, as well as to test the astronauts on their Space Flight Resource Management (SFRM).(How well the astronauts work as a crew in the cockpit, as well as their situational awareness (SA)). The debriefs are critical to both flight controller and astronaut training. It's also an opportunity for the flight controllers to explain their rationale behind the decisions they make during "real time operations," as well as an opportunity for the astronauts to ask questions of the flight controllers. The ascent simulations are normally four hours long with a fifteen minute break at the halfway point, so Nathan might have the opportunity to talk with Flight Director Norman Knight one on one during the break. 

The ascent sims are test cases that consists of various aborts.  An abort can be initiated by the flight controllers for various performance issues (engine problems) or systems issues (something goes wrong with a system inside the shuttle). The ascent flight control team is tested and constantly trains for any abort scenario. The ascent sims cases also include pre-launch countdown scenarios. The Sim Team tries to make the launch test cases as realistic as possible so the astronaut crew and the flight controllers get a feel for what happens on the real day of launch and during the countdown.  The flight controllers and astronauts are trained to "call and manage" aborts if an abort should become necessary. Several test cases are run that include a Return to Launch Site (RTLS), Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) – Landing at an emergency landing site overseas, Abort to Orbit (ATO), and Abort Once Around (AOA). Nathan and Joan will have the opportunity to watch the Ascent Flight Control team in action ! It doesn't get any better than that! Being in Mission Control with the Ascent Flight Control Team will be an experience Nathan will never forget.

Nathan will also have the opportunity to fly the Shuttle Motion Base Simulator (SMS). Since Nathan is a Senior Airman, Joan Kranz thought it would be special to arrange for an Air Force Shuttle Pilot to take Nathan for a ride in the shuttle simulator. Air Force Shuttle Pilot Astronaut Kevin Ford has signed up for the simulator tour.

Nathan F. is very excited about his opportunity to spend the day with the STS 122 Ascent Flight Control Team as well as flying in the shuttle simulator. Flight Director Norman Knight and Simulation Supervisor Dave Pitre (Dave is arranging for the simulator ride) are taking any action necessary to make Nathan's visit to JSC a memorable one. Joan, Norman, and Dave all want to thank Nathan as well as all the other brave men and women in America's Armed Forces for protecting America and protecting the freedoms we take for granted everyday. It will be a privilege of ours to meet with Nathan face to face and personally shake his hand, to thank him for the sacrifices he's made to protect us and protect America's borders. We all support our troops 100% and will continue to do so until all our troops come home.

Godspeed to our troops and we're looking forward to welcoming Senior Airman Nathan F. to the "Space City" – Houston Texas.

As Blackfive noted recently, there are a lot of projects and Soldier's Angels can use the help. Please Donate Now and help them do even more.

LW

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