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#4096502 - 03/25/15 12:59 AM 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13  
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Arthonon Offline
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The San Diego Air and Space Museum hosted an event commemorating the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 13 flight, and I was able to attend. The event had 3 panel discussions about the space program in general, plus one on Apollo 13 specifically. In attendance were Jim Lovell and Fred Haise (the surviving Apollo 13 Crew--Jack Swigert has since passed away), Bill Anders (Apollo 8), Gene Cernan (Apollo 10, Apollo 17), Glynn Lunney (Flight Director), Al Worden (Apollo 15), Walt Cunningham (Apollo 7), Gerry Griffin (Flight Director), Joe Engle (X-15, Space Shuttle), Rusty Schweickart (Apollo 9), Gene Kranz (Flight Director), Milt Windler (Flight Director), Charlie Duke (Apollo 16), Sy Liebergot (Flight Controller). Also making a late appearance was Clint Howard, an actor in the movie "Apollo 13" and brother of Ron Howard who directed it.

I'd heard some of the info before, but there were some new stories, and some very interesting discussions about the space program and its future. Most everyone, even those that flew on it, felt the shuttle was a mistake, the way it turned out.

Here are some photos of the event:











Me and Clint Howard - a very cool guy, and he made some great comments at the end:


Me and Gene Kranz:


Me and Gene Cernan, last man to walk on the Moon:


Ken Cartwright

No single drop of rain feels it is responsible for the flood.

http://www.techflyer.net

Inline advert (2nd and 3rd post)

#4096540 - 03/25/15 02:01 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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piper Offline
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Wow! That is freaking cool, thanks for posting Ken!

True, 20th Century pioneers.

I saw a piece on PBS with Duke speaking. So matter of fact. A job. But a job way better than most.


ps Always enjoyed your posts, but never 'pictured' you in a tie :-)

#4096559 - 03/25/15 02:22 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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I don't think I will ever get to meet him, but I love Gene Kranz. I know an old SGM who reminds me of him. Great guy and a hell of a leader.


Keep Calm and Check Canopy

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#4096565 - 03/25/15 02:44 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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The last men who can prove the that the moon missions were real. They were there,
Nay sayers need to be erased from the propaganda spreading this never happened.

Way to go Ken,
Regards,
Jim


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#4096575 - 03/25/15 03:04 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Legend Offline
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Must have been an interesting meeting.

Quote:
[...]Most everyone, even those that flew on it, felt the shuttle was a mistake, the way it turned out. [...]


Why is that? The shuttle didn't bring the cost reduction of bringing man and material into space that was expected, but made more than 130 successful missions.


There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more inexplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
#4096576 - 03/25/15 03:05 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: JimK]  
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Legend Offline
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Originally Posted By: JimK
The last men who can prove the that the moon missions were real. They were there,
Nay sayers need to be erased from the propaganda spreading this never happened.

Way to go Ken,
Regards,
Jim


http://xkcd.com/1074/

Yeah, it's a bit harsh

Last edited by Legend; 03/25/15 03:06 AM.

There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the universe is for it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more inexplicable.
There is another theory which states that this has already happened.
#4096595 - 03/25/15 04:26 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Way cool pics- thanks for sharing!
You'd better triple back up those photos of you with Kranz and Cernan- giants in the field of human exploration. They've secured a rightful place in history.


"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" -- Mark 8:36
#4096608 - 03/25/15 05:33 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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You must have had a fantastic time Ken.Nearest I have ever got to NASA was watching Neil Armstrong walking by at the Royal International Air Tattoo at Fairford quite a few years ago !

Paul


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Gwlad beirdd a chantorion, enwogion o fri;
Ei gwrol ryfelwyr, gwladgarwyr tra m�d,
Dros ryddid collasant eu gwaed.
Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad.
Tra m�r yn fur i'r bur hoff bau,
O bydded i'r hen iaith barhau.
#4096657 - 03/25/15 09:59 AM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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When are we going back?
Not with this politically correct climate we currently inhabit....


Its not the bullet with your name on it you have to worry about.
But the one addressed:
"To Whom It May Concern"
#4096788 - 03/25/15 02:37 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Legend]  
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Jedi Master Offline
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Originally Posted By: Legend
Must have been an interesting meeting.

Quote:
[...]Most everyone, even those that flew on it, felt the shuttle was a mistake, the way it turned out. [...]


Why is that? The shuttle didn't bring the cost reduction of bringing man and material into space that was expected, but made more than 130 successful missions.


Yeah, if you accept success at any price. By "any price" I mean that the entire program cost $170 BILLION and when it was over we were left in a worse position (as far as it leading to a follow on system based on lessons learned and tech developed) than before we started.

It was a dead end. We could've done what the shuttle did WITHOUT the shuttle for less. You could argue you need a Ferrari F50 because others who have it have successfully made the trip from home to work and back for over 130 months, but that doesn't mean it couldn't have been done equally well with a much cheaper car.



The Jedi Master


The anteater is wearing the bagel because he's a reindeer princess. -- my 4 yr old daughter
#4096793 - 03/25/15 02:42 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Outstanding pics Arthonon. Thanks for sharing them.


“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”
#4096810 - 03/25/15 03:10 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Arthonon Offline
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On the Shuttle, Jedi Master pretty much summed up their feelings. They felt it didn't accomplish the cost savings it was supposed to, which was the whole point of it being developed the way it was. It limited flights to Earth orbit, and took all the funding away from other missions. One person in particular, and I can't remember who it was, said it was the biggest mistake NASA ever made.

On other topics, Gene Cernan commented that, with all due respect to everyone else there, he thought Neil Armstrong handled being the first man on the moon with more dignity than anyone else could have. Later, when they were talking about Apollo 13, they said that Ken Mattingly handled the whole situation with a great amount of dignity as well. They also made it clear that Jack Swigert was fully capable of doing the job, and no one doubted him like is shown in the movie. They said he developed emergency procedures for the Command Module, so he was a good guy to have on board for everything that happened.

They brought up many times that the current risk-adverse environment would really limit what is done going forward. Comparing it to the times of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo, they said that everyone on those programs knew it was a risky business, but it was accepted as necessary if progress to be made. They felt the current society would never be as accepting as back then.

At the end, they played videos from both Gary Sinise and Ron Howard made specifically for this event, which was nice to see them do.

For the camera nerds out there, all of the photos of the panel were taken with a Canon 7D using a Canon 28-300mm L lens from about 60-75 feet away. I had it set to 6400ISO, and the only post processing done was to downsize them, and because I forgot to change my settings from my air show shooting mode, bring down the levels and saturation a bit. I thought the noise was remarkably absent, given that I shot them with a crop factor camera at 6400ISO.


Ken Cartwright

No single drop of rain feels it is responsible for the flood.

http://www.techflyer.net

#4096817 - 03/25/15 03:18 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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You are a lucky man Ken to have been able to chat with living legends of space travel. thumbsup

I really envy you. biggrin


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#4096844 - 03/25/15 04:21 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Wow. So many of my personal heroes gathered in one room. True giants of exploration!


In all my years I've never seen the like. It has to be more than a hundred sea miles and he brings us up on his tail. That's seamanship, Mr. Pullings. My God, that's seamanship!
#4096855 - 03/25/15 04:38 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: piper]  
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Arthonon Offline
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Originally Posted By: piper
ps Always enjoyed your posts, but never 'pictured' you in a tie :-)

Thanks piper, it is a rare event that I wear a tie smile


Ken Cartwright

No single drop of rain feels it is responsible for the flood.

http://www.techflyer.net

#4096877 - 03/25/15 05:16 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Thanks Arthonon, what a gathering. Thank you for sharing the photos and stories.

Regarding the comments on the Shuttle, those are commonly expressed.

What is the general thought regarding what direction post-Apollo, late 1970s early 1980s, should have taken? Often I have read scientists saying that going back to the Moon is a waste. So missions to Mars? Or a space station? I don't keep up with space stuff enough to know, but is there a similar feeling of shortfall/mistake regarding the ISS?


WARNING: This post contains opinions produced in a facility which also occasionally processes fact products.
#4096887 - 03/25/15 05:31 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Arthonon Offline
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A couple of the guys flat out said that the point of going to the Moon was to beat the Soviets, but that science was added to later missions. They felt like the Saturn V could have been used for building a space station just as well as the shuttle, but cheaper, and could also be used to launch spacecraft beyond Earth orbit and even the Moon.

They didn't say this, but what NASA's building now is not that much different in capability than what the Saturn V had, so I think NASA could have been doing what their future plans are a long time ago if they'd stuck with the Saturn launch vehicles, and again, would have saved money.


Ken Cartwright

No single drop of rain feels it is responsible for the flood.

http://www.techflyer.net

#4096907 - 03/25/15 06:04 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Thanks Arthonon.

And that is some fantastic ISO 6400 performance. I never would have suspected it.


WARNING: This post contains opinions produced in a facility which also occasionally processes fact products.
#4097021 - 03/25/15 11:03 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Wow, it must have been an awesome event to attend. I also envy you. I would have loved to meet these guys!

I got to tour the NASA center Cape Kennedy last year when Our cruise ship docked in Port canaveral FL. It was great to see an actual Saturn V suspended from the ceiling. I have the utmost respect for these guys!

Rob


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#4097022 - 03/25/15 11:06 PM Re: 45th Anniversary of Apollo 13 [Re: Arthonon]  
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Thanks so much.

How old they look. I remember them in the prime of their youth. Makes me feel old. And I am.


Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.

Someday your life will flash in front of your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.
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