Click on any
image for a
larger view
|
No I am not crazy, this actually happened!
On October 21, 1993 I placed a phone call to the Space Shuttle Columbia
while it was in space and I spoke to one of the astronauts.
I was listening to the beginning of the daily national
radio call-in show named "Talk Of The Nation". I didn't know what they
would be presenting that day.
They usually give a 60 second description of what the next hour will be
about and then they go to a 3 minute break for national
news before returning.
|
The show that day would be about the USA space program, and
they would interview two scientists about it. But they would
also
make a special satellite link to the overpassing Space
Shuttle Columbia, in orbit at that time. And a very
few members of the public would be allowed to phone in to the
radio show and then talk to the astronauts!! They would give out
the telephone number for the public to call after
the 3-minute
news report.
But I already knew the telephone number from previous listenings.
|
Quickly my fingers flew to the telephone to dial up the radio
station. This show was broadcast throughout the USA and overseas
also, so many people would be calling and I would need to call
in early if I were to get on.
|
The radio audience
|
I was able to get on, and I was caller number three.
Launch photo
|
The first part of the broadcast was a discussion with space
scientists in the radio studio, down on earth. A scientist
from NASA (the USA space program)
talked about the many projects
underway and how, despite some recent and noted setbacks, there is
much to be gained from the long-term space program.
The other scientist was a physicist from a nearby
|
major university who
said "Yes, but the emphasis on manned missions
is unneccesarily expensive and dangerous -- you should be using
robots instead!",
and the NASA scientist responded "Yes, but it would take many
decades to get the robots to do the right thing on their own -- we
need manned missions to get the procedures right initially,
then we can use robots, and our procedures
are safe enough now
for manned flights", and they went on like that.
|
After 15 minutes the space shuttle was ready for its telephone
link to the radio show. We would be speaking to Lt. Col. William
McArthur on board the Space Shuttle Columbia. The radio show
moderator asked an initial question to test the link, Col.
MacArthur replied, and then they went right to the public phone
calls. Each caller was allowed to ask one question. There were two
callers from California, and then the
moderator introduced "Roger from Washington DC". I was on.
|
Astronaut
William
McArthur
|
|
I asked "Which current and planned tasks of the Space Shuttle
program are of the most benefit to society as a whole, and what
precisely are those benefits?" Col. MacArthur replied "That's an
important question, Roger. The details might be best answered by
the NASA scientist down in the radio studio, however we are
conducting a variety of life science, physical science and
technology
|
development experiments that will have many benefits to
a great number of people...." He said a bit more which I don't
remember (I've got CFIDS).
As I was honor-bound to keep the
conversation short, at
the end of his statement I said "Thank you colonel, and bon
voyage!" 'My' moment was over and the radio progam proceeded to
other callers.
|
The connection had been suprisingly good regarding its sound
quality. It wasn't much different from a regular telephone
connection. In fact, I noted than on occasion the Colonel would
say "over" at the end of his statements, indicating that he was
using a single-band radio
|
|
transmission, yet you couldn't discern
that fact from the background sound of the conversation because
there were no clicks nor other clues to indicate that it was anything
but an ordinairy telephone connection. The technicians in
charge of the communication were doing a very good job.
Well, I suppose now I've had my 15 minutes of fame! (Or was it 15
seconds? :)
Kennedy Space Center
|
In years past, one of the small highlights of my life had
been when I was traveling by air and I discovered for the first time
that there a telephone on board the plane. Although it was expensive
to use it, it was too novel for me to pass up, so I phoned my Mom.
|
|
"What's up?" mother said. "I am!" I replied. "What do you
mean?" she asked,
wondering whether her only child might be experimenting with drugs.
"Guess where I'm calling from right now?" I said. "Gee, I have no
idea." I replied "About 35,000 feet!" and I explained my unusual
location.
|
Launch as seen from the air
|
Landing at
Edwards AF Base
|
That was a few years ago, and it's still fun to
remember. Well, after I phoned th shuttle I called my Mom and said
"Hey, mom,
you'll never guess where I've just
telephoned to!!"
|
All of the images on this page were taken from NASA web pages
with general permission in accordance with their
guidelines for proper use of NASA emblems and images.
Space Shuttle Info
Mission 58
Shuttle program
Space info
Shuttle mission 58, the one that Roger phoned, was in orbit from Oct. 18 to
Nov. 1, 1993. The mission focused on life science experiments. For further
information see the
STS-58
Press Kit
and
mission information.
Below are photographic images of the earth taken during that mission.
Click on any image to see a larger version of the image.
