Black1
Full Access Member
She goes up at 2:20pm EST. :rock:
Last ride for Shuttle Atlantis today!
- Thread starter Black1
- Start date
TREKER
Full Access Member
End of a great era...I hope the administration changes its position on space exploration and funding.
Black1
Full Access Member
TREKER said:
It's just not the same as the "cowboy" space men from back in the day... but, it is sad. Jay Barbee was NBC's space corespondent for over 50 years. He wrote a great book called "Live, from Cape Canaveral". Lot's of funny stories from behind the scenes in the early days of the space program.
Black1
Full Access Member
From "Live, from Cape Canaveral":
During the Cape’s early days, humor lightened long workdays. Practical jokes were the in thing, and the astronauts quarterbacked most of them.
About 30 miles south of the Cape’s launch pad row, Jim Rathmann ran the local Chevrolet dealership. He was a world class Race Car driver who was the 1960 winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was really cut from the same cloth as the astronauts with the only difference Rathmann did his speed on the ground instead of in the air. He worked out a deal with General Motors to give the Mercury Seven new Corvettes. Of course, such a arrangement would not be tolerated today by NASA but in 1960 Jim Rathmann sold General Motors on the fact the public relations and advertising benefits would more than offset the cost, and the guys happily hopped into a strong friendship with Rathmann and his hot ‘Vettes.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Competition was mother’s milk for the astronauts. They had to see who could get the most speed out of anything they flew, drove, sailed, or pedaled and each astronaut’s personal Corvette was at the top of the list. After a full day of training, they would set up drag races on the long, and deserted road called ICBM row.
Cooper, Grissom, and Shepard were an unholy trio on the asphalt. They’d line up and burn rubber down the straight road by the rockets and gantries sending rabbits, deer, wild hogs, but more importantly, traffic cops running through the sand dunes.
At first, there was this Barney Fife wannabe who was determined to give the astronauts tickets. The Mercury Seven, and those who had gathered to watch the fun, regarded this deserted and restricted road as none of his business. They took his ticket book and ripped it to pieces. Gordo decided to eat a few pages while the others undressed the “Rent-A-Cop†and threw him and his pistol and his badge and his uniform into the surf. Next they drove his patrol car deep into the sand where it took two wreckers to get it out. It was a great way to get rid of the tension that built up during the long work hours, and the polite astronauts, thanked the Barney Fife wannabe for the good fun.
The traffic cop matter was soon dropped because the U.S. Attorney had the final say on federal property and it seems that he had married the sister of one of those involved. The ticket writer was invited to leave the Cape. He found a ticket writing vacancy in the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
Only days had passed when the same traffic cop found himself in another donnybrook with the feds.
Air Police with Thompson submachine guns were escorting an urgently needed secret missile unit through Cocoa Beach at about 3:00 in the morning. The speed limit was 35, but the urgently needed freight was moving about 50 along deserted A1A. Barney Fife pulled the escorted truck over and began writing the driver a ticket. The Air Police ordered him to step aside and Barney Fife decided to draw his big bad 38. The clicking sounds of rounds going into the barrels of the Thompsons persuaded him to rethink his action.
As the story goes, the John Wayne of space coast traffic cops decided his talents could best be used in the backwaters of Louisiana. He wasn’t missed, and the drag races continued without further interruption.
We reporters weren’t permitted on federal property to witness these races, but some of us got them first hand daily. A few years before Alan Shepard passed on, he admitted, “Barbree, there’s no way all the stories that have been told about us can be true. But most of them are good for a laugh.â€
Soon Gordo Cooper was leaving Alan Shepard in the dust at the starting gate of the drags. Alan wasn’t laughing. Fuming he turned to Gus. “What the hell’s going on?â€
Gus grinned. “You’re getting your ass kicked,†he told Alan who drove off disgusted and headed for Rathmann’s Chevrolet.
Jim was in the garage and Shepard went in growling. “There’s something wrong with my car, Jim, you gotta’ do something.â€
“Leave it with me, Alan,†Jim said, smiling.
Rathmann was in on Gordo’s prank, and when Shepard picked up his ‘Vette and tried Gordo again, he lost. He had expected his ‘Vette to be better, but it was even worse. Alan was beginning to smell a rat and he took his ‘Vette in again, even more adamant with Jim that something be done.
Fighter pilots had a tradition of painting swastikas, or rising sun flags for each kill on the side of their cockpits during World War II. When Shepard returned this time, his car had four Volkswagens, and two bicycles painted on its driver’s door. Alan was on his knees laughing. He soon learned the mechanic had changed the rear end ratio on his ‘Vette. This gave him more speed but less pickup. Gordo’s car could out run Shepard’s for about two miles – long enough to win every drag. It was truly a classic “Gotcha.â€
Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20641051//#ixzz0nvPIXqLQ
During the Cape’s early days, humor lightened long workdays. Practical jokes were the in thing, and the astronauts quarterbacked most of them.
About 30 miles south of the Cape’s launch pad row, Jim Rathmann ran the local Chevrolet dealership. He was a world class Race Car driver who was the 1960 winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was really cut from the same cloth as the astronauts with the only difference Rathmann did his speed on the ground instead of in the air. He worked out a deal with General Motors to give the Mercury Seven new Corvettes. Of course, such a arrangement would not be tolerated today by NASA but in 1960 Jim Rathmann sold General Motors on the fact the public relations and advertising benefits would more than offset the cost, and the guys happily hopped into a strong friendship with Rathmann and his hot ‘Vettes.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
Competition was mother’s milk for the astronauts. They had to see who could get the most speed out of anything they flew, drove, sailed, or pedaled and each astronaut’s personal Corvette was at the top of the list. After a full day of training, they would set up drag races on the long, and deserted road called ICBM row.
Cooper, Grissom, and Shepard were an unholy trio on the asphalt. They’d line up and burn rubber down the straight road by the rockets and gantries sending rabbits, deer, wild hogs, but more importantly, traffic cops running through the sand dunes.
At first, there was this Barney Fife wannabe who was determined to give the astronauts tickets. The Mercury Seven, and those who had gathered to watch the fun, regarded this deserted and restricted road as none of his business. They took his ticket book and ripped it to pieces. Gordo decided to eat a few pages while the others undressed the “Rent-A-Cop†and threw him and his pistol and his badge and his uniform into the surf. Next they drove his patrol car deep into the sand where it took two wreckers to get it out. It was a great way to get rid of the tension that built up during the long work hours, and the polite astronauts, thanked the Barney Fife wannabe for the good fun.
The traffic cop matter was soon dropped because the U.S. Attorney had the final say on federal property and it seems that he had married the sister of one of those involved. The ticket writer was invited to leave the Cape. He found a ticket writing vacancy in the Cocoa Beach Police Department.
Only days had passed when the same traffic cop found himself in another donnybrook with the feds.
Air Police with Thompson submachine guns were escorting an urgently needed secret missile unit through Cocoa Beach at about 3:00 in the morning. The speed limit was 35, but the urgently needed freight was moving about 50 along deserted A1A. Barney Fife pulled the escorted truck over and began writing the driver a ticket. The Air Police ordered him to step aside and Barney Fife decided to draw his big bad 38. The clicking sounds of rounds going into the barrels of the Thompsons persuaded him to rethink his action.
As the story goes, the John Wayne of space coast traffic cops decided his talents could best be used in the backwaters of Louisiana. He wasn’t missed, and the drag races continued without further interruption.
We reporters weren’t permitted on federal property to witness these races, but some of us got them first hand daily. A few years before Alan Shepard passed on, he admitted, “Barbree, there’s no way all the stories that have been told about us can be true. But most of them are good for a laugh.â€
Soon Gordo Cooper was leaving Alan Shepard in the dust at the starting gate of the drags. Alan wasn’t laughing. Fuming he turned to Gus. “What the hell’s going on?â€
Gus grinned. “You’re getting your ass kicked,†he told Alan who drove off disgusted and headed for Rathmann’s Chevrolet.
Jim was in the garage and Shepard went in growling. “There’s something wrong with my car, Jim, you gotta’ do something.â€
“Leave it with me, Alan,†Jim said, smiling.
Rathmann was in on Gordo’s prank, and when Shepard picked up his ‘Vette and tried Gordo again, he lost. He had expected his ‘Vette to be better, but it was even worse. Alan was beginning to smell a rat and he took his ‘Vette in again, even more adamant with Jim that something be done.
Fighter pilots had a tradition of painting swastikas, or rising sun flags for each kill on the side of their cockpits during World War II. When Shepard returned this time, his car had four Volkswagens, and two bicycles painted on its driver’s door. Alan was on his knees laughing. He soon learned the mechanic had changed the rear end ratio on his ‘Vette. This gave him more speed but less pickup. Gordo’s car could out run Shepard’s for about two miles – long enough to win every drag. It was truly a classic “Gotcha.â€
Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20641051//#ixzz0nvPIXqLQ
Black1
Full Access Member
The fun soon spilled over into their work place. Walt Williams was the boss. He was a serious man. He moved about the Cape’s buildings and launch complexes with a driven determination. A frown on his face was a major part of his daily dress, and on one particular day, when the astronauts were working on the Mercury-Redstone launch pad, Williams suddenly remembered he had to make a luncheon speech in Cocoa Beach. “I’ve gotta’ be in town in twenty minutes,†he complained. “I left my car back at the office.â€
Alan Shepard stepped forward. “Take my ‘Vette, Walt, I’ll catch a ride in with Gus.â€
Walt Williams was rarely offered a favor. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He did, however manage a slight smile. “Thank you, Commander Shepard,†he said politely. “But I don’t know if I can drive a hot car like yours?â€
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
“Sure you can, Walt,†Shepard assured him. “Com’on, I’ll help you get it started.â€
The two men rushed across the parking lot and Alan helped buckle Williams into his ‘Vette. The Project Mercury Director sat there, staring at all the knobs, buttons, switches, and instruments. “What the hell,†he mumbled, fussing with the unfamiliar controls.
“Here, Walt,†Shepard said, reaching across and starting the vehicle.
“Thank you,†Williams said, closing the door.
Alan heard his ‘Vette’s gears cry in agony as Williams jammed the stick in 1st, and chugged away, stopping and starting and eventually getting the sports car to move somewhat at a steady pace.
Shepard turned and ran into the launch pad’s office. As Williams was turning onto the main road, he phoned the cops. “This is astronaut Alan Shepard,†he shouted. “Some sonofabitch just stole my Corvette. He’s headed for the south gate.â€
Williams chugged and jerked Shepard’s ‘Vette up to the Cape’s exit, and the guards pounced on the stoic man, lifting him from the car and spread-eagling him over the hood.
Shepard was already on the phone with NASA security chief Charlie Buckley. “You better get to the south gate right now, Charlie,†he laughed. “They have the boss in handcuffs.â€
Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20641051/page/2/#ixzz0nvQ7pys4
Alan Shepard stepped forward. “Take my ‘Vette, Walt, I’ll catch a ride in with Gus.â€
Walt Williams was rarely offered a favor. He wasn’t sure how to respond. He did, however manage a slight smile. “Thank you, Commander Shepard,†he said politely. “But I don’t know if I can drive a hot car like yours?â€
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here
“Sure you can, Walt,†Shepard assured him. “Com’on, I’ll help you get it started.â€
The two men rushed across the parking lot and Alan helped buckle Williams into his ‘Vette. The Project Mercury Director sat there, staring at all the knobs, buttons, switches, and instruments. “What the hell,†he mumbled, fussing with the unfamiliar controls.
“Here, Walt,†Shepard said, reaching across and starting the vehicle.
“Thank you,†Williams said, closing the door.
Alan heard his ‘Vette’s gears cry in agony as Williams jammed the stick in 1st, and chugged away, stopping and starting and eventually getting the sports car to move somewhat at a steady pace.
Shepard turned and ran into the launch pad’s office. As Williams was turning onto the main road, he phoned the cops. “This is astronaut Alan Shepard,†he shouted. “Some sonofabitch just stole my Corvette. He’s headed for the south gate.â€
Williams chugged and jerked Shepard’s ‘Vette up to the Cape’s exit, and the guards pounced on the stoic man, lifting him from the car and spread-eagling him over the hood.
Shepard was already on the phone with NASA security chief Charlie Buckley. “You better get to the south gate right now, Charlie,†he laughed. “They have the boss in handcuffs.â€
Read more: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/20641051/page/2/#ixzz0nvQ7pys4
Black1
Full Access Member
Me too, not sleep but missed it. Great Pics Jake, Thanks
jelms
Full Access Member
TREKER said:
We can only hope they do. The shuttle program has been under fire for many years. The exploration of space is a noble cause in my book.
-jeff
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