kkeenan

If you collapse the slider, push it up above the links, and then put your hands in the toggles, you shouldn't have any problems. Once you unstow the toggles, your hands should stay in them until landing. Actually, even if you remove your hands, the slider shouldn't come down past the toggles once they are unstowed. Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't see what the problem is. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Your first task as a jumper should be to keep yourself safe. Sometimes you just cannot influence the behavior of your fellow jumpers, and the best you can do is to keep them from involving you in their mishaps. Charles Darwin put forth a theory as to the expected future of folks that you describe. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Attached are more great STS-132 launch pictures and lots of other stuff to share with your family and friends. The last link has some great behind-the-scenes photos of shuttle processing and crew training. A special thank you to Tracy Yates in our public affairs office for doing her own home video. Click on the link below to watch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qh_uNOaT3p0 David Letterman was at KSC as a STS-132 launch guest - click on the link below to see his comments:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QntmqIfyLf0&feature=player_embedded Click on the link below for an awesome tribute to Atlantis! http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/first_of_the_last_space_shuttl.html

What ever happened to the petition to reinstate him on DZ.com ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

We've been calling it the "Party Module", because of the beer keg strapped to the top. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

It’s certainly feels like launch day here at KSC, with the sense of heightened anticipation and excitement among the workforce and visitors alike! Tanking began early this morning, completed at 7:56 a.m. and we are currently working toward the planned T-9 min. hold. The flight crew is strapped in, the hatch is closed, and we are ready to go at 1420 EDT. Beautiful blue skies above, with scattered clouds and weather is looking good at 70% for today’s launch. Here's a video of the Payload Bay inspection by the flight crew prior to the Payload Bay Door closing. This is my area, with all the Space Station payload items. This flight is also carrying the Russian MRM1 Module, one strange-looking beast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D726gnLQ7I To see the “Legacy of Atlantis” check out this video from NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?collection_id=14554&media_id=13779348 Go Atlantis, Go STS-132! Kevin K.

This abort system can be adapted to just about any other centerline-type launch vehicle. As for Constellation, Congress has not yet approved the President's budget that calls for it to be canceled. Stay tuned for the future of that. The President has added provisions for continued development of the Orion capsule as a "Rescue Vehicle" for the International Space Station. The folks working on Orion are now saying that the need a few flights to test the capsule, so they would like to build a few Ares I rockets for this. Some things just have a way of hanging on... Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

NASA astronauts have been landing in Soyuz routinely for several years.

This was one serious kick-ass test. The escape motor develops 500,000 lbs. of thrust accelerating the capsule from 0 to 600 mph in under 3 sec. to escape an exploding rocket. I think they are quoting about 15.5 g. This would certainly be better than being blown up by the launch vehicle, but only slightly. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Uh...it's my name. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

CRW Moments, an excellent production by Bryan Scott, one of the premier CRW videographers in the world. This is a collection of clips from various CRW events of several years ago. Old but very good. http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=q_E0b0Iqk5k#t=00 _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html?media_id=13563469 NASA TEST LAUNCHES ROCKET ESCAPE SYSTEM FOR ASTRONAUTS: NASA launched a powerful emergency escape system for its new Orion spacecraft on a successful test flight Thursday, even as plans for the crew capsule are still being restructured. Called Pad Abort-1, the $220 million Orion escape system test showcased the system that could be used to rescue a crew and its spacecraft in case of emergencies at the launch pad. The test was conducted here at the U.S. Army's White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Liftoff occurred on time at 9 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT). Beautiful flight!" a test flight controller said after liftoff. Roaring off into New Mexico skies, the Launch Abort System propelled a boilerplate Orion crew module to some 6,000 feet (1,828 meters) altitude on an arcing trajectory above the desert landscape. After a rapid-fire sequence of events, including mid-air reorientation, drogue and main parachute deployments, the capsule landed about 6,919 feet (2,108 meters) – a bit farther than expected. "Wow, that went like clockwork from what I can see," said Jay Estes, NASA's deputy manager of the Orion project office. "That's an amazing test." The launch abort system designed to activate within milliseconds in the event of an emergency on the launch pad or during initial ascent. (Space.com) _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Bet you can't. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I think you are being overly dramatic about your unusual new rig. Generally, the things that are looked for in a simple "pin check" are generic things that "most" jumpers can discern on "most" rigs. It's not like you're asking them to change your AAD batteries under the wing of the airplane. Is your rig so exotic and inscrutable that most of your fellow jumpers can't find the chest strap, 3-rings, main pin, etc. ? Or do you just consider your fellow jumpers to be such morons that they could not handle this ? Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Reported by Space.com: CANADA WANTS WILLIAM SHATNER OF ‘STAR TREK’ FOR GOVERNOR: William Shatner may have saved the galaxy countless times with the Starship Enterprise on TV's "Star Trek," but can he command his native land of Canada? Some die-hard fans think so – they want the original Capt. James T. Kirk to lead Canada as Governor General. The Shatner believers have launched a Facebook campaign calling for Shatner, a native of Montreal, to be appointed to a real five-year mission as the ceremonial Governor General of Canada. As of Wednesday, nearly 41,000 people were supporting the bid. "It's time for Canada to boldly go where no country has gone before," the fans wrote on their Facebook post. "It's time for Canada to appoint the incomparable William Shatner to the position of Governor General. Indeed it's time to Back the Shat."

"Talk to me, Goose..." _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I hate to offer nothing but a hard time, but I'm sure that as a Marine, you have encountered many things that required "mental toughness". I think this is one of those things. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

With a published orbital mission limit of 270 days, he better bring a big lunch. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Are you still trying to get even with that guy who screwed up your jumpsuit order ? Let it go...your driving yourself insane. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

An Atlas 5 is scheduled for a 7:52 pm launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The Atlas 5 rocket is carrying a very cool Orbital Vehicle called X-37B. This is an unmanned spaceplane that sort of looks like a miniature shuttle. It will stay in orbit up to 9 months, doing secret things with its secret payloads, and then return for landing at Vandenberg AFB in California. http://www.spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av012/status.html _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Luckily, we didn't get a photo of that... _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

Careful you're not mistaken for mdrejhon. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

OK, not really. The attached shows the test drop last week of the heaviest air-dropped payload from a C-17. NASA is testing the recovery parachutes for the Ares 1 First Stage. This first stage is similar to the Solid Rocket Boosters used on the Space Shuttle, except that they are heavier and have a higher parachute deployment speed. This requires the design of a new parachute system (drogues and mains). Thus the tests. Yes, the President has recommended the ending of Ares development, but that's not final yet, and these tests have been scheduled and bugeted. The government works in strange ways. I have to salute my CRWDog teammate and World Record-Holder, Dave Hillebrandt, who is one of the designers and Test Engineers for the new parachute system. As you can imagine, there is a lot of very critical design and rigging that goes into one of these tests. This one went flawlessly. Good work, Dave. http://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123200959

There are three more flights planned. Atlantis is scheduled to roll out to the pad tonight for a May 14 launch. After that, the schedule gets a little flakey. The next two launch dates are under review. The last one may move to November. I'll let you know when something more definite is announced. Kevin K. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?

I'm not sure how long you're planning on living, but the last shuttle flight is scheduled for Sept., so you better hurry. _____________________________________ Dude, you are so awesome... Can I be on your ash jump ?