Tweetup Adventure Part 1

Since I've been back home, I've been both too busy and too lazy to post. Sad, isn't it? I don't know why I waited so long , because the more people I can tell about my trip, the happier I become! It is almost difficult to describe in words how awesome my NASA tweetup trip was. But, I'll try my best to! Oh, and his is going to be a long post, so hope you have some time if you want to read.

The story could start with the drive out. A roughly 10 hour trip one way. Honestly, it wasn't that bad of a drive; I guess the fact that I like to drive helped that fact. I did pass a wreck in Jackson, MS, but it was at an intersection and was probably due to someone being stupid. However, around Lake Charles, LA, I ran into a frozen hell. Literally. It was a random, lone hail storm that had developed only there. Very difficult to see in front of me, but others weren't as lucky as me driving through. I passed a (at the time) three car crash, all rear ending the first. I don't know, but I bet other cars pilled in as well. It was rough, but my drives always end up interesting in some way.

Finally arrived in Houston. Or, the Seabrook area to be more precise. It was actually a nice little town. Although, it definitely shows its age. Older buildings with for sell signs or run down buildings in some places. Makes me wonder how interesting this place would have been back in it's prime, probably late 60's early 70's. But I digress. The hotel was nicer than I anticipated for a one bedroom. It had a small couch, chair, and coffee table included. Very comfortable! I then went to Villa Carpi, a very upscale seeming Italian restaurant near my hotel for the Pre-Tweetup gathering. This was my first indication of the people here with me. Another college kid from Kentucky, a electrical/computer engineer from the UK, and even a poker card dealer from a casino in LA. People from Detroit, Utah, and even India. Very cool! I think my favorite part of the night happened here. We all discussed space and NASA for 3-4 hours! This would never happen for me around here. Not that people here are ignorant, but just don't have that same passion for it as I do. It was amazing to have a group of like minded people to discuss this topic for an extended time!

Finally move to Wednesday. After showing up at 8 to sign in and get our badges (and free bagels!), we all received a small 'thank you for attending' from the Deputy Administrator of the center. Following that, Talat Hussian, Co-Lead of RF Systems for the ISS, gave us a rundown of the Ku-Band transmitter currently being installed on the ISS on this shuttle mission. Very cool to get an insiders look at the construction of the International Space Station. Finally, Astronaut Jeff Williams graced us with is presence, haha. He described very well what it was like to live on the space station, fly on the shuttle, and the Russian Soyuz capsule. Which he compared the latter to "being in a car crash". Not something I would want American's to ride in for the next 5 years *cough cough*Constellation*cough cough*.

We then went to Building 30. AKA, mission control. This is where all the publicized history is made. Most everything that involves space flight leads here at some point or another. The building contains three control rooms, named Red, White, and Blue. Very fitting. One is the ISS Control Center, one is the Shuttle Control Center, and the final is the old control center used during the Apollo missions. First we visited the Shuttle Control Center, and were greeted by Flight Director Ed Van Chise. We got the first person account of life as a flight controller from him while watching the flight directors do their job as a space walk was going on on the ISS and the big screen in the room. It was a very special thing to see this in action first hand. Simply awe inspiring.



Afterwards we walked to the old Apollo Control Center. On the FLOOR. A very rare event indeed. As a matter of fact, we probably ruined the tour for the group behind the glass where normal tourist have to stay. We could touch the consoles, play with the phones, sit at the flight director's chair. It took me a few days to really grasp this, but I stood, and sat, right where the controllers celebrated as Neil Armstrong declared on July 20, 1969, "The Eagle has landed." Where Gene Kranz and his controllers brought back Jim Lovell, Fred Haises, and Jack Swigert from the Apollo 13 disaster. I stood where American and Human history took place. Gives me chills just thinking about it, and will for years to come. I'll never forget that room.


You know, this is really only half my trip, and I've said so much! I'll just make this a two part series and finish the other part tomorrow. I'll spend the rest of tonight adding pictures. Check the pictures page at the top of this page to see what I took from the NASA tweetup STS-132 JSC. Or Click Here.