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Random Ramjet Ramblings

Various thoughts and musings that tumble from my brain onto Ye Olde Interwebbes.
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50 Years

50 Years

The Artemis I mission occurred 50 years after Apollo 17. What will it take to not have this happen again?

Becoming Santa

Becoming Santa

Santa Claus. Father Christmas. Kris Kringle. St. Nicholas. Papa Noel. Me.

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-THE TRENCH-
FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER
MISSION CONTROL
BLOG

-THE TRENCH-

The space exploration advocacy website of Roger Balettie, former Flight Dynamics Officer in NASA’s Space Shuttle Mission Control Center.

Select a menu tab to the left for detailed links or one of the main sections below:

FLIGHT DYNAMICS OFFICER

The Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO, pronounced “fido”) is a Flight Controller in the Mission Control Center responsible for the overall trajectory, or flight path, of the Space Shuttle and all related payloads or other space-bound vehicles associated with the Shuttle.

Read about the:

MISSION CONTROL

"Houston… Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."

Since 1965, the Mission Control Center (MCC) has been the nerve center for America’s manned space program.

-THE TRENCH- blog

Space- and NASA-based blog entries.

Last 3 blog posts:
50 Years

50 Years

The Artemis I mission occurred 50 years after Apollo 17. What will it take to not have this happen again?

Countdown

Countdown

It’s been 40 years since the launch of STS-1, and the excitement of that day never faded.

England 1997

December 14, 1997 – Day 1

I arrive again!

Again, flying British Airways, but this time on a 747 (!), the long flight is made enjoyable.

I arrive in London early on Sunday morning. I push through customs much quicker than last year, when it seemed that everyone and their dog was arriving at the same time! Julian picks me up, and we load my bags into his (temporary) car.

Julian and Roger and a really small doorThe drive to Julian’s house was nice, as I got to see some of the surrounding London countryside that I didn’t see last year.

I meet Lyndon, an old school friend of Julian’s who was staying the evening prior. We unload my bags and exchange a few gifts, and then it’s off to a pub just down the road, for a great pint and lunch!

We then spend some time driving about the local countryside. Although it is a little hazy, the scenery, as always, is beautiful.

Ducks in the stream in ShereWe spend some time in a small, scenic village named Shere. A small, but very pretty, stream runs through the middle of the village. There are ducks of several kinds on the water. A row of homes stands nearby, but one notable thing is that the doors are so short!

There are also several other wonderfully preserved homes and businesses in the town, as well as the required town church! We popped back to Julian’s house so I can take a quick nap to recover from jet lag.

After dinner, we pile into Lyndon’s car and head over to a supposedly haunted pub for a drink and a look around. No ghosts, but we do have a nice big order of “pub chips” that we can’t finish!