A Real-Time Chat with …
Gregory H. Johnson
NASA Astronaut Greg Johnson, is scheduled to fly on the space shuttle, for his first time, on STS-123. Greg was in Zaragoza (Spain), for the scheduled August 27th launch of Atlantis (STS-115), when he agreed to chat with Imagiverse. He was supporting a Trans-Atlantic Abort Site (Zaragoza, Spain) during the launch. Unfortunately, schedules and distance prevented us from doing the chat live as we planned but Greg came through for us anyway!
Imagiverse:
Hello Greg! Thank you for agreeing to chat with us!
Greg Johnson:
I think I might have dropped the ball on this chat. Sorry about that! Funny, I ended up going to Moron, Spain for the STS-116 launch in December.
Imagiverse:
No problem. We know how busy you are. We would love to get your answers to the questions though! Thank you so much!
Greg Johnson:
Great. BTW, I just got assigned as pilot on STS-123.
Imagiverse:
Way cool! And what a great flight number! :-) Congrats!
Imagiverse:
Did you get the opportunity to visit any other places in Spain, or stretch your business trip into a vacation?
Greg Johnson:
I did not have the chance this trip, but that's a great idea for the future! However, I do try to experience some of the Spanish culture during each visit to Spain.
Imagiverse:
What do you like best about Zaragoza? Do you pronounce it like they do in Castellano: "thar-a-go-tha"?
Greg Johnson:
I enjoyed the Plaza del Pilar and surrounding town square. Very interesting from an historic perspective and also very beautiful. Yes, the Z sound in Spain is closer to our "th" sound in the US.
Imagiverse:
Can you explain for us the purpose of an abort site and under what conditions the shuttle would land in Spain?
Greg Johnson:
The shuttle program protects the entire ascent trajectory for a single main engine failure (of the three). What this means is that if we experience an engine failure anytime from liftoff to MECO [Main Engine Cutoff], we can safely land somewhere on earth (or go to a lower than planned orbit). From between 3 minutes to about 6 minutes in the 8.5 minute ascent, we have too much speed to go back to Kennedy but not enough to get to orbit on the two remaining engines. Spain happens to be located along the ascent trajectory for missions to the ISS, so we man up a few sites in Europe (2 in Spain and 1 in France this time) so the crew has abort options available should a main engine fail between 3 and 6 minutes after launch.
Imagiverse:
If the shuttle landed in Zaragoza, how would it be transported back to Kennedy Space Center?
Greg Johnson:
Good question. I imagine the shuttle might have to be disassembled to some degree and flown/shipped in parts. This could take quite a while to achieve, so we hope we never have to play this scenario out.
Imagiverse:
Has an abort site ever been used on launch, if so, how many times?
Greg Johnson:
Never, Zaragoza or any other.
Imagiverse:
When does a Space Shuttle land at Edwards Air Force Base in California? Is it ever an abort site for launch? Why isn't that site used routinely?
Greg Johnson:
Edwards AFB is considered a Primary Landing Site (PLS): one of three also including Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in FL and Northrup Field in White Sands, New Mexico. Our top choice for PLS is of course KSC, but if weather precludes landing at KSC, Edwards AFB is our second choice. Edwards AFB is also a potential abort site for launch if we have too much speed at MECO to drop into Europe, but not enough to reach a safe orbit. Of course, we'd prefer to land at KSC on an "Abort Once Around (AOA)," but Edwards and Northrup are also potential AOA landing sites. Lately we've needed to rely on Edwards AFB as the landing site at the end of several recent missions, but we prefer to land at KSC because it is expensive to transport the shuttle back to Florida where it is prepared for its next mission.
Imagiverse:
If the weather in Florida is the primary reason for launch delays, why do shuttles launch from there?
Greg Johnson:
We launch to the east to take advantage of the velocity of the earth's rotation. Since we do this, the coastline of east Florida offers us the best combination of protecting the public (if we have a malfunction) in addition to giving us the flexibility to launch at any inclination at or greater than the KSC latitude of 28 degrees. The further north we move, we increasingly lose opportunities to efficiently launch into lower inclination orbits (as well as less "earth rotation speed" to add that extra umph).
Imagiverse:
What are the other typical events that delay a launch?
Greg Johnson:
The most common delays are caused by bad weather or shuttle system malfunctions. We could also be delayed by acts of nature (lightning), malfunctions in shuttle system monitoring or communication, and perhaps deconflicting with other space vehicle operations (e.g. Soyuz).
Imagiverse:
We are trying to imagine what's it like being a rookie astronaut waiting for a flight. How does an astronaut get selected and is there really such a thing as a queue for flight?
Greg Johnson:
The wait grates on morale at times, but few astronauts "expect" to fly (and we feel lucky just to be in line). Our day-to-day mission is to support all manned flights in our manifest - a flight assignment is the frosting on the cake. The actual selection for a specific mission often depends on seniority, each crewmember's skill set, crew compatibility, and crewmember availability. Some of us also think that there might be a "magic eight ball" toy in the astronaut chief's office that helps with the selection process (just kidding).
Imagiverse:
Why does having laser eye surgery disqualify a person from becoming an astronaut? What are the physical requirements for astronauts?
Greg Johnson:
I'd be speculating about the laser eye surgery, but I imagine that it has to do with the relative newness of that procedure. In the zero gravity environment, there may be extra risk to a crewmember's eyesight that might otherwise not be a factor on earth. In general, an astronaut needs to have excellent health and fitness since medical help may not be available for many days (or months). Also, a crewmember's adaptation to the space environment as well as adaptation back to the earth environment after landing is difficult: any health problems could add to this problem.
Imagiverse:
Having flown over 40 different kinds of aircraft, which one was the most challenging to fly? How does the shuttle compare to some of these jets?
Greg Johnson:
I don't think the challenge necessarily comes from the aircraft type as much as it does from the mission. My most difficult missions were the ones I flew in combat over Iraq and Kuwait during Operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch in the F-15E. One comparison between combat and shuttle is that both carry a fairly high risk compared to normal peacetime aircraft missions. This underscores the importance of "getting it right the first time".
Imagiverse:
What are the current plans for the shuttle replacement? When will this new spacecraft be ready? Will there be a "gap" between the time the shuttle is retired and when the new vehicle will be ready? If so, how will the ISS flights be managed?
Greg Johnson:
Right now, NASA is in the initial design phases of the Crew Exploration Vehicle, a follow-on spacecraft we hope to take to ISS and eventually to the Moon. We're hoping the first manned flights will be around the 2014 time frame. Because the shuttle is expected to retire in 2010, there may be a gap. Some managers are trying to minimize the gap to 3 years, but we'll have to get really lucky since designing a new vehicle is very difficult (due to all the unknowns).
Imagiverse:
What places have you traveled to as a result of your job?
Greg Johnson:
Most of the United States, Canada, and Spain.
Imagiverse:
What will your job be on the shuttle? What will your responsibilities be? Will you do anything on the International Space Station?
Greg Johnson:
Pilot (currently assigned to STS-123). A shuttle pilot is really more like a traditional aircraft co-pilot; a shuttle commander (a former shuttle pilot) is the lead pilot. I will monitor most of the shuttle systems including main engines, auxiliary power units, Orbital Maneuvering System engines, and Reaction Control System jets. On ISS, I will stay busy doing various tasks, the most notable is probably operating the Shuttle and Station robotic arms. I will not be performing any spacewalks on my first mission.
Imagiverse:
When they are not flying into space or training for flight, what do astronauts do? What is a typical day or week like for you?
Greg Johnson:
No week is typical because we have so many different duties. Most weeks involve some shuttle or ISS training, perhaps a T-38 flight or two, PR work, or working on our ground jobs. My current ground jobs are vehicle safety (mostly shuttle issues) and supporting the flight test plan of the Crew Exploration Vehicle.
Imagiverse:
Are the procedures in training that current astronauts go through, comparable to those done during the Apollo era (i.e. we've seen so many movies and documentaries of the "old days")?
Greg Johnson:
I think this is true (from what I have seen), but I do not have much experience looking at Apollo procedures.
Imagiverse:
How do you train to pilot the shuttle? How does it compare to flying a plane?
Greg Johnson:
We fly in many different simulations that focus on particular elements of a mission. Some simulations are fairly simple and can be executed on a laptop. Other simulations are so complex that they must be performed in motion simulators or even aircraft modified to fly like the shuttle during approach and landing. The approach and landing task is very similar to flying an aircraft (without the aid of engine power), but maneuvering in space is nothing like maneuvering a plane within the atmosphere.
Imagiverse:
What is the ambient temperature inside the shuttle?
Greg Johnson:
Room temperature.
Imagiverse:
How does one do housekeeping in space? Is there any way to vacuum or to clean up dirt?
Greg Johnson:
We must keep a tidy ship since our volume is limited and we need to share it with our other crewmembers. Yes, we have vacuums and air filtering systems to keep the environment clean and dirt free.
Imagiverse:
Is it difficult for an astronaut to get life insurance? Does NASA require that you sign a contract agreeing not to do things like: ski, ride motorcycles, etc. that could get you injured?
Greg Johnson:
Yes, but NASA offers an affordable group policy. Second part: I haven't signed anything yet, but within 1 year and/or 6 months of spaceflight, we are restricted from taking part in certain risky activities. I know snow skiing is one of them, but I'm not sure of the rest since I just got assigned.
Imagiverse:
When the shuttle is going at its highest speeds in the atmosphere, is it possible to see anything out of the cockpit or is the view simply blurred? What speed does the shuttle travel inside and outside of the atmosphere?
Greg Johnson:
As long as there is a window that offers a clear view of the earth, you can see details on the earth's surface. Since the highest speeds are at a very very high altitudes, the scene never gets blurry just from the speed. On the 8.5 minute ascent, the shuttle accelerates to Mach 25 (or about 17,500 mph). This speed with minor adjustments holds a spaceship in low Earth orbit – just outside the atmosphere at around 200 miles of altitude. At this speed and altitude, the motion across the earth’s surface is very evident (we actually orbit the entire earth 16 times a day!), but the relative motion does not blur the view.
Imagiverse:
Have you ever had people who didn't believe you when you told them you were an astronaut?
Greg Johnson:
I generally try to avoid the question, but there have been times in social circles when I’m introduced as an astronaut and my new acquaintance expresses doubt. Only one time did someone jokingly ask me to present my NASA ID...
Imagiverse:
STS-123 is scheduled for launch "no earlier than December 2007". At what point to you enter more focused training and preparation for your mission?
Greg Johnson:
STS-123 has now slipped our planned launch to exactly one year from today (17 Jan 2008). Focused training begins a steady crescendo starting in late February of this year. By late spring, our crew will be in full time training with no outside duties unrelated to our mission.
Imagiverse:
How much will your life and schedule change in the period directly leading up to your mission?
Greg Johnson:
Because a crew trains as a team, we will vacation at the same time, etc. Obviously, we need to coordinate our personal schedules to make sure it all works. As launch approaches, our priorities focus more and more on the mission/crew/team. Within a month or two of launch, training reaches its highest intensity.
Imagiverse:
We'll be following the shuttle missions and looking forward to your opportunity to fly. Wow! It's getting close now!! We are really excited for you! Thank you again for doing this chat and being an important part of Imagiverse!
Greg's Interview
- 17 January 2007 |
