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On Orbit => Real NASA Space Shuttle Missions => Topic started by: asterix on August 13, 2008, 07:45:47 PM
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Just been looking through NASA's pages re. STS 125, couldn't help but notice that the pilot, Gregory C Johnson, isn't the tallest of people. I hope he won't have any problems seeing the runway. I'm only 5ft 7" myself, so I could lend him one of my bolster cushions ;)
(No offence intended to the bloke, just that I'm jealous as hell)
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Look at this from a more positive perspective - he uses less Oxygen :)
/Admin
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Look at this from a more positive perspective - he uses less Oxygen :)
/Admin
Not only that, but he'll re-adjust to 1G faster than everyone else, as did Garret Reisman coming home after his long-duration flight aboard the ISS.
:D
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Well, to be a short astronaut isn't something special. If i take a look at the heros of the early space flight era of NASA i'm rather surprised. Alan B. Sheppard, the first Mercury astronaut and first US astronaut ever was not airworthy anymore during the Gemini program in the mid 1960's. He was diagnosed with Ménière's disease (dizziness and nausea caused by the vestibular system). But after surgeries he became airworthy again and flew with Apollo 14 which was critized by some NASA people nevertheless.
Also, Donald K. Slayton was not airworthy for many years because of heart problems. So he became the Chief Astronaut and was responsible for crew selections "only". Because of his greatest dream, being a real astronaut, he stopped smoking, drinking and went in for daily sports as well as participated in a long medical program. He finally became airworthy and so a member of the ASTP crew in 1972 (his heart problems disappeared completely). He was the oldest rookie astronaut at that time (52) :)
And John H. Glenn, the first American astronaut who orbited the Earth, became the oldest human in space when he was 77. He was a crew member of the STS-95 mission in 1998. He also became the only astronaut until today who had a break of 36 years between two space flights 8)
Everything is possible if you have a strong will. Being a short astronaut is one of the smallest problems ;)
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So what you're saying is that if I start hanging from the door frame in the vain hope that I can get stretch myself enough to reach the rudder pedals, anything is possible. Okay, I feel suitably inspired. :D
However, how can I possibly reach for the stars when I can't even reach the bl**dy door frame. :'(
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So what you're saying is that if I start hanging from the door frame in the vain hope that I can get stretch myself enough to reach the rudder pedals, anything is possible. Okay, I feel suitably inspired. :D
However, how can I possibly reach for the stars when I can't even reach the bl**dy door frame. :'(
LOL! :D
/Admin
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Watch the Discover channel a few years back, there was this documentary about fighter pilots and the technology around them. The US Airforce and the UK RAF did a study on the size and build of their pilots regarding G forces, both were completely independent, but came to the same results. The startling conclusion is that small stocky builds are better for high g's. The average size of the US Airforce was over the 'ideal' size of pilot. The RAF had almost 50% of pilot in upper region of the 'ideal size' zone. I think the 'Ideal size' was 5ft 5in, with an 'above average' muscular frame.
Isn't the discovery channel great :)