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Space Forum / Shuttle / October 2007Is Space Flight Boring?
I've tried to watch NASA television showing real-time life aboard the ISS, but frankly, after about half an hour, I'm pressured by other family members to change the channel. They find it "boring." When I fly commercial airliner, after a few glances from 30,000 feet, I'm through looking out the window. On the other hand, I find light-plane flight interesting at 500 feet (or less) flying over the countryside as a passenger enjoying the sights. I think it has something to do with identifiable reference points. At low altitudes and slower speeds, one can observe all the landmarks float by as well as cars, houses, and even people down below, at times. It is clear there is little to see from near space and what there is, must soon wear thin. Have any of the astronauts commented on whether or not they find the views truly interesting? Aside from that, do they find life aboard the ISS continuously interesting or does it become mundane after a while and find themselves marking the days off the calendar until they can return to Mother Earth? Il mittente di questo messaggio|The sender address of this non corrisponde ad un utente |message is not related to a real reale ma all'indirizzo fittizio|person but to a fake address of an di un sistema anonimizzatore |anonymous system Per maggiori informazioni |For more info https://www.mixmaster.it > It is clear there is little to see from near space and what there is, > must soon wear thin. Have any of the astronauts commented on whether > or not they find the views truly interesting? Aside from that, do > they find life aboard the ISS continuously interesting or does it > become mundane after a while and find themselves marking the days off > the calendar until they can return to Mother Earth? Apparently they're too busy to look out the windows very much. Running the space station itself is a full-time job, and then some. When there is off-time, I'd imagine it depends on individual interests; weather systems such as big cyclonic storms can be fascinating. When >I< want to do some global viewing, I fire up Google Earth. --Damon To be honest, I'd imagine the confinement is the worst part of it. You can hardly pop out for a walk down to the shops to clear your head, after all. Also, of course there is little chance to chat with family members face to face, as you are always at the end of a line, so to speak. As for looking out, just listen to the archive material and you will hear that it seems the one thing most agree on is the fascination of watching the earth. Why? well I don't know, but it seems quite universal. I often wonder what will happen when humans are so far away that conversation with the Earth, and viewing it iare impossible. Brian  SignatureBrian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email. graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them Email: briang1@blueyonder.co.uk ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ > I've tried to watch NASA television showing real-time life aboard the ISS, > but frankly, after about half an hour, I'm pressured by other family [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Per maggiori informazioni |For more info > https://www.mixmaster.it It's the tourist part, the view, like looking at the Grand Canyon but much bigger. Or, an Ocean view, really not much there but a lot of water, but it's calming and connects to the soul. People tend to contemplate bigger thing, our existence, what we are doing, god, ... with such a view. SignatureCraig Fink Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @ WeBeGood@GMail.Com -- > To be honest, I'd imagine the confinement is the worst part of it. You > can hardly pop out for a walk down to the shops to clear your head, after [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > Brian > I've tried to watch NASA television showing real-time life aboard the ISS, > but frankly, after about half an hour, I'm pressured by other family [quoted text clipped - 21 lines] > Per maggiori informazioni |For more info > https://www.mixmaster.it Well, I think a lot of it is the presentation that NASA TV makes (or rather, the lack of presentation). On the long list of things that NASA doesn't do very well include "NASA TV". Seriously, I was born in the middle of the Space Race and watched every televised launch from the end to the Gemini program, the entire Apollo era, Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab, and most of the early Shuttle launches (in fact, I watched STS-7 in person at the Cape). All of this is just to make the point that I am a person who is very interested in spaceflight, more so than the average person picked at random on the street. That said, except for a launch, docking, or other special event I find NASA TV almost unwatchable. The worst part is the amount of video they show without any sort of commentary or narration. It's either a zoomed in view of the earth from the ISS or a tour of some NASA facility or something similar with little or no audio. A minimal audio narration would make all the difference in the world in terms of watchability. Looking at a zoomed in view from the ISS, you have no idea what you are looking at. Same thing with tours of different facilities. Unless it is something well known like the VAB, you generally have no idea what you are looking at or what goes on there. NASA doesn't really seem to have it's heart in NASA TV. Whenever there is a launch or something similar I might watch but besides that almost never. And I am someone very interested in the subject. Imagine what a few minutes of NASA TV must look like to your average Joe. At times I feel like if NASA isn't going to do it right they'd be better off not doing it at all. >Well, I think a lot of it is the presentation that NASA TV makes (or >rather, the lack of presentation). On the long list of things that NASA [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >At times I feel like if NASA isn't going to do it right they'd be better >off not doing it at all. I couldn't have said it better myself. I would add that this "Edge" program that they run with the nerd and his Jerry Lewis wannabe sidekick should be tossed in the bin. The PAO should be subjected to a CAIB investigation. NASA TV is horrible. I tuned into the Soyuz docking the other day, missed it by an hour, but caught the hatch opening. They stated that a "special" Video File would be broadcast at 1230 CDT to rebroadcast the docking. 1230 came and went, no Video File, no explanation, nothing. Adding the changes that Leo mentioned to having some 30 second network spots about this program or that, would do wonderful things for public awareness and eventually program funding. They choose to exist in their little bubble, with zero public awareness, and wonder why congress cuts their budget year after year. They really need at least a minimal public awareness campaign to promote NASA. I truly believe that we could recover some of the Mercury era excitement if the PAO was reorganized, and a public relations campaign were launched. I just don't understand. Jim in Houston. Contrary to popular opinion RN does not mean Real Nerd! Teddy Roosevelt's mother said: "Fill what is empty, empty what is full, and scratch where it itches" SignaturePosted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com > I've tried to watch NASA television showing real-time life aboard theISS, > but frankly, after about half an hour, I'm pressured by other family [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > while and find themselves marking the days off the calendar until they can > return to Mother Earth? I believe it's a very personal thing. Most young people growing up today are conditioned to being entertained all the time. Astronauts and a few others are the ones who have a curiosity and are able to comtemplate the signifigance of what their senses are experiencing. -- Gene Seibel Tales of Flight - http://pad39a.com/gene/tales.html Because I fly, I envy no one. |
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