Topic: [ASF Astro Chat] Skylab 3, STS-3 Jack Lousma
ASF1984 Member
Posts: 167 From: Titusville, Florida USA Registered: Sep 2009
posted 06-09-2011 09:16 AM
The June installment of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's (ASF) Astro Chat series features none other than Skylab and space shuttle astronaut Jack Lousma!
Jack R. Lousma worked for 59 days in orbit as a member of the second Skylab space station crew in 1973, and in 1982 he commanded the third orbital test flight of the shuttle Columbia...
The shuttle commander will answer the questions you've always wanted to ask about his time space (or here on Earth). The deadline to submit a question is 9:00 a.m. EDT (1300 GMT) on Tuesday, June 14.
Lousma will answer via video, which will be posted here and on ASF's website the following week.
posted 06-09-2011 09:30 AM
I would like to know what his largest concern was regarding his shuttle landing at White Sands, as opposed to the planned Edwards AFB. Thanks!
posted 06-09-2011 09:50 AM
Of all of your space accomplishments, which single moment or experience are you most proud of?
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3208 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-09-2011 10:03 AM
I remember being impressed way back in the 1970s by the interior size of Skylab compared to the Russian Salyut space station. What was the habitable volume of Skylab compared to the ISS?
cddfspace Member
Posts: 609 From: Morris County, NJ, USA Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-09-2011 11:27 AM
Regarding Apollo 20...was there ever any serious discussion with Deke or others regarding your role in Apollo 20? Some sources list you as a possible CMP, others as a possible LMP.
Thank you!
rjurek349 Member
Posts: 1190 From: Northwest Indiana Registered: Jan 2002
posted 06-09-2011 03:14 PM
A couple of questions -- which did he prefer to ride into space: the Saturn rocket for Skylab or the Shuttle boosters?
And on Skylab -- does he have any personal-time memories that he would care to share? they had that whole lab to themselves, and when the had off time, what did he like to do? (I've seen Skylab scrabble boards, and dart boards, there was a library, he took his own stuff with). Did he spend much time on personal reflection while on orbit for so long?
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3445 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-09-2011 03:37 PM
How much training, if any, did you and Fred Haise do for a shuttle-Skylab reboost? Any time in the simulators for such a mission?
Paul23 Member
Posts: 836 From: South East, UK Registered: Apr 2008
posted 06-09-2011 03:56 PM
Did you experience any sort of emotional reaction on hearing the "Houston we've had a problem" message from Apollo 13, or was this a moment where 'training took over'?
Tom Member
Posts: 1597 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-09-2011 04:38 PM
Commander Lousma, I had the privilege of attending your STS-3 launch from the NASA Causeway.
One comment you made described it as a "real barn burner". What is your most vivid memory of that launch?
Thank you.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3208 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-10-2011 09:14 AM
Skylab was pretty big inside. If you found yourself floating motionless in the center of the Skylab workshop and unable to reach anything, could you get stuck there?
Greggy_D Member
Posts: 977 From: Michigan Registered: Jul 2006
posted 06-10-2011 10:44 AM
Looking back, do you wish you would have stuck around NASA to fly another shuttle flight? If so, which flight would have intrigued you the most?
MarylandSpace Member
Posts: 1337 From: Registered: Aug 2002
posted 06-10-2011 12:26 PM
How often did you change clothes on Skylab?
Garry
dtemple Member
Posts: 729 From: Longview, Texas, USA Registered: Apr 2000
posted 06-10-2011 02:45 PM
quote:Originally posted by cddfspace: Regarding Apollo 20... was there ever any serious discussion with Deke or others regarding your role in Apollo 20?
I am curious about this, too. However, more specifically, did any serious discussion take place regarding the entire crew selection down to CDR, CMP, and LMP?
Dwight Member
Posts: 576 From: Germany Registered: Dec 2003
posted 06-10-2011 04:59 PM
On the Skylab videos you seem to have a ball explaing to TV viewers life aboard America's first space station. How much training did you have to familiarize yourself with the TV Systems on Skylab? Do you have any recollections about your TV camera appearnaces on Skylab?
MadMarlin New Member
Posts: From: Registered:
posted 06-11-2011 01:17 AM
What is your personal formula for success and overcoming obstacles in everyday life?
perineau Member
Posts: 218 From: FRANCE Registered: Jul 2007
posted 06-11-2011 04:32 AM
Do you think that the launch of Atlantis in July will be the last manned launch from Cape Canaveral?
mark plas Member
Posts: 385 From: the Netherlands Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-11-2011 05:13 AM
I read somewhere that your familyroots lie in the Netherlands do you speak any Dutch?
kyra Member
Posts: 583 From: Louisville CO US Registered: Aug 2003
posted 06-11-2011 08:07 AM
Over which area of the former USSR did you hear the high pitched whistling while trying to sleep on STS-3? With the cold war over, I am wondering if anything became of this incident. Thank You!
astro-nut Member
Posts: 946 From: Washington, IL Registered: Jan 2006
posted 06-11-2011 02:00 PM
If Apollo 20 would of have taken place and you were assigned as Lunar Module Pilot, what would of have been your first words on the moon? Thank you.
Tom Member
Posts: 1597 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-11-2011 03:01 PM
Keeping with the Apollo 20 topic, any thoughts on what you nay have named the command (or lunar) module if assigned to that mission? Thank you.
Mike Isbell Member
Posts: 551 From: Silver Spring, Maryland USA Registered: Aug 2003
posted 06-11-2011 03:41 PM
Col. Lousma, during the Skylab 2/SL-3 mission, plans were made to have a rescue flight return the crew due to problems with the CSM's RCS thrusters. Prior to the return of the Skylab 2 crew, how probable did you think is was that the rescue mission would be flown?
randy Member
Posts: 2176 From: West Jordan, Utah USA Registered: Dec 1999
posted 06-12-2011 04:00 PM
What were your thoughts when you were flying the prototype MMU (M509) in Skylab?
JohnPaul56 Member
Posts: 180 From: Montclair, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2010
posted 06-12-2011 04:34 PM
Col. Lousma, How long after your astronaut selection did you feel that you would be getting a shot at being selected for a crew assignment? (Did you hear through the grapevine that you were slated for an Apollo mission or SkyLab or was it somewhat of a surprise when it actually happened?).
dog320 Member
Posts: 49 From: West Sussex, United Kingdom Registered: Jul 2010
posted 06-13-2011 04:13 PM
I would like to ask what you consider is the most important mental difference in your attitude towards operating as a crew member of an aeroplane compared to being a crew member of a spacecraft? Thanks
music_space Member
Posts: 1179 From: Canada Registered: Jul 2001
posted 06-13-2011 05:20 PM
What scientific experiments left you with the most vivid memories, for their novelty at the time, their unexpected results or their operation peculiarities?
History portrays Capt. Alan Bean as an ideal crewmate during Apollo 12, yet we know less about his ways as a commander. Please tell us a few words about your Skylab CDR.
As Canadians, we would like to hear about STS-3 training for the remote manipulator system (did you train in Canada?) and about its initial deployment.
Do you have a favorite artifact brought back from Skylab (in your private collection or elsewhere)?
------------------ Francois Guay Montreal, Canada
spaced out Member
Posts: 3110 From: Paris, France Registered: Aug 2003
posted 06-14-2011 03:36 AM
What's the story behind the giant STS-3 flown plastic fly that you offered recently at auction? Presumably it's related to the Insect Flight Study experiment, but was the fly carried as a mascot, or maybe planted on board pre-flight?
ASF1984 Member
Posts: 167 From: Titusville, Florida USA Registered: Sep 2009
posted 06-20-2011 09:13 AM
Thank you to everyone who submitted questions! We had a great time interviewing Col. Lousma and will be posting the video responses this week.
ASF1984 Member
Posts: 167 From: Titusville, Florida USA Registered: Sep 2009
posted 06-28-2011 05:06 PM
Thanks to everyone who submitted questions for Lousma to answer! Here are his replies to as many questions as we could fit in:
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3208 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 06-28-2011 07:49 PM
Thank you Mr. Lousma for answering my question. That was very interesting.
posted 06-28-2011 08:28 PM
What a great guy Jack Lousma is. I had the privilege of sitting next to him on a bus tour of the KSC during the 2008 ASF Show and have talked with him a few times since. What a nice man. Always willing to talk or stop for a photo. One of my favourites.
bwhite1976 Member
Posts: 281 From: Belleville, IL Registered: Jun 2011
posted 06-28-2011 08:56 PM
Very interesting. Thank you Mr. Lousma for answering these questions.
Henry Heatherbank Member
Posts: 244 From: Adelaide, South Australia Registered: Apr 2005
posted 06-29-2011 04:44 AM
Question maybe for Michael Cassutt.
In Part 1 of the interviews, right at the end, Lousma refers to being offered another Shuttle flight - a "satellite drop-off flight" - which he then backed away from and didn't fly. Any idea which one?
Crew recycling patterns at this stage suggest it would have been a 1984 flight, possibly in the 41-B, 41-C, 41-D range, although it may have been a 1985 flight as well.
Of the first few crews, Young recycled to STS 9 (1983), Crippen 7 (1983), Truly 8 (1983), Engle 51-I (1985), Fullerton 51-F (1985), Hartsfield 41-D (1984), Mattingly 51-C (1985). So it must have been around these missions.
4allmankind Member
Posts: 1043 From: Dallas Registered: Jan 2004
posted 06-29-2011 10:05 AM
I had not given much thought to the list of astronauts that have flown on both a Saturn rocket, as well as the Shuttle until he just stated it in the video. Is the list Young, Lousma, Mattingly, Weitz, Brand and Garriott? Quite an exclusive club... half the number of moonwalkers!
Hart Sastrowardoyo Member
Posts: 3445 From: Toms River, NJ Registered: Aug 2000
posted 06-29-2011 10:12 AM
If you remember, 51C was the original STS-10; 41D, which was STS-14, was the original STS-12. Brand had STS-11 (also known as 41B), and Crippen again had STS-13 (also known as 41C).
The "odd man" out in the first sequence of flights is Bobko and 41F, who came from STS-6. Just thinking aloud, but since 41F was a satellite deployment, perhaps Lousma was penciled in for this flight? (Particularly since 41E was a DoD flight, 41B was the MMU flight and 41C was the Solar Max repair.)
Tom Member
Posts: 1597 From: New York Registered: Nov 2000
posted 06-29-2011 05:33 PM
Col Lousma, thanks for sharing your very unique experiences with us. It was extremely interesting!
posted 06-09-2011 09:16 AM
advertisement