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Author
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Topic: Flight controller cameos in the movies
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alanh_7
Member Posts: 854
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 04-04-2012 09:56 PM
   
With nothing on the tube tonight I saw the science fiction film Contact was on tv and not having seen in it many years I put it on as background noise while reading. Much to my surprise I saw the scene at the Kennedy Space Center Launch Control Center and was very surprised to see one of the flight controllers was none other the Gerry Griffin. A quick search on Google and I found he was also tech advisor for the film and along with several other 'space' films over the years. Have any other flight controllers appeared in front of the camera in movies over the years? |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2182
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 04-05-2012 08:03 PM
Well, Joe Allen played a launch control lead in "Armageddon" since he served as technical advisor on the film. I know, he was an astronaut and this is about flight controllers. But he also served as CAPCOM for many missions of the later Apollo flights to the reentry and recovery CAPCOM for STS-1 (and missions after). So he didn't look out of place at a console.I seem to recall reading at least one or two controllers had cameos in "Space Cowboys" on the mission control consoles and possibly the NASA media person who did the countdown (I forget her name, but I think she had done the same job for actual shuttle launches). Of course, in Contact, Armageddon and Space Cowboys (and Transformers, Dark of the Moon), a lot of KSC employees could be seen in the background as well due to the locations where scenes were filmed (such as the SSME maintenance facility in Space Cowboys). |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 499
From: washington, Illinois USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 04-05-2012 09:32 PM
If my memory serves me correctly, I believe the launch commentator was Lisa Malone. |
p51
Member Posts: 675
From: Olympia, WA, USA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 04-05-2012 09:40 PM
That was indeed Lisa. I was very surprised when I saw the movie in the theaters... |
alanh_7
Member Posts: 854
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 04-05-2012 10:16 PM
When I think about it I think Lisa Malone did both Contact and Space Cowboys. I think her voice only was used in Contact. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 499
From: washington, Illinois USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 04-06-2012 12:27 PM
I also remember seeing Jim Harrington, the launch director at KSC in several episodes of the TV series "The Cape" in 1996 and 97. |
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