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Author
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Topic: Norm Carlson, Apollo 11 test conductor (1934-2015)
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ilbasso
Member Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 03-01-2015 09:03 AM
   
Norm Carlson passed away the morning of March 1, 2015, in Titusville, Florida.Carlson was hired by NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1960. He worked for six months as a design engineer, and then went to the Booster Test Section in the MSFC Test Lab, working as a test conductor for static firings. He transferred to the Launch Vehicle Test Directors Office at Kennedy Space Center in 1964. At KSC, his first launches were the Saturn I Block II Pegasus missions from LC-37B. He moved over to LC-34 and worked as launch vehicle test conductor for the first Saturn IB flights. Carlson is credited by his peers with inventing the concept of the "built-in hold" in launch countdowns, a block of time without any scheduled activities which allows the launch team time to correct any issues that arose during the countdown and still have T-0 coincide with the opening of the launch window for a mission. At LC-39, Carlson was the launch vehicle test conductor for many of the Saturn V missions, including AS-501 (Apollo 4) and Apollo 11. Following Apollo, Carlson went to Edwards Air Force Base for the Space Shuttle Approach and Landing Tests (ALT). He then came back to KSC and served as Test Director for much of the first half of the Space Shuttle program. He started the tradition of serving "launch beans" and cornbread in the Firing Room after every successful launch.  Carlson and his legacy were most recently celebrated at the U.S. Space Walk of Fame Museum on Sept. 8, 2014. He was a dear friend of mine and was instrumental in helping me put together my upcoming book on the Apollo 11 processing flow at Kennedy Space Center. He was very excited about the project and proud to know that the men and women at KSC in the Apollo era will be getting some exposure soon. I will miss him terribly. |
David C
Member Posts: 1015
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 03-01-2015 09:09 AM
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-01-2015 09:28 AM
Very sorry to learn of his passing. I never had the chance to meet Carlson, but knew of him through his role in history. quote:
Originally posted by ilbasso:
He started the tradition of serving "launch beans" and cornbread in the Firing Room after every successful launch.
Here is Carlson, following the successful launch of STS-26 in 1988: |
randy
Member Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999
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posted 03-01-2015 10:11 AM
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4437
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-01-2015 10:34 AM
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Lunar rock nut
Member Posts: 911
From: Oklahoma city, Oklahoma U.S.A.
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 03-01-2015 10:38 AM
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lspooz
Member Posts: 384
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Aug 2012
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posted 03-01-2015 10:48 AM
.Thanks Jonathan (and Robert) for the stories and photos - it's great that he was celebrated in timely fashion, and that he got to help with 'This is Apollo-Saturn Launch Control."
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Kite
Member Posts: 831
From: Northampton UK
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 03-01-2015 10:55 AM
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David Carey
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From:
Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-01-2015 10:58 AM
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mach3valkyrie
Member Posts: 719
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 03-01-2015 11:36 AM
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GACspaceguy
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From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-01-2015 12:28 PM
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apolloprojeckt
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From: Arnhem, Netherlands
Registered: Feb 2009
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posted 03-01-2015 12:30 PM
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star51L
Member Posts: 340
From: Vilano Beach, FL, USA
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-01-2015 01:40 PM
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Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 03-01-2015 03:05 PM
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Lunar Module 5
Member Posts: 370
From: Wales, UK
Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 03-01-2015 03:26 PM
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cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-01-2015 03:48 PM
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RockyMnWay
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From: Westminster, CO, USA
Registered: Jul 2011
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posted 03-01-2015 03:51 PM
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mode1charlie
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From: Honolulu, HI
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 03-01-2015 04:14 PM
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Astro Rich
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From: Huntsville, Alabama
Registered: Feb 2014
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posted 03-01-2015 06:44 PM
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dss65
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From: Sandpoint, ID, USA
Registered: Mar 2003
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posted 03-01-2015 08:57 PM
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Jeff
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From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 03-02-2015 06:47 AM
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hlbjr
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From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 03-02-2015 11:47 AM
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East-Frisian
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From: Germany
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posted 03-02-2015 12:59 PM
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jasonelam
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From: Monticello, KY USA
Registered: Mar 2007
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posted 03-03-2015 03:52 AM
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capoetc
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From: McKinney TX (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 03-03-2015 09:33 AM
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Michael Davis
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From: Houston, Texas
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted 03-03-2015 10:27 AM
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fredtrav
Member Posts: 1673
From: Birmingham AL
Registered: Aug 2010
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posted 03-03-2015 01:39 PM
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Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 03-04-2015 08:45 AM
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minipci
Member Posts: 365
From: London, UK
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 03-04-2015 11:32 AM
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astro-nut
Member Posts: 946
From: Washington, IL
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 03-07-2015 11:56 AM
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Ronpur
Member Posts: 1211
From: Brandon, Fl
Registered: May 2012
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posted 03-11-2015 09:28 AM
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413 is in
Member Posts: 628
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-18-2015 12:56 AM
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