NASA/Space Junkies

[bruceolee]

Any NASA/space junkies out there? Living and growing up in south Florida it's almost in my DNA to love it. The field trips to Kennedy space center and going to many space shuttle launches over the years including the last shuttle night launch. Trust me a day launch was cool but a night launch was life altering. I took 2 of my friends who were a part of the "fix earth first" crowd and after a night launch began to really research the benefits to mankind the space program was and is, they changed their minds after that. All from a night launch. Anyways, just wanted to see if we had any "junkies" here and if you had any interesting stories about it all.

[equetefue]

I like it too. As a matter of fact I had posters of the astronauts and stuff in my room while I was a kid. I even went into aviation knowing that it was needed to be one.

Living in CFL means that I get to see the launches from my porch, and it just never gets old.

[bruceolee]

Yeah it's hard to explain to people how amazing it was to see a launch. We unfortunately got to see a lot of amazing people lose their jobs with shutting down the shuttle program.
My family and friends out of state just never understood the magic of it all. If every citizen went to one launch event we'd never have to worry about funding ever again. I mean landing on the moon and the other amazing accomplishments by NASA was really our great wall or pyramids. Plus getting to see our place in the universe and multiverse without making any contact with another world yet shows you what a precious gift we have here. It's an overwhelming idea but one that was encouraged and given to us by our space program.


Sorry, I tend to rant a bit much. I just wish everyone could experience what we've had the good fortune of experiencing several times a year. We are very lucky down here.

[equetefue]

look up the trailer call Interstellar... looks related and promising

[The Poet]

I've never had the personal privilege of witnessing a launch, but am old enough to remember the good ol' days, of Sputnik, Vanguard, and Explorer. I recall sitting in grade-school class, listening to Mercury launches like Alan Shepard's and John Glenn's flights on the radio, along with the entire nation I feel sure.

Seems like today it's too blase an attitude we have with such endeavors.

[shilala]

I check in at NASA all the time to see new pics, follow all the space programs, check out all the deep space images I can get my eyes on, read tons of articles on the same, and read space sci-fi books at a phenomenal pace.

[bruceolee]

Originally Posted by shilala

I check in at NASA all the time to see new pics, follow all the space programs, check out all the deep space images I can get my eyes on, read tons of articles on the same, and read space sci-fi books at a phenomenal pace.

Same here! All my favorite movies are Sci-Fi and after that Mafia movies.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by bruceolee

Same here! All my favorite movies are Sci-Fi and after that Mafia movies.

I can see it now . . . Goodfellas Go To Mars.

"In space, no one can hit the mattresses."

[bruceolee]

Originally Posted by The Poet

I can see it now . . . Goodfellas Go To Mars.

"In space, no one can hit the mattresses."

"Hey Tommy! Go get your tool box!"

[AdamJoshua]

Grew up in Satellite Beach next to P.A.F.B. Jason, so I have a felling we were pretty close to each other?

[shilala]

Originally Posted by bruceolee

Same here! All my favorite movies are Sci-Fi and after that Mafia movies.

I don't think there's a sci-fi space movie I haven't seen except Starship Troopers (read the book) and Moon. I think I saw Space Odyssey and hated it. I need to try it again. Hate Metropolis, too. Starship Troopers II was horrid.
If you didn't see Elysium yet, do that.
And if you haven't read "The Old Man's War" series, start doing that right now.

[The Poet]

Scott, the first Starship Troopers was decent, and even "reasonably" close to Heinlein's intent. Plus, it has a "titillating" co-ed shower scene.

I thought Moon was a great overlooked film, though I can see how it's not everyone's cup of tea. It is NOT a space opera like Star Wars etc., being much more quiet and cerebral.

[bruceolee]

Saw Elysium and really enjoyed it.

2001 - give it another try
Sunshine - very underrated
Europa Report - First half interesting but falls off a bit at the end.
Last days on mars - was okay if you watch it as a 1950's B movie scifi flick
Alien
Aliens
Apollo 13 - not scifi
The right stuff - also not scifi
and so on. The one i watch every year is from the earth to the moon HBO series.

there are just too many scifi greats to mention but i usually enjoy a lot of them


oh and can't forget Star Trek (not the new movies) TOS,TNG, DS9

[Sweet_Leaf_PDX]

I am a huge space junkie. I can spend hours looking at the NASA images of planets, installer objects and deep space.

There is a computer game called the Kerbal Space Program. I highly recommend this if you are into computer games and space flight. The graphics are pretty simple so most computers can run it with no problems.

I also enjoy the heck of of Science Fiction books and movies too.

[shilala]

Ya know, Jason, I've heard folks say Europe Report may be the best sci-fi flick ever.
I enjoyed it just because I love the genre so much, but quite frankly, the movie sucked balls.
I've got most all the 100 sci-fi movies of all time. Looking through the list, there are very few I haven't watched yet. Moon was one that was missing. I started watching It today but got drawed off. I'll catch it tomorrow.
If I can ever help you out (or Thomas, or anyone for that matter) with any sci-fi books, just holler. I think I'm up to around 1500 titles now. 1526, I think it was in mobi, PDF, and ePub formats.
Thanks for the tip on Moon, Thomas. It was looking good already. I think I'm gonna love it.

[The Poet]

Originally Posted by shilala

Thanks for the tip on Moon, Thomas. It was looking good already. I think I'm gonna love it.

I enjoyed it, brother, and hope you shall too.

Thanks for the offer for SF books, but I'm pretty well stocked myself. In fact, between those, my comic books, and a few tons of "real" reading material I own . . . well, I'll not live long enough to finish.

LoL, I am a huge space nerd...

I loved learning about space as a young kid. I was, am, still pretty big into Star trek and Star wars, both of which I look forward to seeing what they do with JJ Abrams. I really think that its because of a lack of quality shows like that we are seeing a decline in the interest in the work of NASA, which is truly a sad thing.

Its sad when people don't dream of what the future could hold, be it as incredible as water on mars or growing a dandelion in lunar soil, those movies nurtured a curiosity and intrepidness that isn't seen, at least by me, in most youth today...

[Catfish]

Seen more than a few launches. Day and night. The best launches to me were the winter-time late afternoon launches. Ground level was twilight - dark but the setting sun spotlighted the shuttle. I've seen quite a few SRB seps. naked eye. That was some cool shat.

Went to the old visitor center so many times it almost got boring. Almost. My 6th grade math teacher was one of the short-list people that got beat out by Christa McAulliffe to be the 1st teacher in space. One of my best friends' dad retired from NASA and worked on the Mercury / Gemini / Apollo and shuttle programs.

Hard to be a native Floridian and not be in touch with the space program.

[AdamJoshua]

A good friend from HS now runs or is up there in the Astronaut Scholarship program, her office overlooks the rocket garden, she's very close to all the astronauts and was even at Cooper's memorial service .... b!tch.

(yes yes I'm incredibly jealous and she knows it so likes to rub it in or send pictures of her with them at various functions and dinners)

I'm into anything by Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJoVeKSsyA