Drunk shuttle astronauts.

This forum has been developed to discuss aviation related topics.

Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, I WAS Birddog

Post Reply
golden hawk
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 696
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:43 am

Drunk shuttle astronauts.

Post by golden hawk »

NASA was overdue for some bad press.......what's it been now..... 6 months since the diaper astronaut story.

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/ ... index.html
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) -- An independent health panel studying NASA astronauts found "heavy use of alcohol" before launch, according to a published report Thursday.

An independent panel reportedly found that flight surgeons allowed intoxicated astronauts to fly on space shuttle.

Aviation Week & Space Technology, a weekly trade journal, reported the finding from the panel on its Web site. The weekly said that the committee found that on at least two occasions, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk.

The alcohol use by astronauts was within the standard 12-hour "bottle-to-throttle" rule applied to NASA flight crew members, Aviation Week reported. The panel was created following the arrest in February of former space shuttle flier Lisa Nowak, who was implicated in a love triangle

On Thursday afternoon, a media representative at Johnson Space Center in Houston said no one was answering any questions on the matter. NASA has scheduled a news conference for Friday to release the findings of a pair of reviews into astronauts' health.

Aviation Week said the report -- ordered by NASA Administrator Michael Griffin -- does not deal directly with Nowak or mention any other astronaut by name.

Nowak is accused of attacking the girlfriend of a fellow astronaut -- her romantic rival -- with pepper spray in a parking lot at Orlando International Airport. Nowak has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted kidnapping, battery and burglary with assault.

Nowak was dismissed by NASA in March.

Following Nowak's arrest, NASA requested an independent external committee conduct a review of health services available to astronauts. An internal assessment was also undertaken. The results of both reviews will be presented by NASA on Friday.

The panel members include, among others, Air Force experts in aerospace medicine and clinical psychiatry. E-mail to a friend

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
---------- ADS -----------
 
User avatar
bandaid
Rank 10
Rank 10
Posts: 2396
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 12:00 pm
Location: Kelowna

Post by bandaid »

That's the only way you would get me in one of those things :drinkers:
---------- ADS -----------
 
Image
golden hawk
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 696
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:43 am

Post by golden hawk »

And the hits just keeeep oonnnn comin'.............
NASA reports sabotage of space computer By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
9 minutes ago



A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said Thursday.

The unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the international space station by Endeavour, officials said.

The space agency declined to speculate on a motive.

The computer is supposed to measure the strain on a space station beam and relay the information to flight controllers on Earth.

The damage would have posed no danger to either shuttle or station astronauts, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief.

The worker also damaged a similar computer that was not meant to fly in space, Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place. The subcontractor notified NASA 1 1/2 weeks ago about the matter, as soon as it discovered the damage to the non-flying computer.

NASA immediately checked the computer at the Kennedy Space Center and discovered the additional damage. Officials would have caught the problem through testing before flight, even if the subcontractor had not alerted NASA beforehand, Gerstenmaier said.

"The damage is very obvious. It's easy to detect. It's not a mystery to us," he said.

NASA hopes to fix the computer and launch it Aug. 7 as planned aboard Endeavour.

NASA's inspector general office is investigating.

"I don't want to speculate on motivation," Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier declined to provide any information on the employee or company, but stressed that the tampering had nothing to do with an ongoing strike at the space center by a machinists union. He said the damage occurred outside Florida.

"There's an active investigation going on and I'd rather let that get handled that way," he said.

The subcontractor supplies computer equipment and strain gauges for the international space station, as well as wing sensor systems for the shuttle. NASA has surveyed all the parts that were provided by the subcontractor, Gerstenmaier said.

"There's no concern about anything that's on orbit," he added.

___

On the Net:

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

NASA reports sabotage of space computer By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
9 minutes ago



A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said Thursday.

The unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the international space station by Endeavour, officials said.

The space agency declined to speculate on a motive.

The computer is supposed to measure the strain on a space station beam and relay the information to flight controllers on Earth.

The damage would have posed no danger to either shuttle or station astronauts, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief.

The worker also damaged a similar computer that was not meant to fly in space, Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place. The subcontractor notified NASA 1 1/2 weeks ago about the matter, as soon as it discovered the damage to the non-flying computer.

NASA immediately checked the computer at the Kennedy Space Center and discovered the additional damage. Officials would have caught the problem through testing before flight, even if the subcontractor had not alerted NASA beforehand, Gerstenmaier said.

"The damage is very obvious. It's easy to detect. It's not a mystery to us," he said.

NASA hopes to fix the computer and launch it Aug. 7 as planned aboard Endeavour.

NASA's inspector general office is investigating.

"I don't want to speculate on motivation," Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier declined to provide any information on the employee or company, but stressed that the tampering had nothing to do with an ongoing strike at the space center by a machinists union. He said the damage occurred outside Florida.

"There's an active investigation going on and I'd rather let that get handled that way," he said.

The subcontractor supplies computer equipment and strain gauges for the international space station, as well as wing sensor systems for the shuttle. NASA has surveyed all the parts that were provided by the subcontractor, Gerstenmaier said.

"There's no concern about anything that's on orbit," he added.

___

On the Net:

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

NASA reports sabotage of space computer By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
9 minutes ago



A space program worker deliberately damaged a computer that is supposed to fly aboard shuttle Endeavour in less than two weeks, an act of sabotage that was caught before the equipment was loaded onto the spaceship, NASA said Thursday.

The unidentified employee, who works for a NASA subcontractor, cut wires inside the computer that is supposed to be delivered to the international space station by Endeavour, officials said.

The space agency declined to speculate on a motive.

The computer is supposed to measure the strain on a space station beam and relay the information to flight controllers on Earth.

The damage would have posed no danger to either shuttle or station astronauts, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief.

The worker also damaged a similar computer that was not meant to fly in space, Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier did not identify the subcontractor or where the damage took place. The subcontractor notified NASA 1 1/2 weeks ago about the matter, as soon as it discovered the damage to the non-flying computer.

NASA immediately checked the computer at the Kennedy Space Center and discovered the additional damage. Officials would have caught the problem through testing before flight, even if the subcontractor had not alerted NASA beforehand, Gerstenmaier said.

"The damage is very obvious. It's easy to detect. It's not a mystery to us," he said.

NASA hopes to fix the computer and launch it Aug. 7 as planned aboard Endeavour.

NASA's inspector general office is investigating.

"I don't want to speculate on motivation," Gerstenmaier said.

Gerstenmaier declined to provide any information on the employee or company, but stressed that the tampering had nothing to do with an ongoing strike at the space center by a machinists union. He said the damage occurred outside Florida.

"There's an active investigation going on and I'd rather let that get handled that way," he said.

The subcontractor supplies computer equipment and strain gauges for the international space station, as well as wing sensor systems for the shuttle. NASA has surveyed all the parts that were provided by the subcontractor, Gerstenmaier said.

"There's no concern about anything that's on orbit," he added.

___

On the Net:

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070726/ap_ ... e_sabotage
---------- ADS -----------
 
FamilyGuy
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 548
Joined: Mon Mar 22, 2004 10:54 am

Post by FamilyGuy »

Well between the overt acts of sabotage and those 2 GInormous fireballs of death strapped under the wings, giant overlord ants and the chance of burning up on re-entry - of course they're gonna have a few before flight!!! :shock: Hell, I don't think I'd be sober the whole flight. Maybe that's why NASA didnt accept my resume...A la la boom be yaa

DUH.
---------- ADS -----------
 
ettw
Rank 8
Rank 8
Posts: 817
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:33 pm
Location: CYFB or CNS4

Post by ettw »

If you asked me to strap myself to 2 solid rocket boosters and a tank of highly flamable rocket fuel, I'd be tanked to before I got in too!!!

A beer every 5 minutes till I pass out and a beer every 15 minutes after that would be my moto!! Why is anyone surprised?

Cheers,

ETTW
---------- ADS -----------
 
1. The company pays me to make money for it.
2. If the company doesn't make money neither do I
3. I still hate simulators
twotterflyer
Rank 2
Rank 2
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2005 10:33 am

Post by twotterflyer »

Me Too please!!
---------- ADS -----------
 
. ._
Top Poster
Top Poster
Posts: 7374
Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2004 5:50 pm
Location: Cowering in my little room because the Water Cooler is locked.
Contact:

Post by . ._ »

Heavy alcohol use is considered over 4 drinks in a session or more than 14 per week.

So a guy has 1 beer per hour for 5 hours at a party. He has participated in heavy drinking according to the experts.

I have a feeling this was sensationalist journalism. I doubt very highly any astronaut would be boozed up by lift off.

-istp :roll:
---------- ADS -----------
 
North Shore
Rank Moderator
Rank Moderator
Posts: 5621
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 3:47 pm
Location: Straight outta Dundarave...

Post by North Shore »

I'm with ISTP on this. Given that the astronauts have lived spaceflight for many years, the fact that there are so few launches, and that everyone has an understudy in case they get sick before their flight, I highly doubt that they'd jeopardise one of their few chances to fly by getting drunk prior to going.

My vote is for idiot journalists.. :roll:
---------- ADS -----------
 
Say, what's that mountain goat doing up here in the mist?
Happiness is V1 at Thompson!
Ass, Licence, Job. In that order.
cityflyer
Rank 0
Rank 0
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2007 6:11 pm

Post by cityflyer »

The stars in Hollywood love to drive under the influence.....

Its a fad to be drunk at the controls at the moment.. :D
---------- ADS -----------
 
WING IT
Rank 1
Rank 1
Posts: 31
Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:00 am
Location: Toronto

Post by WING IT »

istp wrote:Heavy alcohol use is considered over 4 drinks in a session or more than 14 per week.

So a guy has 1 beer per hour for 5 hours at a party. He has participated in heavy drinking according to the experts.

I have a feeling this was sensationalist journalism. I doubt very highly any astronaut would be boozed up by lift off.

-istp :roll:
What does it mean when you consume over 14 drink in one session, and do this 4 times a week? :drinkers: :partyman: :smt030 :smt078
---------- ADS -----------
 
golden hawk
Rank 7
Rank 7
Posts: 696
Joined: Thu Oct 07, 2004 8:43 am

Post by golden hawk »

---------- ADS -----------
 
ahramin
Rank Moderator
Rank Moderator
Posts: 6317
Joined: Tue Feb 17, 2004 5:21 pm
Location: Vancouver

Post by ahramin »

Image
---------- ADS -----------
 
Post Reply

Return to “General Comments”