Comments on: August 18, 2025 Quick space links

By: wayne

wayne — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 11:37:08 +0000

Mitch–
Totally forgot about Ice Station Zebra!

Edward–
Thank you!

By: Edward

Edward — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 18:32:11 +0000

David M. Cook,
It is Hollywood. They get all kinds of things wrong in their movies, then we take them as gospel. Garbage in, gospel out.

It makes a good story within the story, so go with it.
____________
Mitch S.,
Here is the clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ht_Z_Dn3Uc (2 minutes)

By: David M. Cook

David M. Cook — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:49:43 +0000

“German scientists” never made Russian rockets! Some of them were taken to Russia for their knowledge, but were soon returned. (most went to the US). The Germans were not trusted or liked. Korelev & others built Russian rockets.

By: Ray Van Dune

Ray Van Dune — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 16:21:56 +0000

Every time I hear departed hero Willie McCool’s name, I am reminded of the NPR host Tavis Smiley’s faux pas when interviewing him live on-orbit, an interview I heard live, while commuting.

Tavis, a noted black radio personality, fell into the stereotype trap of assuming that Willie was black, and asked him if he hoped to be a role model for black youth!

Now, I knew Willie McCool was a Scots-Irish redhead, and I realized immediately that Tavis had him confused with Payload Commander Mike Anderson, LtCol USAF, who was indeed black.

Willie handled the question with aplomb. He said something like “Well, I hope I can be a role model for ALL youth, but Mike Anderson might be especially effective for black youth, seeing as how he’s black himself! Would you like to talk to him about it?”

I don’t remember how Smiley extricated himself from that flub, which he would have savaged anyone else for! I was probably too busy trying to get my car out of the ditch where I had driven it, while convulsed with laughter!

By: Mitch S.

Mitch S. — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 13:30:39 +0000

Wayne, no “Ice Station Zebra” clips?

“The Russians put our camera made by our German scientists and your film made by your German scientists into their rocket made by their German scientists “

By: pawn

pawn — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 10:31:18 +0000

Naming a Cygnus cargo stage that will burn up on re-entry after Willie McCool is pretty crass or something.

Who does things like this? Sounds like something 4chan or South Park would do.

Did they even ask his family?

Good grief..

By: wayne

wayne — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 00:26:22 +0000

Here we go:

“A Point in Time: The Corona Story”
CIA Directorate of Science & Technology (1972)
Synthetic image enhancement by Retro Space (2024)
https://youtu.be/l2hnYFBzM1M?t=233
(57:42)