I just "picked up" an astronaut...

[FL_Native]

I was out smoking a cigarette and an astronaut just happened to be walking by (I work at KSC). She stopped and we introduced ourselves, she is one of the latest graduates of astronaut candidate training, clas of 2004. We started chatting about what we do and I asked her if she'd like to take a quick tour of our facility (we make the heat tiles for the shuttle). I got to give her a short tour and show her what I do, she seemed very interested. It was so cool, her name is Dottie Metcalf-Lindenbuger. She hasn't flown yet and is not on the schedule, but it was still an honor. These people are the rock stars of my industry.

[Califreak]

So did I!

[library user]

If they lived far away from each other, could they handle that?

I suppose it depends.

[So Cal Rocket]

I’ve had the opportunity to meet 10 of the 12 astronauts that have walked on the moon (all but Armstrong and Irwin) - and they are certainly a special breed.

I have a special recollection of Pete Conrad who bailed me out of a jam at work one time by turning on the astronaut charm with my customer. He had stuff on his office wall that should be in a museum... In fact, it probably is now.

[mass55th]

"I got to the hyphenated last name and stopped reading."

I'm with you.

[Cheapskate]

She’s pretty cute!!!

[DigitalVideoDude]

I guess I’m ignorant. So both the husband and wife agree to hyphenate their last names and they both change their last names to the hyphenated version? I thought just the wife desired to do that. My bad.

[Nonstatist]

Educator Mission Specialist

What the eff is that? Another dumbass school teacher ?.. Talk about dumbing down requirements!!

[NonValueAdded]

yes, Serenity^™ is always important in that type of relationship :)

[NonValueAdded]

Shame on you. Did you ever hear Christa McAuliffe's interview played the night before the launch? She was perfect for that mission. Now that I think about it, I had the same reaction then as I did recently when I learned about the choice of Sarah Palin. It blew me away. McAuliffe would have captured the imagination of an entire generation of new engineers, talent we desperately need right now. It was a tragedy in so many ways.

It was not on her that NASA put public relations ahead of safety.

I agree that riding the space shuttle is not the same as a school bus but then again, it isn't the Mercury program either. Somewhere in between is the standard. But there are some damned fine teachers out there and I hope that is what NASA is reaching for.

[cripplecreek]

Those first rocket jockeys were a whole different breed.

McDivitt joined the Air Force in 1951 and retired with the rank of Brig. General. He flew 145 combat missions during the Korean War in F-80s and F-86s.

He is a graduate of the USAF Experimental Test Pilot School and the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot course and served as an experimental test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

He has logged over 5,000 flying hours.

NASA EXPERIENCE: General McDivitt was selected as an astronaut by NASA in September 1962.

He was command pilot for Gemini 4, a 66-orbit 4-day mission that began on June 3, and ended June 7, 1965. Highlights of the mission included a controlled extra-vehicular activity period and a number of experiments.

He was commander of Apollo 9, a 10-day earth orbital flight launched on March 3, 1969. This was the first flight of the complete set of Apollo hardware and was the first flight of the Lunar Module.

He became Manager of Lunar Landing Operations in May 1969, and led a team that planned the lunar exploration program and redesigned the spacecraft to accomplish this task. In August 1969, he became Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program and was the program manger for Apollo 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16.

[Cagey]

I always wanted to be a Video Ranger.

[Daffynition]

HAHAHAHA! I can see you with a flamethrower now!

[Nailbiter]

ping