Faculty Member Sees Former Student Fulfill Dream
Alumna Rode Shuttle Into Space With Well Wishes of Her Former Mentor
August 23, 2007
By John A. Olmsted, emeritus professor of chemistry and biochemistry
Experiencing a launch of the space shuttle, especially if you know one of the crew, is the thrill of a lifetime. I was honored that Tracy Caldwell, my former student and advisee who was MS-1 (first mission specialist) on the STS-118 crew, invited me to attend the launch of this mission as one of her family/friend guests. Of course my wife, Eileen, and I accepted the invitation.
The launch was scheduled for Aug. 7, with preliminary briefings the
day before. As we traveled to Florida, we discovered that the launch
was delayed by a day, which turned out to be for the better. We arrived
at Kennedy Space Center a bit after noon on L-2 (launch minus 2 — two
days before the flight) where we joined about 50 other astronaut guests
waiting in line to receive passes and instructions for the next two days.
L-1 (launch minus 1) was anything but leisurely. Our launch briefing and tour was scheduled for 11:30, done by astronaut Suni Williams, who had spent 195 days at the space station before returning on the most recent space shuttle flight.
After learning all about the preparations for the launch and its mission (primarily, to continue space station construction by delivering a third starboard truss segment), we boarded seven buses —one for each of the astronauts family and friends — for a tour of the space center launch complex.
The bus tour was routine until our last stop, a field near the launch
platform, where the seven astronauts were waiting. Because of health
quarantine rules, we were not allowed closer than about 10 feet from
our heroes, but that was close enough to share greetings and best wishes,
get some photographs, and – if we were lucky, as both Eileen
and I were — catch souvenir chocolate bars tossed by our astronaut
(yes, we ate them, but we saved the wrappers).
Because of health quarantine regulations, family and friends gave their
best wishes to Tracy Caldwell from a distance. In this photo, Tracy
tosses souvenir chocolate bars to her guests.
After the bus tour, we just had time to view an I-Max movie at Kennedy Space Center before the evening’s entertainment, a “Know your Connection Reception,” put on by Tracy for all her invitees. The reception had been scheduled for launch day (Aug. 7) as a “light brunch,” but because of the delay was changed to a buffet supper, which turned out to be quite lavish. It was held at Brevard Community College Planetarium, which houses several interesting exhibits celebrating astronauts, with an emphasis on those from other countries.
We indeed got to know others’ connections. Tracy’s family was all there, including parents, sisters and cousins. The pediatrician who delivered her and her high school math teacher and track coach were there. There were mentors and friends from the universities she attended – CSUF, UC Davis (where she got her doctorate) and UC Irvine (where she did a brief post-doc). And there were other friends, including a young woman whom she got to know while in Russia on assignment to the Russian space agency, a neighbor in Houston, and her current boyfriend. The evening included everyone getting together in the auditorium where Tracy’s mom talked about Tracy and several of us were prompted to offer vignettes about our interactions with her.
On launch day, we quickly found our way to the bleachers from which
we could watch the launch. An electronic clock marked the countdown
to the launch, which was not yet assured, inasmuch as there might be
last-minute weather problems around Kennedy or the two alternate landing
areas (Spain and Italy) in the event of the need to abort the mission
between liftoff and escape from Earth’s gravity. We couldn’t
help but wonder why Florida, the lightning capital of the U.S., as
well as target of occasional hurricanes, was chosen as the primary
launch site. While we were waiting, Suni Williams once again briefed
us, and a TV monitor showed occasional exchanges between the shuttle
crew and the ground personnel.
Suni Williams, who spent 195 days at the space station before returning
to Earth on the most recent shuttle flight to STS-118, gave guests
a briefing.
The launch was flawless (it was only later that the damage caused by dislodged foam was discovered). Even from a couple of miles distance, liftoff is awesome, both in sight and sound. Listening to the description of the maneuvers that take place during launch (rotation of the shuttle to keep the thrust pointing downward, throttling back when 3G acceleration is reached, jettisoning the reusable solid rockets and the disposable external fuel tanks) helped us realize how immensely complicated the launch is and what a fantastic technological accomplishment it is. In a little over eight minutes, Endeavor was hurtled into space and aimed at the international space station.
Once the shuttle was safely in outer space, we quickly re-boarded our buses and returned to the humdrum world – a California-style traffic jam as all the other launch-watchers headed homeward at the same time. We eventually got back to the parking lot, said farewells to Tracy’s other fans, and prepared for our return home.
Meanwhile, the shuttle docked with the space station, and Tracy was floating around doing her work, pony tail streaming behind her as she pushed off one wall and floated to another. She celebrated her 38th birthday on Aug. 14 – a birthday in outer space!
On Tracy’s birthday, we watched a live set of interviews that NASA set up with all the major news networks. The highlight was when one of the newscasters asked the three astronauts – the pilot, Barbara Morgan and Tracy – if they would demonstrate somersaults. They looked at one another, shrugged and turned topsy-turvy. Tracy, being an accomplished athlete (among other talents), did a perfect one, then reined in Barbara, who was floating camera-ward as she came out of her tumble.
And now our astronaut is back on Earth. I couldn’t be more proud.
Back to Top
Produced by the Office of Public Affairs at California State University, Fullerton.