A neighbor of mine in Kansas City had worked as a programmer for a NASA contractor. He suggested a software patch (a backdoor) to allow control of shuttle operations onboard. Boss said “Not in the specs. Work it on your own time if you like.” So he did. And Apollo 13 redirect back home became possible because of his code. I am sure there are thousands of other stories of too-seldom acknowledged bits of engineering creativity and foresight.
Some place I have the B&W negs of the shots I took of the landing. (From my tv screen.) Stan Sent from my iPad > On Jul 20, 2019, at 3:46 PM, Daniel J. Matyola <danmaty...@gmail.com> wrote: > > I agree with everything you said, Godfrey, except, of course, the moon is > not really "another planet.' That does not in any measure diminish the > achievement or what it has meant. > > Dan Matyola > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola > > > On Sat, Jul 20, 2019 at 1:21 PM Godfrey DiGiorgi <godfreydigio...@me.com> > wrote: > >> And today is the day, 50 years on, that Mankind first touched another >> planet. All of us, together. OMG! The whole world watched in awe and >> wonder, and was uplifted by that fact. >> >> All the problems of the world were then as well as now, as well as for all >> the generations of history before and since. That will always be. And the >> true sadness of the Apollo missions, despite all that pushing to do this >> and creating all the technology and good stuff that it spawned which helps >> human beings live longer, be more productive, and look at the world and the >> stars around them with new insights, is that it ended and we haven't gone >> back or further yet. >> >> But, g*****n it, we managed to do something incredible. We did something >> worth writing in the history of our species that no other species we know >> has done. And all the naysayers and querulous ambivalents in the world can >> moan and whine and whinge about whether we should have or not, but it >> doesn't matter at all: We managed to do it, and it was good, and it is >> amazing, and it brought all of us worldwide together for one shining moment >> of joy and wonder. >> >> If that's not worth whatever it cost, then nothing is. >> >> G >> — >> No matter where you go, there you are. >> -- >> PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List >> PDML@pdml.net >> http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net >> to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and >> follow the directions. >> > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > PDML@pdml.net > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow > the directions. -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
