NASA shuttle pilot visits AEDC

  • Published
  • By Philip Lorenz III
  • AEDC/PA
Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn. --  Space buffs and those who have dreamed of becoming an astronaut got an unexpected treat at Arnold Engineering Development Center's (AEDC) Arnold Lakeside Club Monday. 

NASA Space Shuttle Astronaut Dr. Kevin Ford, (Colonel, USAF, Ret.), paid an impromptu visit to the base with more than 50 people getting a chance to meet with him and ask questions. 

Dr. Ford will pilot the space shuttle Discovery to the International Space Station as part of the 11-day STS-128 mission, scheduled to launch Aug. 6. 

He said being an astronaut is a challenging and rewarding profession, but he was also quick to dispel some of the more romanticized views many people seem to have of the space program and the astronauts who participate in the missions. 

Dr. Ford encouraged those interested in joining the astronaut corps to be persistent. 

To help make that point, he spoke about several rejection letters he had received from NASA before finally being accepted into the program. 

Speaking to some Air Force officers, he said, "First off, do the job that you have really well. No matter what your specialty is, somebody needs to do it. So, do that really well first." 

He said there are no guarantees when it comes to being accepted into the astronaut corps, but improving one's education increases the likelihood that a prospect will be eligible. 

"Do take the time to advance your education, even if it's one class at a time," he said. "I worked through my master's degree for engineering at the University of Florida, one class at a time. It was about a three-year process." 

Frank Langham, an Aerospace Testing Alliance (ATA) engineering consultant with more than 30 years at AEDC, met Dr. Ford and said hearing his advice should give those interested in joining the astronaut corps hope. 

"I almost went the space route," he said. "At one time I thought about applying, but my faith, family and dedication to the career path I was on was where my efforts went." 

Langham, who spent most of career at AEDC as an analysis engineer at the Propulsion Wind Tunnel facility, said Dr. Ford's "down to earth manner" encouraged those who had the opportunity to meet him and field some questions, making it clear that "no question is dumb." 

"Dr. Ford's main point was never give up on your dreams and be the best at your profession, whether it's engineering, the Air Force officers corps, or whatever else you're pursuing professionally for that matter," he said. 

Tom Hartvigsen, who has been a mechanical design engineer at AEDC for 35 years, said he enjoyed having a chance to meet Dr. Ford, but having the chance to ask him some questions was a pleasant surprise. 

"Certainly one of the things I would come away from meeting with him is that if you want to be an astronaut, persistence pays," he said. "I have always been a space buff since I was a small child when I dreamt that someday I too might be an astronaut and go into space. It is probably not going to happen for me anymore as a NASA astronaut, but going into orbit as a space tourist is the number one item on my bucket list." 

Hartvigsen said Dr. Ford's visit was significant to him in another way. 

"I have been involved in some of the tests of the shuttle external tank hardware that were performed at AEDC over the last several years," he explained. "I have some knowledge of aeroacoustics, vibration and the associated hardware that came in handy for the NASA shuttle tests." 

Hartvigsen and others felt fortunate to have a chance to ask Dr. Ford a few questions during his brief visit. 

"I asked Dr. Ford about the best glide ratio for the orbiter on the landing approach because in videos I have seen of the orbiter on the landing approach it looked like a pretty steep angle and I guessed that it was a pretty inefficient glider," Hartvigsen said. "Indeed it is, but actually a little better than I would have guessed. I would have estimated about 4-to-1 by the looks of it but he said about 6-to-1, and from his numbers, that is probably about right. I fly a Pitts S-2Bwhich is an aerobatic bi-plane with symmetrical airfoil wings and it too is a very poor glider. I always tell people that ask me how well it glides engine out and that it's about the only aircraft I know of that might be a worse glider is the shuttle orbiter. Now I may have to revise that statement and use a manhole cover with a plumber's satchel on it in place of the shuttle orbiter." 

Capt. Chuck McNiel, aeropropulsion test technology lead at AEDC who was recently accepted to attend Air Force Test Pilot School, said Dr. Ford had some interesting information to share. 

"I have met a few astronauts and it's always a very cool experience because you know that there are only a handful of them in the world and that they are very unique people. 

"I definitely will apply for the astronaut corps after I graduate from Test Pilot School. That is my long-term goal - to become an astronaut, but I figure the chances are very slim so I still want to focus on my Air Force career and make sure that I'm doing what I like. I have heard many stories of people that lived their whole life to try and get accepted to the astronaut program, only to never be accepted and have lived a life they didn't really want. So, some good advice I have received is to do what you like to do, and try to be the best at it - and if NASA thinks you're astronaut material then so be it." 

Trey Zarecor, a sophomore at Auburn University pursuing a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, said meeting an astronaut was exciting and the information he provided was well thought out and informative. 

"It answered a lot of questions I had about his part in the space program in particular," said Zarecor, whose parents both work for ATA. "His answers were also very interesting in terms of what goes into preparing for a shuttle launch. 

"For me, it's an experience that I can look back on years later and still say, "Wow, I met an astronaut. He's actually gone into space." 

Zarecor asked Dr. Ford about the prospects for civilians who want to apply for the astronaut corps. 

"His responses were very encouraging to me as a civilian," he said. "Basically the message I got from him was if you're persistent and able to do what is asked of you, while still maintaining creativity in your field as a specialist, then your chances of being accepted into the astronaut corps increase dramatically. While there is still uncertainty due to the sheer number of applicants, your chances are much greater than average. 

"I would hopefully be able to make the astronaut corps myself, and going into space on one of the later missions. Perhaps I could even assist with the construction of the proposed moon bases at some point. To be able to say that you were part of the program to make habitation on another planet possible would be truly awe inspiring." 

Lt. Col. Vanessa Bond, the commander of the 716th Test Squadron, who received her doctorate in aerospace engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology, also met with Dr. Ford. \

"Colonel Ford was one of my instructors at USAF Test Pilot School, so I already knew him," she said. "He was a great instructor. 

"From my conversation with him, I took away that you should never give up your dreams. He applied four times before he made it. I have been interviewed twice, once, this past January. I plan to apply again when the next call goes out. It will be a few years from now."