Comments on: Looking Back…

By: Marian

Marian — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:55:47 +0000

Dwight, you have my heart-felt sympathy and empathy. Those references just NEVER go away, do they? No matter where you go, or what you do in life, you’ll always be “Dwight – the guy who messed up in THE GRIFFITH OBSERVER”.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:53:00 +0000

one thing you can bet will happen after 2012,,,i’ll be 2013.lol

By: Dwight Decker

Dwight Decker — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:32:14 +0000

According to THE DISNEY FILMS by Leonard Maltin (Bonanza, 1973), “Man in Space” was first shown on the Disney TV show March 9, 1955. It was later released theatrically, which could explain some confusion about the date. This is a sore spot for me because I got a little confused myself about the release date for this program when I was writing an article that recently appeared in THE GRIFFITH OBSERVER. I think I typoed the date as 1954 (the result of a too quick glance at the reference book and seeing “1954-1955 season”), and worse yet, gave the title as “MEN in Space.” If the world does end in 2012, at least I’ll have the consolation of knowing that my goof won’t be sitting there in cold type mocking me for as long as paper endures…

By: harvey jones

harvey jones — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:06:06 +0000

I am an avid reader of your blog from the Wales in the UK.

I think sincere congratulations for the unbelievable amount of world class aerospace engineering that has gone into the entire program. also deep respect to the men and women who continue to push the boundraries of human accomplishment in our ever increasing thirst for knowledge.

An excellent blog – thank you

By: Marian

Marian — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 06:38:05 +0000

Thanks, Dwight– that’s a reference I missed. I didn’t think that “Man in Space” showed up until after 1959 in the “Tomorrowland” adventure series. I know it was reissued in 2004 as part of the “Walt Disney Treasure Lines”, along with “Man and the Moon”, and “Mars and Beyond”. Appreciate the information!

By: Dwight Decker

Dwight Decker — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:37:07 +0000

The Disney TV show did a program shown in 1955 (“Man in Space”) that depicted the first manned flight into space using something Shuttle-like. It was a winged craft launched into orbit on top of a multi-stage booster rocket, and at the end of the flight, the winged part with the crew landed like a jet plane. Other than for being mounted on top of the booster instead of on the side, it was pretty much the Shuttle concept. Since Wernher von Braun was Disney’s technical advisor, my guess is that it shows how early von Braun was playing with the idea that became the Shuttle.

By: Harbles

Harbles — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:26:24 +0000

A real shame to see this unique technology being abandoned after finally figuring out hot to do it right as witnessed by the flawless STS-129 mission. For interested space freaks I direct you to this difinitive lecture series at MIT aeronautics By Jeff Hoffman and Aaron Cohen 16.885J / ESD.35J Aircraft Systems Engineering 22 3 hour video lectures on the history and design of the STS by someof the people who made it happen.

By: Trudy

Trudy — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 00:38:48 +0000

Thanks Nasa for all you do to take us to places never thought possible.
May God bless all the families involved with all of the Nasa projects

God Bless You

Trudy