Re: [sarex] Loose lips sink ships, etc.

[Margaret Leber <maggie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert Oler wrote:


> I just dont like the "Frank Burns" viewpoint which is that unless we 
> blindly follow our leaders how can our concepts of democracy work.

Of course not, and I haven't heard anybody support such a point of view 
here.

But please, let's distinguish between "blindly following our leaders" 
and "blindly complaining about something we're not really informed 
about". I know you oppose "blind faith", and rightly so. But please take 
care that you do not endorse other forms of blindness in the process. :-)

The reason ISS callsigns are what they are (even when what they are is 
"NOCALL") have been very much publically available and openly discussed 
for some time. I can understand folks rolling on to the scene right now 
in these exciting days and assuming that configuring the TNC up there is 
a trivial matter.

After all, (one says to onself) it's a fricken *space station* for 
goodness sake! How hard can it be to type a few commands? :-)

"Ivanova, set MYCALL to R0ISS!"
"Acknowleged, Captain Sheridan!"

It's only when you're tuned into the recent ARISS history that the 
reasons such relatively simple things are now so complicated become 
clearer. Frank was kind enough to provide an explanation to the list as 
to the background of some of these issues, and what the ARISS team is 
doing to resolve them, and he did a great job.

  As aviators, you and I both understand why things that seem simple on 
the ground get vastly more complex (and *excruciatingly* more 
important--vital to mission and crew safety) one you are airborne, and 
even more so on-orbit, and *trebly* so in a craft as complex as Alpha.

I'm itching myself for the next load up to have in it a Palm Pilot 
loaded with ptelnet and a serial cable. But it can't.

Why? Not only because it hasn't been manifested, but particularly 
because Palm Pilots aren't space-qualified. That isn't foot-dragging, 
any more than not buying wing bolts for your airplane at Home Depot is 
footdragging. It's How Things Are Done, and the reason is ensuring crew 
safety and mission integrity. Following such standards and procedures is 
not "blind faith in authority", it's a mantra to make sure we don't make 
deadly mistakes by overlooking small but important details.

> Keep up the fine work Maggie.

As Ben Stein says, "I shall do my best..." :-)

73 de Maggie K3XS


-- 
-----/___.   _)   Margaret Stephanie Leber    / "The art of progress  /
----/(, /|  /| http://voicenet.com/~maggie   / consists of preserving/
---/   / | / |  _   _   _    `  _AOPA 925383/ order amid change and /
--/ ) /  |/  |_(_(_(_/_(_/__(__(/_  FN20hd / change amid order."   /
-/ (_/   '  K3XS  .-/ .-/    ARRL 39280   /___ --A.N.Whitehead ___/
/____ICQ 7161096_(_/_(_/__AMSAT 32844____/ <maggie@voicenet.com>


----
Via the sarex mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe sarex" to Majordomo@amsat.org