Pilot and Family Gets A Chance of A Lifetime
Thanks to NASA
It all started out innocently enough. It was cold News Years eve just a few years back and I was traveling to my brother’s house for the annual New Years Eve party. No big deal… Been there, done that several times before. Ever since my daughter was born, my wife and I had always elected to celebrate events like these with family and friends close to home. Those days of going out (to Times Square) and painting the town red were distant memories. However, a funny thing happened at this particular New Years Eve party… Something that would make this New Years Eve, and a little event that was to occur 2 years later, a moment to savor and remember.
My brother’s wife Maria makes a living offering hotel conference space and rooms to Fortune 500 and 1000 companies. The hotel she promoted at the time was a five star one out of Houston Texas so it wouldn’t be a far stretch for me to know that one of her customers would be the Johnson Space Center and of course the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA). However, nothing would have prepared me for this New Years Eve when (at the last minute) I was informed that someone pretty special people would be attending this family festivity.
As both a general aviation and CAP pilot for the last 20 years, I have been lucky enough to fly several different types of aircraft from Cessna’s and Pipers all the way to aerobatic flying in 300 Extra’s (with the military T-34 Mentor somewhere in the middle) so it safe to say that I was no stranger to the space program and it’s hero’s. Sure, I followed baseball and football, which in my mind are still the most popular sporting pastimes in the United States, but my hero’s from the start have always been those star voyagers (or as we call them…astronauts) who challenged gravity and our imaginations by doing the impossible. They might not be able to hit a fastball 450 feet into the bleachers of Yankee stadium or Wrigley Field but what they could do was let loose ones imagination and set a new bar to what our species can do. My early years consisted of making and launching rockets, radio controlled aircraft and following the space program as close as one could at that time. The first flights I remember were from the Gemini program and I had a bigger scrapbook for NASA then the ones I had put together for my favorite baseball players at the time: Mickey Mantle and Willy Mays.
If you asked me who the original seven Mercury astronauts were, I could easily blurt that information out to you without any hesitation. Ask me about the Gemini program and I could tell you who those new nine astronauts were and Apollo! Well Apollo, if you had a week, I could give you the personal bio’s of the 12 luckiest individuals on the planet who took me to the moon with them. I would eventually meet two of the original seven astronauts (Alan Sheppard and John Glenn) and to this day meeting them was like meeting the Pope. A thrill of a lifetime...
So you could imagine my excitement when I was told that a NASA astronaut would be at my brothers house (with no where to run) that evening and I would have an audience with this individual, not just for a mere 10 or 15 minutes in a public setting but for the entire night! Well in hindsight, I can now look back and say that I really felt sorry for this individual. The poor guy was locked in a room with a NASA fanatic who like a three year old would be shooting question after question regarding the Space Shuttle program at him. Try as I might have to be cool (after all, I was a pilot myself and no stranger to high G environments and to aerobatic flying) there was still the little kid in me who wanted to come out and say “hey mister…are you really really really and astronaut?”
My sister en law ‘s contact at NASA was a women named Michelle. Now Michelle might not be an astronaut but she was no stranger to the astronaut environment. She in fact is one of the individuals who actually trained the astronauts on shuttle systems and to me that vocation alone speaks volumes itself. Michelle in my mind was just plain cool. It was through her that I met her then boyfriend at the time astronaut Ken Ham. As I mentioned earlier, I had met several astronauts through my travels working in the aviation industry. Astronauts in general usually have a certain aire about them. When they walk into a room, you know it. When they spoke, people usually dropped what they were doing and listened to their conversations... There is no need for afterburner when an astronaut is in the room. The glow projecting from them usually could be seen for miles. When I first met Ken Ham, I was amazed how unassuming and down to earth this guy was. Here he was, an astronaut, a Space Shuttle pilot and he could have easily been mistaken for the average Joe next door. Sure, he hadn’t gotten his ride yet (or his gold pin) but still, after a career in the Navy, Ken was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, an F-18 pilot, and was also a graduate of the prestigious Navel Test Pilot School. I knew the moment I sat down with him that this evening would be very special one… and it was!
Through the conversation that transpired that night, I found out that Ken was actually a local boy whose parents lived just a few towns away from where I lived. He in fact went to the same high school where in an earlier life I had taught and became a baseball coach. (Johnson Regional High School in New Jersey) and he was right now sitting next to me actually living the life I had dreamed of 20 years earlier. The night was incredible and I left that evening feeling renewed about everything. From talking with Ken that evening, I again learned the valuable lesson that at any age, dreams were still indeed possible. Ken was living proof of that fact. Thanks sister en law…and brother Andrew… I owe you big time on this one!
Cut to February of 2008. Now, I had sent some company polo shirts to Ken after our meeting but it wasn’t until the February (over 2 years later) that I received the news that Ken was going to finally get his ride. 10 years after he joined the program, he would be the Shuttle Pilot and prime crew member on STS 124. This was good news but that wasn’t all. I would actually be invited to his launch party the night before, would get to tour Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and experience the launch first hand right at KSC the very next day. Now I didn’t even know what a launch party was at the time but I knew it would again be one very special evening capped off by one the “greatest shows on earth”. I am happy to report that this prior billing of the event would be right on the mark.
After spending a week at Disney World, We drove the 90 minutes to Cocoa Beach for the launch party and other activities at the Holiday Inn in town. We checked into the hotel and after walking the beach that afternoon, and trying to find the exact location where the “I dream of Jeannie’s bottle”, popped up on the beach for Major Nelson, we mozied over to the party. It would be safe to say that at this party (and all through that day) we met some very interesting people. When they say you are going to meet the most intelligent individuals at this party, they weren’t kidding. So what’s it like to be in a room of astronauts, military pilots, rocket scientists, high-level military personnel, NASA staff members and their families? I can tell you it’s a humbling experience to say the least. It is customary that every astronaut has this launch party and that he invites those who have helped in his career to get to this day. I felt extremely privileged to be around Ken’s family and around all the professionals that knew him much better than I did and had helped make this happen. I wanted to also mention that the folks at NASA are some of the nicest and most respectful people I have ever met in my many years of traveling.
It was just hours earlier That Ken and the other 6 members of prime crew STS 124 were across a rope barrier in front of their magnificent machine saying “see you later” to the group of well-wishers who were waving back at them. From what I witnessed, some of these participants were also in their own way-saying goodbye to their loved ones just in case the unthinkable happened... I will tell you, it truly takes a courageous individual to do what these NASA astronauts do. Yes, they are excited about the upcoming mission (and all the work and luck that it takes to get them in the rotation) but at the same time, the pressure of doing their jobs right while also knowing that by doing this, they may never see their loved ones again has to be pretty gut wrenching. One might argue that the luster of Apollo was gone to the average American citizen but for those who believe the dream is still alive (and who attended any of the seven launch parties held that evening) they will tell you that this was just an amazing experience.
The next day was even more incredible. I wore my special STS 124 shirt along with my yellow VIP ribbon that stated I was a “special guest of Ken Ham” and proceeded to Kennedy Space Center. All seven prime crewmembers gave ribbons out to family and friend members that week. All were color coded differently so you can tell who was with whom. With my special KSC parking pass, I entered the facility and was treated to a space shuttle simulation ride that in my mind was far better than I expected. My wife and daughter enjoyed this simulation and the sight of the Apollo 18, Saturn V moon aircraft (which never flew and was cancelled due to budget cuts in the 70’s) lying sideways was truly breathtaking for all to see. At the Space Center (KSC), all day you could watch the live pictures and look at the IMAX movies while you waited for your busses to take you the launch site. Pictures were taken of my family and me with a mock up of the space shuttle in the background for posterity purposes. The trip on the bus was uneventful but when we reached the site 5 miles in the distance, there she stood on Pad 39 A. On the same pad known for launching the Saturn V moon missions, Discovery was waiting to be lit. During my maneuvering to get the best view I could get, I encountered other special guest tag members who wore different colored ribbons and must admit that at times entered into a friendly “my astronaut is better than your astronaut” dialog. It might have been interesting for someone out side of this conversation to witness two full grown adults arguing like 5 year olds on which astronaut was most important to the mission but if you know NASA, you also know competition is encouraged. Just not usually by those who aren’t even with the program. The launch had a few holds but the day was beautiful and launch proceeded without a hitch.
Now regarding the launch itself, it should be said even though my 11-year-old daughter was happy to be out of school for the May 31 launch, she has never been one to be that interested in the space program. Sure, she enjoyed the simulator (ride) at KSC and liked going to parties and posing with astronauts, rocket scientists and high level military personnel but overall, she had never witnessed this kind of event other than the 5 or 10 seconds feed the networks gave us during these launches. That was about to change. As we got closer to the launch, Jenny took a good look around and saw that this was something that most people will never get to experience. Immediately, she pulled out her camera and started to take pictures. You would have thought she was with a famous magazine popping off picture after picture like a professional. I myself forgot to do this and was watching in awe and trying to take in the whole experience in but not my Jennifer. She was snapping away trying to get every detail correct for the photo album. At T- minus 9 minutes and counting, my thoughts were actually with Michelle Ham (now Ken’s wife) and their immediate family who at this time were being escorted to the roof of NASA’s Launch Control Center. How many times these family’s have had to endure those last few minutes in the company of NASA family escorts just waiting for the launch. Talk about nerves of steel! Thinking about that, I think NASA should also give out medals for the wives and the families that have to endure this countdown (sometimes several times) before it actually occurs! At T-minus 5 minutes Jennifer continued filming and taking pictures all at the same time. I took as many pictures as I could but again, my thoughts went to the top of that roof across from the 500-foot maintenance facility and I prayed. Don’t get me wrong I was excited and envious of Ken but still after looking at that magnificent beast in the distance, my mind was racing with possibilities.
Anyone who has witnessed a launch from Kennedy Space Center will tell you that when those candles (solid rocket boosters) are lit they can be compared to two small bright balls of light (like small suns) rising slowly into the sky. The sound travels much slower than light so it took several seconds for the thunderous roar to reach us and that it did. The shock vibration on this vehicle makes it certain that if you were standing too close to this rocket at liftoff, the shock wave emanating from the launch pad would definitely have killed you. The majestic blue sky seemed to invite Discovery to climb and climb it did. As the vehicle cleared the tower, it seemed to pick up speed and left a smoke trail that can only be described as awesome! The crowd on the causeway cheered as if they had just witnessed a game winning home run in the 7th game of the World Series. I could hear myself and everyone around me yelling the age old spacelaunch yell…”Go”… as this magnificent bird headed skyward. The atmosphere was electric! Discovery would then start its roll and would be out of sight in just a few minutes but right now it was a spectacular sight to behold. The last thing I was able to see from my vantage point was the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) split and starting to head back towards earth. After the launch, you eyes naturally go back down to the launch pad and follow the cloud path the shuttle had taken, Most people I have talked to after the launch felt as I did…a little sad that it was all over. I guess in some small way, we were all prime crew members for this one mission and I wondered what Ken was feeling at this moment. This unassuming guy was now rocketing towards MECO (main engine cutoff) and soon after would be in earth orbit experiencing zero gravity. A journey only a select few ever experience.
As the rocket headed into the upper atmosphere and visibility was lost, all that was left on the pad was the smoke trail that winded to the right and straight towards the heavens. The roar of the engines was long gone and all was quiet and back to normal in sunny central Florida. As we entered our bus, I noticed my daughter as excited and energized, as I had never seen her before. She was talking about the launch and of how awesome it was and how she couldn’t wait to tell everyone she knew, and those she didn’t, how fantastic it was to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience. As we entered the gates of KSC, my uninterested daughter now was taking pictures of everything. The static rockets, the capsules, the permanently frozen launch time display (May 31st 5:02PM) that showed the exact time Discovery had left the launch pad. I think she took pictures of everything that was or wasn’t nailed down. She even took pictures of the bus driver and of cloud formations along the way. Watching my daughter, I can only imagine how many other children (who were lucky enough to be in this same position) were positively influenced by similar launches and would now dream the dreams of space flight and the great unknown. To know that the sky is literally the limit and that their dreams really can come true if you truly believe in them. Ken and the other intrepid six on board Discovery STS 124 (who flew a perfect mission and who came home 2 weeks later as heroes) were prime examples of that. To these kids, it must have seemed that nothing was impossible if only they believed it could happen… Nothing, and that’s the best legacy this space program has given to all of us, young and old alike! As for me, I again feel energized from this experience and I thank Ken, Michelle and their entire family for including my family and me in one of the most memorable events that we have shared together to date. Just in case you were wondering, Ken and family are always invited to celebrate New Years Eve with us anytime they want. I promise that I won’t ask a million questions about what it was like to have been in space! Ok, maybe they might have to endure just one or two!
Pete Trabucco
275 Herbert Avenue
Old Bridge, New Jersey 08857
732-723-2312