In the thread, 'Naughty NASA....', herein this section of the forum, a kindness bestowed upon me by one of our fellow posters today, MID, brought to mind something that I know would be best in the 'Space Technology' thread. However, I put it here.

I put this post here in the midst of those that see conspiracy, murder, and dark wonder in everything, and anything that is government and in many cases, NASA. So, I thought that before there is more, more accusations of NASA hiding aliens, hiding alien technology, lying to Everyman, and in some form enacting throws of malice. That actually at the same moment this conspiracy madness drifts amongst us, there are those that give their life work to this thing, this adventure, this grandest of all that man has engaged: Leaving His Home Place. Manned space flight.

So, for the 32,000+ plus souls who engage in this endeavor, NASA, unlike no other organization on Earth, I thought it would be fun to see what is, at the moment, in contrast to space beams killing ourselves, blowing up towers, releasing chemical trails, engaging in murder, killing our own, lying to our own people, that in toto, there are some that do no such thing but try to launch Space Ships.

These folks build, manage, throw up in the air with intense concern for those that ride them, Space Ships. These give us things like space stations, space telescopes, and give us many things to even build dark conspiracy around.

This is a Space Ship, the world's first reusable as such. One of three we have left.


Atlantis sits inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, while repair work continues on the external tank to repair storm damage, getting ready for mission STS-117. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

So, in contrast to conspiracy and darkness, instead, for those that build them, launch them, document them, work failure to see how they can be better, and most of all, for those that ride them, thus, in great humility and after 26 years of interfacing with this outfit, just wanted to say........

Hail, Atlantis

RAMS


"Travelers on the Voyage"--Photo-real digital painting executed in Renderman of STS-41D from view area 1a at KSC, NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Orbiter Discovery, Astronaut Judith Resnik's first space mission vehicle. In the collection of NASA-Smithsonian Institution, Air and Space Museum. Laser-graph image display size, 5'x11'

I really like the picture of Discovery blasting off.
Sometimes I think a lot of us here forget how awe-inspiring it is that our little species can travel beyond Earth, and how exciting that is.

--Jaylemurph

Hey RAMS,

Thanks for starting a thread that brings back the reality, "awe", and above all Pride that we, as Americans in the case of NASA, and as Human beings should have for all our valiant efforts that have made Manned Space Flight a reality and even a common occurrence.

I too agree that it's all to easy for people, especially young people, to loose sight of this most valiant of efforts in the mists of conspiracy that surrounds this mysterious subject of UAP/UFOs, as found on this forum and many like it. NASA, of course more than any other Space Agency receives most of the "Flak" which is an unfortunate consequence of NASA's inherent association with Space, the overall "silence" in the International Scientific Community on the subject of UAP/UFOs, and the Historical events that played out in this country that led to confusion and conspiracy regarding the UAP/UFO mystery.

Part of the problem that inflames these "NASA conspiracies" from a public POV IMO is that there exists a vocal group of people who feel it's their obligation to defend NASA by asserting their own bias that UAP/UFOs don't exist as NASA's official position. At the other end of the spectrum there exists another highly vocal group of people who feel it is their obligation to expose these "NASA conspiracies" by asserting their own bias and fantasy that NASA hides and covers up information about ETI.

It's also unfortunate that often is the case NASA seems to play into one groups hand or the other, both at the same time reinforcing both groups beliefs regarding NASA activity.

At any rate, my intention wasn't really to delve into serious discussion as much as it was to tell you that your art and personal experience that you've generously shared with us here touched me and I just wanted to say thank you for that.

Dear Lost, (found?)

Excellent post. MID said something in the other thread that was rather brilliant and sadly, true. Basically, he posted it is easier and a lazy thing, but it is easier to embrace fantasy and call it real, conspire of same, than it is to read and learn and then knowledge onself what really is.

This is true.

For me, I was witness with a good friend and our maidens in the fall of 1973, to the great American UFO spectacle witnessed by millions that fall night so long ago. I never forgot it. But instead of embracing hyberbole about it, eventually went to work as a contractor for MDAC-NASA. In part, because of that event. I truly wanted to know what is happenig and what might be on our horizons--for real. A long leap from cowboying and lumbering in the timber trade in rural Montana, to intimate interface with the world's true space ships; The Space Shuttle.

So, to subject, what is most vexing, is this, and I have stated this for some 25 years now; if ever we are to see and engage off Earth visitors, it is NASA that will openly embrace them first, in every way, publicly. Not hide the fact. Why? Because it would ensure NASA's future for the next millienia, at least. And it would raise NASA from one of the smallest government agencies as well as funding too, doing the most viusal thing this country does and has done, and then positioned it so it really could do something more grand. Like build a small 100 man Mars base, permanently. And so much more. But more importantly, to find exo-solar life is the most intriguing thing NASA does in searching, for real.

Your post is accurate, sadly. But actually NASA is innocent in much of this since they are busy. And when someone comes along and says, "hey, NASA, that is a face made artifically on Mars at Cydonia...." , NASA, like most people who embrace logic, shrug and exclaims, "What? that is a varved, eroded, escarpment that is a natural rubble pile......" and move on, not taking something so absurd in the realm of Paredolia, seriously. There is the rub. By that, NASA is damned if it does, and damnd if it doesn't. Can't win comfronting that form of delusion that a rubble pile is a face.

So, what can be done is to ensnare reason, erect a like mirror, and with patience, hold that mirror back gently into the face of madness.

Thank you for your kind words of appreciation and insights.

RAMS

Thank you Jay. I agree, I thrill now no different than the day I watched the liftoff of STS-1, Columbia, April, 12, 1981 12:00 GMT, almost 26 years to the day as I write this now, tonight.......

And the adventure continues...............

RAMS

No one has ever accused me questionably or otherwise of being found to date until now, Thanks.



I agree. At one time I completely disagreed with the views I hold so dear today. I can see how some of my views in the past were "lazy", for instance my views toward UFOs and UAP since that is the subject here. My views toward UAP before 2002 were certainly "lazy" and my views after Nov. of 2002, after I had a close encounter with a UAP, were nothing less than "compulsive".

I've spent the last four years of my life talking about UAP.





I'm interested.

Could you elaborate?










I don't know, what bothers me most is that a UAP approached me at a very close proximity and still most peope are confused as to whether UAP even exist or not.

could you tell us about your close up encounter?.....

great post Rams, thanks!

Thank you, Troll.

RAMS

Well, my friend, you have said a mouthful of pertinent things herein.

I don't think this belongs in the Space Technology thread, necessarily. It addresses technology, of course; the magnificent flying machine we call the Shuttle. But moreso, it speaks to the human beings who make this thing, test this lovely lady, and fly her. What you speak to here is the human element, which you tend to do so well...

That stands in contrast to the general emphasis on this thread, which of course is also somehow connected to spaceflight in certain topics, and NASA, of course. This is a very good thing to place right here, and I think it serves a better purpose here than on the Space Technology thread.


Those of us who frequent that place know this stuff about NASA, and the top-drawer people who populate its ranks, and make Space Ships, and fly them. Here, it is a good thing to point that out every once in a while.

You do that so well.
#

By the way:

I have no idea how you became successful as an artist painting such realism...!

[...inside joke, folks....the man is, as you can clearly see, magnificent.]


Seriously though, that painting is indeed a tribute to the energy, the effort, and the integrity of those who build, test, and fly these incredible things....
Kudos, as always.

I echo your sentiments completely. Hail Atlantis....

...and Discovery, and Endeavor...and Columbia, and of course--Challenger...







STS51L(S)156 1137 EST/01-28-86




M~

Yo Recuerdo, Spanish, for, "I remember..."

TY

RAMS

Yes, I know what it means, RAMS.
And I know you do remember.


Me too.

M~