Space Team Online Web Chat

Date: July 16, 1997

Featuring: Lonnie Moffitt
Support Engineer
NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

Oran/NASA Chat Host: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:00AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Hello to our Shuttle Team Online participants. Welcome to today's chat with Lonnie Moffitt from NASA Johnson Space Center.

Oran/NASA Chat Host: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Lonnie Moffitt is a support engineer in the crew operations division at NASA Johnson Space Center. He works directly for different astronauts as they prepare for missions. He also follows hardware developments, problems and improvements designed for the fleet of orbiters.

Oran/NASA Chat Host: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:02AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . And now, here is Lonnie Moffitt to answer your questions.

Jamie: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:03AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . What different things do you have to accomplish to become part of the space program?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:10AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jamie, you should first concentrate on being a good student in the math and sciences. When you finish high school, go to a good university and major in either engineering, math, or science. Upon graduation from college, look for a position with either NASA or one of the contractors to NASA.

Jamie: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:10AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . What improvements are planned for the orbiter?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:16AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jamie, our Orbiter is already getting old and we are planning on flying it until at least the year 2020. Therefore, there a lot of systems that we have to update to get it to last that long. One of the things we are now working on is what we call the MEDS or Multi-functional Electronics Display System like the modern fighter planes use in their cockpits. This is the electronic displays showing all the data needed by the pilot. We are now also looking at changes we need to make in order to be able to haul the equipment to build the International Space Station. We have a whole group of people dedicated to Orbiter Upgrades to allow us to fly past the year 2000.

Nancy: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:17AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Were there any problems with the orbiter during this mission?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:21AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Hi Nancy. There have been very few problems during this mission (STS-94). Like any other mission, we always have a few little nagging problems which our ground controllers and the crew onboard are able to solve with very little difficulty using what we call "workarounds" or In Flight Maintenance procedures. As you are aware I am sure, this is the same vehicle and crew that had to come home after only two days on orbit in May due to the Fuel Cell problem. The three fuel cells are all performing in an excellent manner this flight.

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:18AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . What is it like to work with astronauts?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:25AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jason, it is really neat to be associated with the astronauts on a daily basis and working real space hardware issues with them. I work primarily with the pilots in the Astronaut office, and that is really fun for me because I love flying and all that goes with it. Right now, I am working closely with Scott Altman who is a naval aviator and astronaut pilot. He is more widely known because he flew some of the flight scenes in the movie "Topgun," and all the scenes with Tom Cruise were filmed in his back seat. He also flew the flyby past the tower. It's fun to talk to him about his experience. All the astronauts are a great group of people and are very intelligent and highly successful in their areas. Do I sound excited about my job?

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:29AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . That sounds cool. I saw another movie on TV called "Final Mission." It was about fighter pilots using virtual reality. Is that still going on right now?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:32AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jason, I did not see the movie "Final Mission" I'm sorry to say. But yes, we use virtual reality in the training of our astronauts . . . more during the training of the mission specialists than the pilots. They use VR to simulate being in space and using the Remote Manipulator Arm and doing some of the chores during an EVA...Extra Vehicular Activity . . .

Nancy: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:29AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Can you give us an example of a nagging problem?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:37AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Nancy, a nagging problem is one that exists in some piece of hardware that is not crucial to the mission or will cause us to lose the Orbiter and crew. It usually involves something we can get around. An example is that we have what we call Water Spray Boilers on our hydraulic systems. On almost every flight one of these will usually freeze up either during the launch phase or while we are on-orbit. These are needed in order to keep the hydraulic fluid from getting too hot during operation of our APUs (Auxiliary Power Units). We have heaters that help prevent the freezing but they don't always prevent it. If one set of heaters doesn't work, we simply call up and instruct the crew to switch heaters. We have had wire problems in the past on a vacuum cleaner. Our IFM group specializes in sending procedures to the crew to fix things while on-orbit.

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:39AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Were you involved in fixing the fuel cell problem when the shuttle came back early?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:45AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Hi Jason. I was not actually involved in the fixing of the fuel cell, but once it occurred during the flight I became involved with the investigation for causes and solutions. I attended many meetings with engineers here at JSC and managers to try to decide if the mission should be shortened or completed as scheduled. We have three fuel cells, and with the loss of one, everyone did not want to risk losing a second fuel cell, so the mission was cut short after only two days on-orbit. Once the Orbiter landed, I was still involved, in that my astronaut bosses wanted to be kept up-to-date on what was happening within the engineering community to fix the problem or at least know what caused the problem to begin with.

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:42AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Do you think the astronauts on the Mir space station can fix the mechanical problems? I heard one of them is having some heart problems and can't help.

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:52AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jason, I'm sorry. I almost did not see your last question. I feel very confident the cosmonauts and astronaut Mike Foale can fix the problems they are having on Mir. It is really unfortunate that one of the cosmonauts is having the heart problem. That may slow down the EVA that they have planned to fix the hole in Spektr module. I am sure Mike is ready to do his part and don the suit and do the EVA, though. They could just wait, I suppose, until they have a crew changeout in August to do the EVA with the new guys who I am sure have been practicing the procedure.

Jamie and Nancy: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:44AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Thank you very much. We learned a lot today. I'm sorry that we have to sign off now, but we will be going to Ellington Field on Friday to see the STS-94 crew return. If you are there, we look forward to meeting you. Thank you very much for including us, Mr. Cox and Mr. Moffitt. Bye!

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:46AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jamie and Nancy...thank you for your questions and I hope I helped in some way.

John/Morgan Hill: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:50AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Even if I don't become an engineer, do you think I can still be in the space program or become an astronaut?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:56AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . John . . . for the most part, our astronauts are some kind of scientists if they are not pilots. We have medical doctors, and Ph.D.s in some scientific field. We even have a veterinarian astronaut. We do have non-scientist astronauts and I guess it's not impossible.

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:52AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Would you like your grandchildren to become astronauts?

John/Morgan Hill: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:54AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . I thought that astronauts had to be in really good health to go to space. Why would they let the Russian astronaut go up if he's got heart problems?

Lonnie Moffitt/JSC: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:58AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Jason and John . . . I would like my grandchildren to become astronauts. You are right. Astronauts have to be very healthy to pass the physical examinations required to be accepted into the program. Once they are an astronaut, there is quite an emphasis to "stay in shape" and take care of their bodies. They all exercise and eat healthy in order to be able to fly in space.

Jason/California: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:57AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Thanks for answering my questions today, Mr. Moffitt. Say hi to all the astronauts. Bye!

John/Morgan Hill: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 10:58AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Thanks Mr. Moffitt. Bye!

Oran/NASA Chat Host: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 11:00AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Thanks to everyone for joining us today. A special thanks to Lonnie Moffitt from NASA Johnson Space Center for joining us!

Oran/NASA Chat Host: . . . . Wed, Jul 16, 11:01AM PDT (-0700 GMT). . . Please join us next week for our chats with Dr. John Horack from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.