Archives for: February 2006, 11
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Pre-Launch T-Minus 14 Days 12 Hours
by Tom (admin) 
..... this is Artemis Control. We are now at the T-minus 14 days and 12 hours mark of the count down to PDI, Powered Descent Initiation for the Big Blue lander and mankind's first return to the Moon (in simulation) after a 34 year absence. All system look good on the spacecraft at this time with surface exploration team members doing final gear selection and packing in preparation for their liftoff on The Moon Society's first every voyage of discovery and lunar surface exploration simulation. The liftoffs of individual crew members will be staggered depending on the booking made with various commercial ground to space services being utilized to bring the crew together at the Selene Launching Complex (SLC, Utah) at the T-minus One Day mark. Here they will board to the orbit to surface landing vehicle Big Blue which will ferry them down to the Artemis Habitat Lander in a little over 14 days from now. Further updates as events occur This is Artemis Control. ........
Note: Selene is the Greek word for The Moon, Roman Luna. SLC, of course, is also (and perhaps better) known as Salt Lake City. It is here that crew members come from the four corners of the globe, to ride together in the venerably ancient blue crew cab pickup, affectionately known as Big Blue. From SLC it is a 250 mile drive along and through the Wasatch Mountains, breathtakingly beautiful in its winter coat, and on through some awesome scenery down to Hanksville, in south central Utah.
Hugh's narrative shows how we get in the mood for our simulation by pretending SLC is our Launchpad, and big blue is our ferry, etc.
Peter Kokh, Mission Commander, MDRS Crew 45,
02/11/06 12:02:32 am,