Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Maverick on May 03, 2007, 01:36:29 PM

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Maverick on May 03, 2007, 01:36:29 PM

RIP, fair skies and tailwinds forever Wally Schirra.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070503/ap_on_re_us/obit_schirra
:(

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Dux on May 03, 2007, 02:13:16 PM

to a childhood (and beyond) hero. :(

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Yeager on May 03, 2007, 02:19:43 PM

Wally Schirra on the final liftoff.

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Ripsnort on May 03, 2007, 03:35:54 PM

Awww. RIP. Now its going to be all those astronauts we looked up to as kids leaving us, like the WW1 pilots in the 70's/80's and WW2 pilots as of recent.:(

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: KayBayRay on May 03, 2007, 03:44:38 PM

to Dr. Rendezvous, Wally Shirra. Astronaut of the Murcury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.


Growing up in the 50's and 60's I was very interested in the space program. Caught the bug with the X-15 project. I watched every televised launch and broadcast through the Murcury, Gemini and Apollo programs.

One of the proudest moments of my life was in a Celestial Mechanics lab in a Physics course in college when unbeknownst to us we solved the rendezvous problem that Shirra solved. He did it in orbit in a Gemini space craft with pencil and paper and was the making or breaking point of future travel to the Moon. We did it with pen and paper in the comfort of a college class room. The moment I realized what we had just calculated and the significance of it to space travel made me very proud of myself. Although looking back now several decades later it was pretty trivial for me to do that in a class room. Dr. Rendezvous did it where it really counts and under extreme pressure. A tremendous accomplishment for Humanity.

I am very sad to see his passing but proud and happy to have been alive during his time with us.

Later,
KayBay

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Flatbar on May 03, 2007, 04:38:15 PM

I had the pleasure to meet Wally on several occasions in the 90's while he was on the corporate speaking circuit. He was always available to the crew for a bit of Q&A after the engagement.

The first time I talked to him I told him that the space program was the only reason I would wake at 4am on morning launch days. I watched all launches back then.

He was and will always be one of my hero's not only because of the space program but also for his many years as a test pilot.

We are all better off because of the bravery of folks like him.

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Mr No Name on May 03, 2007, 05:05:58 PM

Sad news.  All the best to his family.

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Phaser11 on May 03, 2007, 05:07:41 PM

His Bio at NASA. He was a pilot.

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/schirra-wm.html

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Shuckins on May 03, 2007, 06:28:00 PM

I remember my first grade class walking a block to a classmate's house to watch Alan Shepherd's launch.  We made that walk several times to watch the Mercury astronauts make history.

Wally Schirra.

(http://www.novaspace.com/AUTO/PIX/Schirra.jpg)

Title: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: rpm on May 03, 2007, 10:56:46 PM

<> He had the right stuff.

Title: Re: Pioneer astronaut slipped Earth's bonds
Post by: Odee on May 03, 2007, 11:45:05 PM

Quote

Originally posted by Maverick
RIP, fair skies and tailwinds forever Wally Schirra.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070503/ap_on_re_us/obit_schirra
:(

AMEN!

We can never begin to repay him for all he accomplished for us.