From: bweimann@exit109.com
Subject: Re: launch of MGS Wed 6th 12:11pm (A no go, but still exciting)
Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 15:11:36 -0500 (EST)
Pat, Not to worry, no, this is not the LFM broadcast. They are launching the Mars Global Surveyor. (At least they wanted to ---- it was a NO GO at almost 1:15 pm.) So you are in luck if you were not quite ready today to tape it all. You can get it tomorrow. They will try again tomorrow, Thursday at 12:00, and if not then, around 1: something. They could not launch today because of the weather. Even though they could not launch, it was very exciting to my students. We all got goose bumps as everyone gave their system "OK's", and we got ready for the count down. THe aborted launch gave me an opportunity to emphasize and re-explain the "window of opportunity" concept and the effect of the weather on a launch. They got right up to 1 min and a few seconds, when suddenly someone yelled, "HOLD, HOLD, HOLD, HOLD...." really loud. It was quite dramatic. All the "OK's" had sounded so "purposeful and enthusiastic", and then the "HOLD's" equally purposeful and so extremely emphatic. My kids all decided they would not want the job of making the GO / NO GO decision. Even a NO GO can be exciting and educational. It was a taste of scientific reality. My kids were really shocked that the launch was stopped at the last minute. At 09:02 PM 11/5/96 -0500, you wrote: >Barbara- > We have been out of school for 2 days and I just checked my mail. I have >seen several different dates for the launch of the MGS. If tomorrow is >accurate, will the LFM broadcast also be on tv? I just got my room wired but >I am not connected to the net yet >and I am about to panic if I am going to miss this! Let me know please. >Thanks- Pat Cook > >