SpaceX, the commercial space travel company owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has successfully launched two astronauts to the International Space Station. Both astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken quoted the famous words of Alan Shepard who first walked in space in 1961. They were shot into the sky in a Dragon capsule on top of a Falcon 9 rocket. Now, SpaceX is a serious contender for manned space flight.
Alan Shepard yelled impatiently: “Let’s light this candle!”
NASA astronaut Alan Shepard yelled “Let’s light this candle!” before the countdown began. His message was a reminder of his childhood hero Charles Lindbergh. He and Shepard chatted about the history of aviation and the space program, and then he yelled impatiently, “Let’s light this candle!”
A few months later, in late February 1945, Shepard’s ship Cogswell pulled into San Francisco for an overhaul. Shepard’s immediate supervisors talked Pride out of the court martial, but they weren’t sure Shepard would survive the ordeal. Shepard was grounded for ten days. His colleagues wondered if he had guardian angels watching over him. After a couple of weeks, Shepard was back in the cockpit as the most popular pilot in the fleet.
After several days of delays, Shepard decided to exit Antares first, before returning to work. He had spent hours in the simulator, practicing controlling the spacecraft and identifying stars. But the first time the simulator malfunctioned, he messed up. Shepard yelled, “Let’s juice it!” and told Roosa to do the same. During the long delay, Shepard joked with technicians and snapped at them. But the astronaut went back to work, and was eventually rewarded with reassuring sounds of latches engaging.
After Pearl Harbor, Shepard was transferred to Air Group 19. Although he had dismal grades, the Navy moved his graduation date to 1944. Shepard was so determined to serve his country that he even had a chance to propose to his wife, Louise Brewer. The Navy Academy officials feared he would be expelled. His grades would not matter, because he owed time to the Navy regardless of whether or not he would do well in college. He had a habit of sneaking into the nearby Annapolis to meet girls. In a way, he was the wingman for Ramage and became his mentor.
Despite his impatient yell, he still continued to pursue his career and his dreams. In addition to being a successful businessman, Alan Shepard’s family had a long history in East Derry. His grandfather, Bart, had owned successful businesses and was part of the upper class. His father, Bart Shepard, was a former Army Reserve and National Guard officer. He insisted on being called “Colonel!” and “Sir,” and he made sure his sons did the same.
During the initial Sputnik frenzy, NASA had been founded. Alan Shepard was confident he would be a part of the program. But, his invitation had been misplaced by a junior officer and he went straight to the temporary headquarters of the agency. But, the men in charge of the selection process were certain that most people would decline. Meanwhile, test pilots who weren’t even invited were making wisecracks about the whole thing.
SpaceX launches Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken from Florida
NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken made history on Tuesday when the company’s Falcon 9 rocket blasted off at 3:22 pm EDT from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The launch marks a new era for American astronautry, as Hurley and Behnken are the first Americans to reach space and become the first Americans to command a spacecraft outside the International Space Station. NASA astronauts have been wary of the media spotlight since the space shuttle program ended nine years ago, but this mission marks the first U.S. astronauts to be launched into space since 1981.
The launch marks a significant milestone for the Commercial Crew Program, which is a partnership between NASA, Boeing, and SpaceX to develop the next generation of human spaceflight vehicles. The first commercial rocket from SpaceX will take astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to space on May 30, 2020. Hurley, a native of New York, graduated from Tulane University in 1988 and spent three months aboard the International Space Station in 2013. Behnken and his wife, Nancy, flew on two NASA missions and spent several weeks servicing the Hubble telescope in 2009.
In the first phase of the mission, Hurley and Behnken will fly into space in a Crew Dragon capsule. The capsule will independently undock from the International Space Station in space and splashdown on the Atlantic coast of Florida. After the astronauts have departed from the space station, a SpaceX recovery ship will catch the capsule and return it to Cape Canaveral.
After the test flight, the astronauts will have the chance to put on their spacesuits and strap themselves into the capsule. They will also get to see their families. The two have been quarantined for the past few weeks due to illness and other factors. One of the most challenging aspects of this process was that they had to endure a “tight” quarantine. In addition, the astronauts were put into an extended quarantine before the launch to prevent any bacteria or viruses from contaminating the space station.
Behnken and Hurley are both veterans of the U.S. Air Force. Hurley is married to fellow astronaut Karen Nyberg, and the two have a son. Behnken is a former Air Force test pilot. He was first selected for the astronaut program in July 2000. It’s an honor for them to be selected for such a prestigious mission.
The Commercial Crew Program has saved taxpayers $20-30 billion since the space shuttle retired in July 2011. The companies have the lowest launch prices of any of the launch service industries. The price of the mission depends on the payload and the desired orbit. SpaceX must return astronauts Behnken and Hurley safely to Earth in the crew Dragon. The SpaceX Crew Dragon is due for its first operational mission on Aug. 30.
Origin of phrase
The original meaning of the phrase “Let’s light this candle” is not entirely clear. Some sources attribute it to Confucius, others to James Keller, Oliver Wendell Holmes, and Adlai Stevenson. Other sources cite the poet E. Pomeroy Cutler. Others have put it in the context of a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay. However, the most popular meaning is probably the most enduring: “It’s worth its weight in gold.”
In 1961, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first American in space, yelling, “Let’s light this candle!” before the countdown began. The phrase was later used by astronaut Douglas Hurley, who borrowed it from Alan Shepard. The slang phrase became more popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, NASA astronauts ride a sleek capsule to space on the Falcon 9 rocket.
