previous post next post  

Nice work if you can get it.

By The Armorer on October 3, 2006 | | Comments (12)

by NASA October 2, 2006<br /> Astronaut U.S. Army Col. Jeffrey N. Williams is assisted by Russian search and recovery personnel after landing in Kazakhstan. Williams, who was in space for six months, was the primary flight engineer and NASA science officer aboard the International Space Station. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

by NASA October 2, 2006 Astronaut U.S. Army Col. Jeffrey N. Williams is assisted by Russian search and recovery personnel after landing in Kazakhstan. Williams, who was in space for six months, was the primary flight engineer and NASA science officer aboard the International Space Station. This photo appeared on www.army.mil.

JSC2006-E-42734 (29 Sept. 2006) --- Astronaut Jeffrey N. Williams, Expedition 13 flight engineer and NASA ISS science officer, is assisted by Russian search and recovery teams on the steppe of central Kazakhstan on Sept. 29, 2006. Americans who also helped are out of the frame. This came a short while after the landing in the Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft following undocking earlier in the day from the International Space Station. Williams and cosmonaut Pavel V. Vinogradov, Expedition 13 commander, spent 183 days in space while Anousheh Ansari, spaceflight participant, spent 11 days in space and 9 days on the ISS under a commercial agreement with the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Heh. No one told me this was a job option when I enlisted...

Well, actually, that's not true. I actually did have a degree that might have allowed me to apply - except we weren't taking people who needed no stinking glasses! Only fit for fodder, we four-eyes.

So, aside from propaganda purposes... why *do* we have Army Officers In Space? 8^) Colonel Williams is not the only one...

Share This Article:

Categories:

12 Comments

By MajMike on October 3, 2006 7:59 AM
why? cuz we need someone on the highest ground doing the spotting. that's why.
 
By jim b on October 3, 2006 9:53 AM
jim b racks the pump on his shotgun .... it's okay guys I got your back .. no one is gonna make a "Pigs in Space" joke on my watch.
 
By Albany Rifles on October 3, 2006 10:17 AM
FYI The jetpack US astrounauts use was invented by an Army LTC back in the early 1990s.
 
By Albany Rifles on October 3, 2006 10:17 AM
FYI The jetpack US astrounauts use was invented by an Army LTC back in the early 1990s.
 
By olga on October 3, 2006 10:19 AM
Army guys in space?? Very interesting, especially, since the Russians cosmonauts are all coming from the Air Force (must hit a certain flying hours ceiling in order to be even considered) with exception of the civilian researchers...
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 3, 2006 10:20 AM
See what ya can learn 'round here?
 
By bad cat robot on October 3, 2006 11:33 AM
It's part of an experiment to see if the presence of the Army really does create mud, anywhere.
 
By Boquisucio on October 3, 2006 5:31 PM
Mebbe I'm from a different generation; but looking back, I'd never thought to see the day in which a Sov... ***er*** russian officers would carry a U.S. Army Officer like a hero.
 
By Justthisguy on October 3, 2006 5:39 PM
I think that the US Army Ballistic Missile agency, aside from launching the first American Earth Satellite, also launched the first payload to achieve escape velocity. It was a little cone-shaped thing intended to hit the Moon, but missed and went into solar orbit. The Peenemuende Gang helped, of course. Which reminds me: I actually met Eberhard Rees and he spoke to me, once. It was at the condiment stand in the cafeteria of the 4200 building of MSFC. He said, "Who shtole ze vinegar?!"
 
By John of Argghhh! on October 3, 2006 7:28 PM
Well, in the Russian's defense, they carry all the long-time-in-space cosmonauts like that - because they aren't used to one gee...
 
By cw4(ret)billt on October 3, 2006 9:47 PM
Ironically, the Army could have beaten the USSR into orbit by two months. "Engine Charlie" Wilson, Eisenhower's SecDef (cut from the same cloth that also gave us Robert MacNamara), was bound and determined that the first US satellite would be launched on a prime mover (Vanguard) produced by private enterprise -- totally ignoring the fact that all the rocket talent was surrounded by Army Green. Every time a Redstone was tested, the PM had to certify, in writing, that there was *no* satellite on board and courier the affidavit to the SecDef before he would approve the launch. Up went Sputnik. Charlie Wilson threw bales of money at Vanguard (scooped up by the Navy -- it was their project), which resulted in some great footage of Vanguards exploding, falling over on the launch pad during gyro spinup and, in general, going *bloop!* instead of *whoosh!* The very-expensive satellites on board were collateral damage, along with Charlie Wilson's ego. When Eisenhower finally decided Charlie's shenannigan's had cost the US enough prestige, he sent the Army one of the few satellites left and told the PM to stick it on a Redstone and launch it, ASAP. And the rest is history. As was Charlie Wilson's political career...
 
By Justthisguy on October 5, 2006 2:20 AM
Oh yeah, Chief, I think General Medaris was ordered to personally climb up at least one about-to-be-launched rocket and verify by touch and sight, and report in writing, that there was no attempted satellite thereupon. And Mac is still alive. Maybe he hurts?...
 
© 2008 John Donovan
All rights reserved.