Newspaper interview from Pueblo Chieftain 6/18/2011

Skyview teacher lands spot at final shuttle launch


Todd Seip is one of 150 NASA Twitter followers who have been chosen by lottery to watch the final shuttle launch next month.

Skyview teacher lands spot at final shuttle launch By LORETTA SWORD

The space shuttle might have been on the drawing board, but Twitter wasn't even a twinkle in a computer guru's eye when Todd Seip first fell in love with the idea of galactic exploration.

But it's Twitter that opened the door for the Skyview Middle School science teacher to experience something he's dreamed of since he was a child.

Seip leaves for Florida July 5 and will join 149 other @NASA Twitter followers who won a lottery for a two-day "Tweetup" that includes spots for each of them at Florida's Kennedy Space Center to watch as Atlantis lifts off July 8 on the shuttle program's final mission — a trip to the International Space Station.

Seip said he and other Tweetup winners will have wide access to the space center for a full day before the launch and after. They'll get to sit down with former and current astronauts, NASA engineers technicians and other experts in the shuttle program.

He has permission to videotape the country's last shuttle launch from his seat in the media section near the launch pad, as well as parts of the space center tours and interviews with officials there.

But he'll be tweeting highlights of his space center stay from day one as his part of the NASA Twitter promotion.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he said, adding that some former students already follow him on Twitter, and he hopes many in next year's science class will pick up his social networking feed during the historic launch and throughout his time at the space center.

Of course, they're guaranteed to hear all about it once school starts.

"Everything I pick up from the experts — the videotape I take and everything I see and experience — I'll use in my classroom next year," Seip said.

After watching all of the Apollo launches as a child, and amassing a scrapbook of space-related stories throughout his high school years — including the first-ever shuttle launch in 1981 — Seip said he also was among NASA's first and most eager followers on Twitter.

He's applied for lotteries to watch four previous shuttle launches and is thrilled to finally have won before the shuttle program shuts down.

Seip's wife Kerry, the band director at Pueblo County High School, just returned from Florida for a competition and performance there, so neither she nor the couple's two 7-year-old children, a son and daughter, will accompany Seip on his NASA adventure.

"We got space shuttle Lego kits for them to build the day of the launch to keep them interested," he explained.

For a man who once dreamed of being an astronaut (until he realized the level of math he'd have to master), spending a couple of days with NASA experts and watching an historic shuttle launch is as good as it gets — except for the opportunity to share it with space fans worldwide and his students, Seip said.

“It is quite an honor. This is the last space shuttle mission and to get to watch it live will be a fantastic experience. I’ve always been a big fan and follower of NASA and I have kept track of the space shuttle program from the first launch in 1981. Now I’ll get a chance to create a new experience for my students.”

Pueblo tweeters can follow Seip's adventure at twitter.com/@skyviewscience.

Space Shuttle quotes

The following quotes about the space shuttle program come from http://www.spacequotes.com The shuttle tomorrow is truly like laying the last spike on the transcontinental railroad, only much more so. And whether or not we're going to see in in the next 10 or 20 years, there are people alive today who will see manufacturing in space from moon materials or from asteroids. — Jerry Brown, Governor of California, 1977. The fourth landing of the Columbia is the historical equivalent of the driving of the golden spike which completed the first transcontinental railroad. It marks our entrance into a new era. — President Ronald Reagan, regards the final test flight of the Space Shuttle, STS-4, 4 July 1982. The Shuttle is to space flight what Lindbergh was to commercial aviation. — Arthur C. Clarke Anyone who sits on top of the largest hydrogen-oxygen fueled system in the world; knowing they're going to light the bottom—and doesn't get a little worried—does not fully understand the situation.  — John Young, after being asked if he was worried about making the first Space Shuttle flight. Let's face it, space is a risky business. I always considered every launch a barely controlled explosion. — Aaron Cohen, NASA administrator. The powered flight took a total of about eight and a half minutes. It seemed to me it had gone by in a lash. We had gone from sitting still on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center to traveling at 17,500 miles an hour in that eight and a half minutes. It is still mind-boggling to me. I recall making some statement on the air-to-ground radio for the benefit of my fellow astronauts, who had also been in the program a long time, that it was well worth the wait. — Bob Crippen, STS-1 astronaut, regards first flight of the Space Shuttle, 12 April 1981.

This vehicle is performing like a champ. I've got a super spaceship  under me. — Bob Crippen, STS-1 astronaut, regards the Space Shuttle Columbia, 12 April 1981. The dream is alive. — John Young, after landing the first Space Shuttle STS-1 at Edwards Air Force Base, 14 April 1981. Through you, we feel as giants, once again. — President Ronald Reagan, to the crew of Columbia after their completion of the first shuttle mission, 14 April 1981.. TIn the 19th Century people were looking for the Northwest Passage. Ships were lost and brave people were killed, but that doesn't mean we never went back to that part of the world again, and I consider it the same in space exploration. — John L. Phillips, astronaut. The route to the target is more important than the target. We are going to go for the target, but we enjoy the route as well. — Israeli Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon, to reporters on the eve of his Space Shuttle flight, 16 January 2003. STS-107 was lost on re-entry on 1 February 2003 Some say that we should stop exploring space, that the cost in human lives is too great. But Columbia's crew would not have wanted that. We are a curious species, always wanting to know what is over the next hill, around the next corner, on the next island. And we have been that way for thousands of years. — Stuart Atkinson, New Mars, Mar. 7, 2003. Some things simply are inherent to the design of the bird and cannot be made better without going and getting a new generation of spacecraft. That's as true for the Space Shuttle as it is for your toaster oven. — Michael Griffin, NASA Administrator, regards Space Shuttle safety, eve of launch of STS-114, 25 July 2005 Every one of us is aware there is a slightly increased risk if you compare it to the day-to-day risk that we might be exposed to driving on the streets or going on commercial airlines. Each of us, independent of our nationality or space agency, believes the experience we gain in terms of scientific results, in terms of just expanding our horizons, is worth the remaining risk. —German astronaut Thomas Reiter, a few days prior to launch of STS-121, reported in the Houston Chronicle newspaper, 25 June 2006 Of course risk is part of spaceflight. We accept some of that to achieve greater goals in exploration and find out more about ourselves and the universe. — Lisa Nowak, STS-121 astronaut, a few days prior to launch, reported in the Houston Chronicle newspaper, 25 June 2006. In 1972 we had three guys exploring the Moon, making discoveries. In 2002 we have three guys circling the Earth, making repairs. — Richard Fienberg, Sky & Telescope magazine editorial on the state of space flight 30 years after the last lunar landing. December, 2002. The vast majority of the shuttle program was a success. We learned so much about how a reusable spacecraft interacts with its environment, how it ages—and what to design next time. — Col. Eileen Collins, two time shuttle commander and member of NASA's Advisory Council. Popular Mechanics, April 2011. The thing I'll remember most about the flight is that it was fun. In fact, I'm sure it was the most fun that I'll ever have in my life. — Sally K. Ride, first woman to orbit Earth aboard the Space Shuttle, 1983

Space music

Remember those great old movie theaters. No stadium seating. Plush red velvet chairs. HUGE auditoriums. Usually a lot of cigarette smoke. You sat dow, with popcorn and soda (and possibly candy) in your lap. This is before "pre-movie" commercials, so you just waited. Maybe you talked to those around you, but usually you just waited. No cell-phone, no MP3, you just waited. A few previews, and then it started. You remember it, because the music started a split second before the titles ran. Trust me, you remember it. Think hard enough, and you can still feel it. That's the power of a movie soundtrack.

(Before I go further, I must explain that I actually majored in Music Theory in college and taught middle and high school music for 10 years before switching to teach science full-time. More on that later...)

He started out as a jazz pianist playing in LA night clubs, and played piano for Henry Mancini on the side. Eventually he moved in composition and got his start composing the soundtrack for a little known movie called "The Reivers." Then came 'The Cowboys" and a couple of other movie scores before eventually meeting and securing a long-lasting friendship with an up-an-coming filmmaker named George Lucas. 

Think back to the first time you saw Star Wars. I did not stand in line for the first viewing. In fact most did not. It was a movie not well reviewed, but grew on word-of-mouth. I went with a couple of older neighborhood kids and was beeming from the fact that they were taking me, not from me going to see a sci-fi movie. That all quickly changed. Most who talk about Star Wars memories reference the opening scene where the huge Imperial Cruiser overtakes the small Rebel Alliance blockade runner (okay my total Star Wars geekdom showing here - the fact that I actually know that off the top of my head). But for me, it was the first opening chord of the music. That was all it took. I was hooked.

I bought the movie soundtrack on a double vinyl LP record from Montgomery Wards. I played it over and over and over and over. It came with a great set of liner notes (they called them liner notes because they were written on the lp liner jackets that protected the records) and a good 5 page full color set of music notes by none other than the master himself - John Williams.

John Williams used the London Symphony Orchestra to record most of his soundtracks. He preferred the sound of a full symphonic orchestra as opposed to a smaller American orchestra. In the days before hi-tech, He would take the actual film strip and punch holes in it to help him keep track of upcoming cues. He would face a huge movie screen and conduct to the film while the orchestra played. It was recorded with very few takes and at times, you can hear coughs, pencils dropping, drum sticks clicking, and even foot-tapping.



We all have our music influences. But for me, I still am a fan of movie soundtracks. Technology has helped composers tremendously over the past years with the art of film composing. In 1993, I was able to visit Hans Zimmer's studio in Malibu and talk to him about his reaction to film composing. He credits Eric Korngold as his main influence. He was in the midst of composing and recording music for The Lion King and was very upset that Disney execs were refusing to let him fly to South Africa to record authentic African choir music. (He went anyway). And I was able to watch a group of highly trained percussionists record music for the "stampede" scene. But even Zimmer admitted that he would not be able to compose as quickly without his computer and digital keyboard.

I've seen Star Wars.., well let's just say alot. And now my children have watched all 6 movies and are big fans of Clone Wars and Star Wars legos. I think the success of the Star Wars franchise owes itself in part to the music used in the soundtrack. Indiana Jones, Harry Potter, Jaws, Schlinder, etc. all have a musical identity in addition to a fiction storyline.

Thanks John

The Enterprise

It wasn't always known as "Enterprise." Originally, NASA had pegged the name Constitution and had planned to unveil it on Constitution Day, September 17, 1976. A huge letter write-in campaign by Star Trek fans to President Gerald Ford asked that the orbiter be named after the Starship Enterprise, featured on the television show Star Trek. President Ford —who during World War II had served on the aircraft carrier USS Monterey that served with USS Enterprise —said that he was "partial to the name" and overrode NASA. I remember William Shatner, Gene Rodenberry and the Star Trek gang on hand as the Enterprise was rolled out of its Palmdale, CA construction hanger.

(George Lucas' letter write-in campaign to use the name "Millennium Falcon" unfortunately failed at the last minute.)

                     - no not really.

Space Shuttle OV-101 (Enterprise) at the launch pad in California 1985.

Yes that's right, Vandenberg AFB on the west coast of CA. Nasa and the Air Force had planned to use VAFB to launch space shuttles into a semi-polar orbit so that they could conduct "science experiments" over the (then) Soviet Union. (Looks like a scene from Moonraker)

Can't believe I still have this. From The Pueblo Chieftain on Feb 16, 1977.

The first ALT - approach and landing test - of the Enterprise.

I got my chance to see the Enterprise on top it's 747 in 1984 when it took a "tour" of the United States on it's way to the Smithsonian Museum. It stopped at Shriver AFB in nearby Colorado Springs for an afternoon. I was in high school at the time, and still a space geek. Still trying to figure what to do in my life, I had written off astronaut training. I just couldn't hack the math. But I still followed the space shuttle from launch to landing. My family wasn't poor, but a trip to Florida for a launch was financially out of the question. So I watched on TV, followed the radio and newspaper, and even wrote to the US Government Printing Office for info. (Remember that commercial? had the zip code 81009. It was located about 10 miles from my house. Pueblo housed the Govt. printing office and even a small govt. print shop bookstore. Pamphlets and books about NASA for .50 cents. It was awsome)

The Enterprise did it's job, and did it well. It was tested in all sorts of configurations. It was dropped from an airplane, shaken to the core, and rolled back and forth to the launch pad. One of its most important tests came in 2003 when part of its wing was used to test theories on the breakup of the shuttle Columbia.

Enterprise is headed to the Big Apple, where it will be housed in a new hanger near the USS Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. And believe it or not, it is still air worthy. It will be flown on the back of a NASA 747, just like it was in 1977 - 34 years later.