A break in the weather...
Nov. 20th, 2008 10:24 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alexpgpI knew something was afoot with the weather when I went down for breakfast at 7 am, despite it being pitch black outside and not having left the building this morning. What gave it away was the fact that I could see lights in the windows of the building across the way as I passed by the landing on the stairs to the first floor.
Indeed, the sun is casting shadows and all is right with the world again, especially in the satellite launch business at Area 92. The airport in town was socked in solid for the second day in a row, and some critical personnel have been cooling their heels in Moscow, waiting for the fog to burn away and for flights to resume. These are folks who must arrive and complete their part of operations with the satellite before propellant is loaded aboard the spacecraft starting Saturday.
Maya and I will be supporting the propellant loading operation, which will - if all goes as expected - make for three fairly slow days on the interpretation side. (OTOH, if a contingency occurs, the two of us will be busier than a cat trying to bury scat on a marble floor.)
The possibility of a contingency brings to mind the unpleasant fact that accidents happen, even in places that take safety seriously. Yesterday, we were informed that the Russian communications lead had slipped on a patch of ice and broken his leg. Prior to that, during the previous campaign, one of the more experienced workers on the Russian side slipped and fell while working on the spacecraft fairing, suffering serious injuries that resulted in death several days later. It's not something to dwell on, but it is something to keep in the back of our minds as we go about our daily business.
* * * I've done some reading since arriving in Baikonur, starting with Clive Cussler's Cyclops, which required a little effort on the suspension-of-disbelief side, but given that I can enjoy his books despite the appearance of a deus ex machina or two and the increasingly preachy tone in later stories, it was not a big deal.
Then there was Step on a Crack, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, which I read in one sitting and again, Patterson managed to sneak in a surprise ending. That book was followed by All That Remains, by Patricia Cornwell, which I may have read long, long ago, as some of the plot seemed familiar, but not so familiar that I knew what was going to happen next.
Currently, I am "coasting" through Blood Memory, by Greg Iles. The character of Cat Ferry is pretty compelling, Iles has about a zillion balls up in the air at the moment, and I'm admiring his job of juggling them all.
I have the afternoon duty today, so I better start getting ready. Maybe some exercise?
Cheers...
Indeed, the sun is casting shadows and all is right with the world again, especially in the satellite launch business at Area 92. The airport in town was socked in solid for the second day in a row, and some critical personnel have been cooling their heels in Moscow, waiting for the fog to burn away and for flights to resume. These are folks who must arrive and complete their part of operations with the satellite before propellant is loaded aboard the spacecraft starting Saturday.
Maya and I will be supporting the propellant loading operation, which will - if all goes as expected - make for three fairly slow days on the interpretation side. (OTOH, if a contingency occurs, the two of us will be busier than a cat trying to bury scat on a marble floor.)
The possibility of a contingency brings to mind the unpleasant fact that accidents happen, even in places that take safety seriously. Yesterday, we were informed that the Russian communications lead had slipped on a patch of ice and broken his leg. Prior to that, during the previous campaign, one of the more experienced workers on the Russian side slipped and fell while working on the spacecraft fairing, suffering serious injuries that resulted in death several days later. It's not something to dwell on, but it is something to keep in the back of our minds as we go about our daily business.
Then there was Step on a Crack, by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge, which I read in one sitting and again, Patterson managed to sneak in a surprise ending. That book was followed by All That Remains, by Patricia Cornwell, which I may have read long, long ago, as some of the plot seemed familiar, but not so familiar that I knew what was going to happen next.
Currently, I am "coasting" through Blood Memory, by Greg Iles. The character of Cat Ferry is pretty compelling, Iles has about a zillion balls up in the air at the moment, and I'm admiring his job of juggling them all.
I have the afternoon duty today, so I better start getting ready. Maybe some exercise?
Cheers...
