 |
| Building on history: A worker rests a moment during a break at the new Davidson Center for Space Exploration, part of the
US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala. Patrik Jonsson |
From the back of a bike to the moon
American space research returns to its original launching pad in Huntsville, Ala.
from the January 31, 2008 edition
Page 3 of 3
His ability to turn around commonsense solutions quickly is why NASA and Boeing have turned to Pickens, and others with a similar mind-set, for help with the Ares. "That's been my passion, to try to dig into the hardware, especially propulsion, to say, 'Man, why is this stuff so expensive? Why is this so hard to do? Is this real or have we just gone down a path of, 'that's just the way we've always done it'?" Pickens asks.
Despite this week's celebrations and the opening of a new Center for Space Exploration, the vision for America's future in space may not ultimately come from Huntsville. But the actual mechanics of space travel, just as in 1958, will most likely be sketched on a napkin and conceived in a garage here in the Rocket City.
"One of the German scientists, Ernst Stuhlinger, tells the story of Explorer 1, where he was tasked with making this device called the 'apex predictor' that would figure out exactly the right moment to boost the engines," says Mr. Petroff. "When asked, 'Well, this device of such precision, Dr. Stuhlinger, where was this manufactured?' He says, [in a German accent] 'In my garage.' "
RSS feed