Discovery safely home

Space shuttle Discovery made a picture perfect landing at Kennedy Space Center on runway 15 at about 8:15 this morning. Discovery and crew completed a successful mission, which elapsed over 12 days, and 5.3 million miles. The whole process of reentry went about as smooth as possible. There was a last minute change of runway as mission control decided just before 8 am to change from runway 33 to runway 15. The weather was overcast and cloud cover was the reason for the runway change. Just a quick fact that absolutely blows my mind every time I hear it but once again as I was watching the whole thing this morning I heard it again. At about 25 minutes prior to landing Discovery was traveling at Mach 24.9 or about 17,000 miles per hour. 17,000 to 0 in 25 minutes that is a quick turn around. Intelligent Confusion would like to congratulate the crew of Discovery and NASA for a great and successful mission, and of course a safe return home.

The next shuttle launch is just around the corner as it is scheduled for sometime in August. The shuttle this time will be Atlantis, and the mission will be STS-115.

Tensions hot... Check

Tensions are intensifying in the Middle East as Israel and the terror network Hezbollah continue to trade blows. After Israel warplanes and ships attacked targets in Beirut which included the airport, and major roadways which run from Beirut towards Damascus (Syrian capitol). Israel has also focused their targets on known Hezbollah territories. Yesterday Israeli warplanes made an attempt to kill Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah who has come out urging Arabs and Muslims worldwide to support his guerillas. Earlier on Sunday Hezbollah launched a series of rocket attacks on northern Israel most notably in the city of Haifa. Israeli forces responded by launching another series of attacks in Lebanon.

As the tensions grow there are suspicions and reports about the involvement of Iran and Syria, countries that are known to have lent support to Hezbollah in the past. It is quite certain that the arms in which Hezbollah is using against Israel were provided by or purchased from Iran or Syria. Many of the fears from the west stem from the involvement of Syria and Iran. Syria has come out and been very vocal about their desire to be involved in any talks in the region. This is a growing problem that could become serious immediately if cooler heads don’t prevail. Look for more updates on this in the coming days.

On a lighter note, I am just wondering what Kim Jong Il thinks about all of this. He must despise Israel and Hezbollah as they have taken the world spotlight (that was momentarily on him) off of him. He launched a few test missiles got the worlds attention, and had an immediate upper hand when it came to apparent respect and the fear of some. He accomplished what he wanted. But a week later, he is a distant memory. For someone who has to compete with Hezbollah for airtime that is tough to swallow.

Discovery update

After a successful twelve days in space, shuttle Discovery is set to return to earth on Monday morning. NASA gave the shuttle the final thumbs up, as a final round of tests and checks were run testing everything from the external heat shield, to internal storage tanks. The crew will now prepare to start the process of re-entry. It is a process that is so fascinating to me that I had to share it (my thanks to NASA for the information that I am about to share with you all).

TIG-4 hours-Crew members begin preparations for landing. The orbiter's onboard computers are configured for entry, as is the hydraulic system that powers the orbiter's aerosurfaces -- its rudder speed brake and wing elevons.

TIG-3 hours-The payload bay doors are closed. Mission Control gives the commander the "go" for Ops 3, the portion of the orbiter's flight control software that manages entry and landing.

TIG-2 hours-Starting with the commander and pilot, the flight crew members don their orange launch and entry suits and strap into their seats.

TIG-1 hour-Mission Control gives the "go" for deorbit burn.

DEORBIT BURN-The orbiter and crew are officially on their way home.During reentry and landing, the orbiter is not powered by engines. Instead, it flies like a high-tech glider, relying first on its steering jets and then its aerosurfaces to control the airflow around it.
This is by far the most fascinating step, the shuttle is actually upside down and backwards as it heads back into the atmosphere. At this point the Shuttle is traveling at an extraordinary speed of over 16,000 mph.

Landing-30 minutes-Roughly half an hour after the deorbit burn, the orbiter will begin to encounter the effects of the atmosphere. Called entry interface, this point usually takes place at an altitude of about 80 miles, and more than 5,000 statute miles from the landing site.Early in reentry, the orbiter's orientation is controlled by the aft steering jets, part of the reaction control system. But during descent, the vehicle flies less like a spacecraft and more like an aircraft. Its aerosurfaces -- the wing flaps and rudder -- gradually become active as air pressure builds. As those surfaces become usable, the steering jets turn off automatically.To use up excess energy, the orbiter performs a series of four steep banks, rolling over as much as 80 degrees to one side or the other, to slow down. The series of banks gives the shuttle's track toward landing an appearance similar to an elongated letter "S."As the orbiter slices through the atmosphere faster than the speed of sound, the sonic boom -- really, two distinct claps less than a second apart -- can be heard across parts of Florida, depending on the flight path.

Landing-5 minutes-The orbiter's velocity eases below the speed of sound about 25 statute miles from the runway. As the orbiter nears the Shuttle Landing Facility, the commander takes manual control, piloting the vehicle to touchdown on one of two ends of the SLF.As it aligns with the runway, the orbiter begins a steep descent with the nose angled as much as 19 degrees down from horizontal. This glide slope is seven times steeper than the average commercial airliner landing. During the final approach, the vehicle drops toward the runway 20 times faster than a commercial airliner as its rate of descent and airspeed increase. At less than 2,000 feet above the ground, the commander raises the nose and slows the rate of descent in preparation for touchdown.

Landing-15 seconds-The main and nose landing gear are deployed and locked in place.

Touchdown! The orbiter's main landing gear touches down on the runway at 214 to 226 miles per hour, followed by the nose gear. The drag chute is deployed, and the orbiter coasts to a stop.

Discovery is set to land at Kennedy Space Center on runway 33 at 8:14 am Central time tomorrow morning. The weather at KSC has been suspect all day with rain and heavy cloud cover expected to last into tomorrow. There is an alternate landing time at KSC for 9:50 am CST. There is also the possibility of the shuttle landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California if needed (which is where Discovery landed last year on STS-114). The shuttle has enough resources and fuel to stay in space until Wednesday if needed.

A Dock to Remember

I have to share this story with the masses. Last week as I’m sure you all know was the great summer holiday of the 4th of July aka American Independence Day. Well my family generally has a few traditions that we like to try and stay with through the years. One of them happens to be spending some time at my grandmas on Lake Minnetonka. Well to make a long story short (which most of the people reading this know how hard that is for me), we decided to take the pontoon out to watch the fireworks (yes, yes to answer all of your unspoken questions, this was the same pontoon that I was holding on to when the infamous phone incident occurred. For those of you who have no clue what I am talking about search down the page on Intelligent Confusion), and on the way back, the fun started pouring out the sides like a bilge pump.

As we came back to the dock, I was on the front deck with a spotlight (as it was dark, because that is when you watch fireworks) to help guide my uncle (who was driving) back to the dock. With spotlight in one hand, and a rope in the other, I took a leap to the dock to turn the boat around and tie it up. Let me take this opportunity to take you back a few months (for those of you reading this that are board my apologies but stay with me), to a time when my dad and I started the process of building a new dock. My dad decided to build one section frame out of aluminum and put the normal wood boards across the top. We thought that this would make the section lighter (which we were wrong), sturdier (which we were wrong), and would last longer (which we will never know, ok can you see a plot here?). Ok back to the fourth of July, I jumped out onto the section (the one I just spoke of), and started to pull the boat around. Then one of the greatest moments of my life thus far happened as my dad took a running leap from the boat to the dock. It was an impressive leap of about 2 ½ feet, and a graceful landing if I do say so myself. Ok anyway as he hit the dock, the highly touted section that was going to be lighter, sturdier, stronger, and last longer, buckled like my knee circa 1996 Minnehaha JV football. The dock section dropped about eight inches, and I honestly thought that my dad and I were about to take a swim. The dock looked like a giant U. It was one of the funniest things that I have ever witnessed. I was laughing so hard that I laid down on the dock (a section over so I didn’t fall in), and laughed till I cried.

When we went to fix it last week, the frame of the section was the biggest mangled mess I had ever seen. Hence lies another Fourth of July. It ranks right up there with the time that I loaded a firework in a tube upside down and it blew up shattering the tube and making the loudest noise I had ever heard. Yet that is for a different time and place. For those of you who read the whole thing, I hope that I was able to express in words the story as funny as it actually was. For those of you who know my dad I think that you know why this is so amazing, for those of you who don't, that is a crying shame.

Discovery Update

Space Shuttle Discovery astronauts Piers Sellers and Mike Fossum made their third and final space walk yesterday. The space walks were all successful, and during the time, the two were able to check the bottom of Discovery to check for damage, work on and test out the robotic arm on Discovery, and do quite of bit of scheduled work and expansion on the International Space Station. The Discovery and ISS crew have a limited amount of work left to do, as the transfers will stop on Friday, and Discovery will undock on Sat. With the results of one of the space walks, NASA officials were able to clear Discovery for a safe return. The issue that had people worried was a piece of gap filler that was sticking out of the shuttle’s heat shield. Similar to the problem that Discovery had after take off last year in shuttle mission STS-114, and the apparent cause of the Columbia tragedy four years ago. Last year mission specialist Soichi Noguchi removed the piece of filler on a special space walk. NASA has said that that will not be necessary this time. The mission of STS-121 has been an overall success so far.

Failure, not the end, but a new opportunity.

Today I would like to continue my series on leadership with the profile of one of my all time favorite people, Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is not only my favorite American President, but he is also an incredibly fascinating person to study. I think that what he persevered through, and what he was able to accomplish while on this earth is astonishing. My third profile on leadership is good ol’ Honest Abe

Lincoln had humble beginnings as he was born to a poor family in rural Kentucky. Lincoln moved quite a bit when he was young from Indiana to Illinois. His mom died when he was 10, and he had to struggle for everything he got from day one. Lincoln essentially taught himself to read and write, and later with the help of his stepmother, he perfected much of what he had learned. Throughout his younger years Lincoln did many things to keep his mind sharp, and learn as much as he could. His vocational experience included: farming, storekeeper, Captain in the Black Hawk war (which is one of the things for which Lincoln received criticism because of brutality shown in the war towards Native Americans), he served in the Illinois legislator, and served on the circuit of courts for many years. He ran for the U.S. Senate, and than became President.
Through his experiences growing up, and into his adult life, Lincoln became very familiar with failure. He failed at business, he essentially failed at being a farmer, he failed at his first attempt and others at getting into politics, and he initially failed at keeping a fragile country together. However, Lincoln did not allow any of this to drag him down, he persisted and pushed on because he knew that his values were for a higher cause. Once Lincoln became President he faced strong opposition from all across the board of his desire to strengthen the Federal government, and of course later to grant emancipation to the nations slaves. While it is true that Lincoln did not see the African American as his equal, he thought that slavery was inhumane. “As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master, this expresses my idea of democracy.”


Lincoln receives a lot of credit for his wartime leadership, and for good reason. In his first Inaugural address Lincoln warned the south that “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you.... You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it." Lincoln lived up to his word; he defended and protected his country. When he gave his famous speech on the battlefield at Gettysburg he commented that the dead had not died in vein, and that through their efforts, “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Lincoln understood failure as president as well. He had to appoint and demote numerous Generals to lead the Union forces, yet Lincoln never relented.

Through it all Lincoln was assassinated for his efforts. He was assassinated because he did what he believed to be right, not for himself, but for the country. Lincoln rarely received personal gain for his efforts. He lost two sons, and had to often deal with a fragile, emotionally ailing wife, yet Lincoln wanted to push forward to “strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nations wounds.” Lincoln unfortunately never got to see his nation healed of its wounds, but his legacy lived on regardless. Lincoln is important to all of us because he is the very definition of leadership. He persevered through so much turmoil and hardship, and became known as one of if not the greatest Presidents ever. War was inevitable and Lincoln knew it. Yet out of war Lincoln saw a new nation, a re-birth of the democratic process that America’s founding fathers saw and created. Slavery was nothing new; it was something that John Adams addressed many times at the founding of the nation. Slavery was the eight hundred pound elephant in the room that no one wanted to talk about; the issue that no president dared to approach, yet Lincoln knew that it was not only his duty, but also his destiny in a sense. Lincoln knew that this was his time, his place, and leadership was his sworn duty.

Discovery update

Discovery docked with the International Space station yesterday. Prior to docking, shuttle commander Steve Lindsey performed the much-anticipated back-flip maneuver so that the crew aboard the Space Station could take pictures of the shuttle to check for any external damage. Discovery is dropping off supplies, and doing some work on the expansion of the International Space Station. They will be doing two different space walks while up there, in an effort to also test the mechanical arm that extends from the shuttle as well. Discovery will also drop off German astronaut Thomas Reiter for his six-month stay aboard the space station. This is the first time that a crew of three is aboard the space station in three years, and the first time ever that the crew consists of a Russian, an American, and a European. The Discovery crew will spend a week on the space station.

Fourth of July launches

Congratulations to the people at NASA for a successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery yesterday. It was the first Independence Day launch in NASA’s history. Everything from the initial observations of the launch seemed in great working order, and the crew will be able to see over the next few days if there has been any damage that needs repair before re-entry. I have to say that space travel is something that I know very little about, because my mind just does not think like that. Yet I am fascinated by it, and honestly can’t get enough of it. Just after take off yesterday, after the separation of the external boosters had been complete and the Shuttle had been airborne for about four or five minutes the shuttle was traveling at over 7,000 miles per hour or about four miles per second… Four miles per second!! That is so incredible to me. Look to Intelligent Confusion for updates on Discovery’s 13-day mission to the International Space Station.

Apparently Kim Jong Il is more nuts than ever thought possible before. North Korea tested more long-range missiles yesterday, including the infamous Taepodong II missile. North Korea got Japan’s attention by launching a missile into the Sea of Japan during a busy rush hour in Tokyo. Japan responded with cutting off transport and trade routes to North Korea via air and sea. China even responded with a late statement condemning the acts, but calling for peaceful and diplomatic needs in responding to the tests. I have to say that North Korea is dumber than I ever thought possible. They now have ticked off another major power in Asia, and China is not far behind. Japan and the U.S. want the U.N. to issue immediate sanctions against North Korea. There have been attempts in the past to sanction North Korea, but China and Russia have blocked such attempts. The U.S. is hoping that such actions will not happen this time. The funny thing in all of this is North Korea’s technology seems to be a bit lacking as the test of their Taepodong II missile failed, it crashed into the sea long before the projected aquatic target. Many say that this proves that North Korean technology is far inferior to that of their enemy counterparts. The thought is that this was more of a show on North Korea’s part than any strategic testing on the part of the North Koreans. They want to show the world that they have these missiles, and they are not afraid to launch them. I am not as concerned about North Korea as others because I think that North Korea is blowing a lot of smoke. Yet it is also valid to say that Kim Jong Il is so completely nuts that he would do something entirely irrational. I think that the best way to go forward with this is to continue the six party talks, and try and see if the U.N. is capable of setting appropriate sanctions. Kim Jong Il has said that any such sanctions would be an act of war, but if China, Japan, Russia, and America are all on the same side (along with others), than I like our chances.

An Independence Day to remember.

To commemorate our nations birthday, I want to go back to 1942 and the celebration that wasn’t during WWII. We all celebrate and commemorate what happened in 1776. The mark of American independence, and the beacon for liberty, freedom, and democracy around the world, which our founding fathers worked so tirelessly to create is well known, especially on this day. As a big fan of history, I am also a big fan of the founding fathers and their accomplishments, but I want to take a look at a 4th of July celebrated by another generation. A generation that the founding fathers would be very proud of, and a generation to which America owes a large amount of gratitude. That generation is forever known as America’s “Greatest Generation.”

On the fourth of July circa 1942, there were very few picnics; there were even fewer parties. America did not stop to celebrate its birthday that year. Instead, America continued to work. Military and government institutions continued to work as brave soldiers were off fighting and preparing for war. The U.S. Post Office stayed open, most businesses stayed open, and to set an example President Franklin Roosevelt kept the White House on a business as usual schedule. The Greatest Generation learned to appreciate and embrace sacrifice. They understood the toil and sacrifice that so many had endured leading up to and in the years following that first Independence Day in 1776. It’s because of the sacrifice that so many gave in 1942 that we can enjoy those celebrations of family, friends, food, and fireworks. Below I have included a short speech that President Roosevelt gave in 1942. I encourage everyone to take a look at it, and realize the sacrifice that so many gave.

As you are sitting enjoying the fireworks and having a good time with family and friends take a moment and think about that sacrifice that so many gave. For every colorful firework, and every loud “boomer,” there are hundreds of American soldiers buried around the world. Those brave soldiers fought so valiantly for the cause of enduring American independence and freedom. As we celebrate America’s independence, we also remember the sacrifice of so many which allows our traditions to continue.



“For 166 years this Fourth Day of July has been a symbol to the people of our country of the democratic freedom which our citizens claim as their precious birthright. On this grim anniversary its meaning has spread over the entire globe--focusing the attention of the world upon the modern freedoms for which all the United Nations are now engaged in deadly war.
On the desert sands of Africa, along the thousands of miles of battle lines in Russia, in New Zealand and Australia, and the islands of the Pacific, in war-torn China and all over the seven seas, free men are fighting desperately--and dying--to preserve the liberties and the decencies of modern civilization. And in the overrun and occupied nations of the world, this day is filled with added significance, coming at a time when freedom and religion have been attacked and trampled upon by tyrannies unequaled in human history.
Never since it first was created in Philadelphia, has this anniversary come in times so dangerous to everything for which it stands. We celebrate it this year, not in the fireworks of make-believe but in the death-dealing reality of tanks and planes and guns and ships. We celebrate it also by running without interruption the assembly lines, which turn out these weapons to be shipped to all the embattled points of the globe. Not to waste one hour, not to stop one shot, not to hold back one blow--that is the way to mark our great national holiday in this year of 1942.To the weary, hungry, unequipped Army of the American Revolution, the Fourth of July was a tonic of hope and inspiration. So is it now. The tough, grim men who fight for freedom in this dark hour take heart in its message--the assurance of the right to liberty under God--for all peoples and races and groups and nations, everywhere in the world.”

Independence... A certain cause for celebration

It is only fitting that I start my two-part post on American Independence on July 2, as this was the day that was originally the day sought out for American independence. It was actually the 2nd of July that John Adams was referring to when he wrote to his wife Abigail and said that this day will “be the most memorable Epocha in the history of America… It ought to be Solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.” Well Mr. Adams was not wrong about the celebration, only slightly off on the date.

Technically the United States of America declared its Independence on July 2nd 1776, but after congress adjourned on the July 2nd, they used the 3rd and the 4th to make a few minimal changes, making the official date the famous 4th of July. While it is the fourth that we celebrate, I would like to talk about the actual document that declared American Independence on the day of its unofficial completion.

The Declaration of Independence is famously known as Thomas Jefferson’s greatest literary achievement. Drafted in the month of June, Jefferson (who received significant help from John Adams and there have often been disputes about who actually wrote it) created the document that immediately became America’s most cherished symbol of liberty and freedom. The philosophy of the Declaration was not something new to civilized society. Something that John Locke and other philosophers had touched on many generations before. The ideals were nothing new, but the circumstances of these tiny unproven colonies splitting apart from mighty England would not only prove to be monumental, but would eventually change the course of history. The Declaration of Independence marked a new era in the world: the emergence of a new country, but also with the later creation of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence set the stage for democracy that the world had yet to see.


Here is an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. The first three or four lines are of course ones that everyone knows, but I challenge you all to read on and see what else that Jefferson and Adams sought was vital to the success of a new nation:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.