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Domain: homerhickam.com

Stories and comments across the archive that link to homerhickam.com.

Comments · 5

  1. Back to the Moon by Petaris · · Score: 2, Interesting · on Return to the Moon

    This seems to have a lot of similarities to the book "Back to the Moon" by Homeer H. Hickam.

    http://www.homerhickam.com/books/moon.shtml

    Other then Back to the Moon is meant to be science fiction, the author did explain that the Helium 3 fusion theory that was one of the main plot points in the book was not science fiction. Over all it was a good read and unlike many sci-fi novells most everything in it was feisable with current technology. After all, it was written by a NASA engineer.

    If you are looking for a good book you might want to have a look at this.

  2. Re:can the orbiter make it to the moon? by jayrtfm · · Score: 1 · on NASA Prepares Discovery for Launch

    Homer Hickam, ex-NASA and author best known for "October Sky" thinks so.
    His book Back to the Moon has a senario where a shuttle goes into lunar orbit.
    quote "All the events in this book could happen from an engineering standpoint. It is indeed feasible to outfit a shuttle to the moon "

  3. Re:'Nother reason? by AB3A · · Score: 2 · on No Future in American Science
    Could it also be that kids are discouraged from experimenting in their own back yards?


    Precisely! You see, science is all about the unknown. It's not "safe" for suburban living.

    Kids can't get in to ham radio because they're not even allowed to erect a wire antenna outside their house. God help you if the neighborhood nazis find you turning a wrench on your own car. Chemistry sets have been largely banned because a kid might make a small amount of toxic waste if he or she abuses it. Even tree houses are subjected to neighborhood covenants.

    The dimwitted busybodies of our world have been allowed to take over. Most of the laws governing living areas are designed to make "safe" havens where nothing except sports can happen to your little children. And you have to cart them everywhere in your home away from home, the minivan.

    Well, nothing's happening. Their brains are filled with nothing. Homer Hickam's October Sky would be even more impossible in today's world of "safe" living.

    Welcome to the wonderful world of lobotomized science education and rotton opportunities.

  4. Re:Fission? He's GOT to be kidding! by Rothfuss · · Score: 4, Insightful · on Homer Hickam Speaks Out For Fission Rockets

    Homer Hickman:

    "During his long NASA career, Mr. Hickam worked in propulsion, spacecraft design, and crew training, and won many awards including the Astronaut Office's coveted Silver Snoopy award for his outstanding support of the astronaut corps, and a special commendation for overall excellence from the Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center. His specialties at NASA included training astronauts on science payloads, and extravehicular activities (EVA). He also trained astronaut crews for many Spacelab and Space Shuttle missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope deployment mission, the first two Hubble repair missions, Spacelab-J (the first Japanese astronauts), and the Solar Max repair mission. Prior to his retirement in 1998, Mr. Hickam was the Payload Training Manager for the International Space Station Program."

    Mike Eckardt:

    "Like many of you, I wanted to be an astronaut when I was young. It wasn't the glamor of a high profile, high risk job. It was the adventure. I lost that dream sometime during my teen years, when I realized that I wasn't enough of a Superman to join America's astronaut corps. But hope springs eternal. With the increasing availability of space flight in the 21st century, and the advent of a commercial tourist industry in space, I may yet manager to make my way into the high frontier."

    Thanks for your input Mike. We'll get back to you.

    -Rothfuss

  5. Re:This reminds me of a book by Mark+Leighton+Fisher · · Score: 1 · on Could The Moon Power Earth?

    Nice book written by the former NASA engineer, Homer Hickam, whose teenage rocketry career was shown (slightly fictionalized) in the movie October Sky (I'd also recommend that movie and the book it is based on). Really, the most difficult task of the Shuttle is the lift-off from Earth -- it is airtight after all, so a trip to the Moon using a Shuttle should be quite possible, given the ability to add a second engine pack in orbit. However, IANARS (I Am Not A Rocket Scientist).