December 2001
SimNASA names Deputy Administrator
Posted Monday, December 31, 2001
Officials at SimNASA announced today the appointment of Chuck Boudreaux as the Deputy Administrator for the organization. Chuck is a former international journalist from Louisiana and joined SimNASA in the last summer. Since that time, he has logged over 320 hours of flight time and is currently in the final stages of SimNASA astronaut training program. “I am truly honored to have been asked to take this position” Boudreaux stated to reporters. “SimNASA is at a critical point. We are in a position to take SimNASA to the next level, providing a realistic and unique entity where flight simmers can push their talents to the ultimate level or realism.”
As part of his responsibilities, Boudreaux will oversee the Earth Science division of SimNASA to include sceneries, automation, aircraft acquisition, facilities at Cape Canaveral, Fla., and development of a number of other programs in the organization.
Pilot Roster now on-line
Posted Thursday, December 20, 2001
A tentative pilot roster has been placed on line in the Pilot Services section of the website. In the next few days this will be changed to a more permanent output.
New Look - New Direction
Posted Tuesday, December 18, 2001
Welcome to our new website! Currently we are busy tying up all the loose ends while bringing on-line new features and items. Over the course of the next several days these items will be put on-line.
One item that we are working very hard on is our automation of pilot reports. We hope to have that completed in the next several days. Please be assured that we are receiving your PIREP’s and that all PIREP’s will be processed after the automation is completed.
We are asking for your patience as we integrate our new look and feel into our webpage’s.
More to come later.
SimNASA ADMINISTRATOR KEITH STEIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2001
After three years as head of the first virtual space agency, SimNASA's Administrator, Keith Stein, today announced his resignation, effective Dec 1.
Brad Hodges, Director of New Ocean Aeronautics and Development, has been selected to replace Stein as the new SimNASA Administrator. "I am very excited about this new and challenging opportunity," said Hodges.
"SimNASA is losing a valuable management asset in Keith. Keith has been an excellent Administrator and has, over the course of the past year and half, led SimNASA not only into the forefront of what a virtual agency can be, but into the forefront of what can be done in a virtual agency. It is my hope that I can fill the tremendous shoes that Keith has left for me to fill," Hodges said.
Administrator Stein founded the Simulated Aeronautics and Space
Organization (SASO) in July 1999, but was later renamed SimNASA in March 2000.
First Virtual Astronaut Orbits Earth In FS2000
Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2001
SimNASA (http://www.simnasa.org) successfully performed the first manned orbital flight, Saturday, July 21, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (KXMR) over the SATCO/SATSERV network (http://www.satco.org) using Flight Simulator 2000 (FS2000).
After a 58 minutes delay due to technical problems and weather conditions, the Mercury/Atlas rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
The Mercury/Atlas rocket carried SimNASA virtual astronaut Brad Hodges into orbit around the Earth using FS2000. Hodges performed three orbits of the earth in a 161 by 131 mile high orbit inclined 32.5 degrees to the earth’s equator with a period of 90 minutes.
In addition, mission control was unable to receive telemetry from the Mercury capsule during the flight through virtual Command Console software. Ground controllers worked the technical issue throughout the first two orbits but never resolved the problem. With good communications through a network of SimNASA ground stations located around the globe, the mission was allowed to continue with no telemetry link.
The mission ended with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean approx. 135 nm east of the Grand Turk VOR (114.20) and almost 800 nm from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Virtual Navy helicopters and aircraft carriers performed recovery operations.
This was the first launch for the new Mercury/Atlas launch vehicle (http://www.simnasa.org/aims/mercury/images/ma.jpg), developed by Aeronautics International for Model Simulation (AIMS / http://www.simnasa.org/aims/).
Col. Brad Hodges joined SimNASA in June 2000 and has currently logged over 360 hours of flight time in varies aircraft for the organization (UH-1, ER-2, Fokker-27, P-3B/Orion, C-130Q, and T-38N). This was Hodges second flight into space following his suborbital flight July 1 (http://www.simnasa.org/aims/mercury/MRarchive.html).
SimNASA would like to thank the Virtual U.S. Navy, SATCO, Openline, FSLive, Weather Hunters International, New Ocean Software, and AIMS for their outstanding support toward this mission.
SimNASA Plans First Manned Orbital Flight On SATCO/SATSERV Network
Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2001
SimNASA (http://www.simnasa.org) plans to conduct their first manned orbital flight, Saturday, July 21, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (KXMR) over the SATCO/SATSERV network (http://www.satco.org).
A Mercury/Atlas rocket will carrying SimNASA virtual astronaut Brad Hodges into orbit around the Earth using Flight Simulator 2000. The mission profile calls for at least three orbits, but may be prolonged up to seven under ideal conditions. Each orbit should take about 90 minutes to complete for a total flight time of about 4 hours. The mission will end with a splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean approx. 135 nm east of the Grand Turk VOR (114.20) and almost 800 nm from Cape Canaveral, Fla. Virtual Navy helicopters and aircraft carriers will support recovery operations.
This will be the first launch for the new Mercury/Atlas launch vehicle developed by Aeronautics International for Model Simulation (AIMS / http://www.simnasa.org/aims/).
Col. Brad Hodges joined SimNASA in June 2000 and has currently logged over 360 hours of flight time in varies aircraft for the organization (UH-1, ER-2, Fokker-27, P-3B/Orion, C-130Q, and T-38N). This will be Hodges second flight into space following his suborbital flight July 1 (http://www.simnasa.org/aims/mercury/MRarchive.html).
Gen. Ronald Barish, the first virtual astronaut to reach orbital altitude using FS2000, will be the back-up astronaut for this flight.
Viewing the launch
You are welcome to come and watch the launch.
1.) The best place to see the launch would be from Space Center Executive (KTIX) in Florida. This facility is within 10 miles of the launch pad. Make sure you are in multi-player mode and look for the call sign “FRND4” [Friendship 4] east of the airport.
Space Center Executive (KTIX)
RWY 09-27 (5,001 x 100)
RWY 18-36 (6,001 x 150)
GEIGER LAKE NDB - 375 GGL
2.) Contact “NASA_PAO” on ProController for private message updates during the countdown. Arrive early to get a good spot. Operations starts at 9:30 a.m. EDT (6:30 a.m. PDT / 1330 Zulu) with lift-off set for 11 a.m. EDT (8 a.m. PDT / 1500 Zulu).
3.) A press kit, recovery scenery, Cape Canaveral scenery, and a common shape library Mercury/Redstone rocket for FS2000 is available at; http://www.simnasa.org/aims/mercury/cli.html.
Mercury/Redstone Flight #4 Successful!
Posted Tuesday, December 11, 2001
SimNASA astronaut Col. Brad Hodges became the second Virtual Astronaut July 1 when he was launched aboard a Mercury/Redstone rocket at 6:09 p.m. EDT.
Hodges reached a peak altitude if 119 miles (632,000 feet) using Flight Simulator 2000. The Mercury capsule splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean some 249 nautical miles downrange from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
Splashdown Location
Latitude: N 27 13.70
Longitude: W 75 53.39
Pictures have been posted in the Archive section;
http://www.simnasa.org/aims/mercury/archive.html
The capsule splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean less than 1/2 mile from theprime Virtual Navy recovery ship.
This flight was dedicated to the memory of Ray F. Jones (SATCO2). Jones passed away in his sleep, June 23, at his home in San Antonio, Texas. He was instrumental in automating the SATCO membership database and supporting the organization in untold ways.
This completes SimNASA’s manned suborbital flight program. SimNASA will now move into development of their first orbital flight using their new Atlas launch vehicle. Designated Mercury/Atlas #6 (MA6), this flight will perform four orbits of the Earth before splashdown.
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