This week's update....

This last week I continued with the inspection of the tile repairs. We were given the "go-ahead" of inspecting the entire belly of the shuttle, not just the critical areas. I will be working on this probably for 2 more weeks with the and we'll have to give a status and present the data. This next week I will also still be working with the gap filler installation process and help in compiling/presenting the data that we have gathered with all the test gap fillers and pull tests the techs have been performing.

The last thing we need is a hurricane to cause damage to KSC. I've been watching the news non-stop and keeping posted though. I drove down to South Florida to help my mother with the hurricane shutters. It's weird how around here, you actually see all your neighbors only around this time. Everyone is outside helping one another with the shutters, sharing ladders, and exchanging numbers in case of emergency. My mom is only about an hour away from Naples and you should see the lines at the gas pumps. After we finish here, I am taking my mom with me to Orlando. At least when the hurricane hits the coast, she will safe in orlando. but if it actually starts heading towards the tampa area...then that's a different story.

Examples of repairs on a tile

In my previous post I said I was going to try to upload some pictures to show you the tile repairs. So here is a tile. The two corners that have triangular looking repairs are called a "Shave". Now the other repair that I zoomed into is what I have been inspecting for the past two weeks. We look closely to make sure it is not to porous or dry. The main focus is to determine if the repair has enough integrity to withstand future flights.

Things to share.....

Well i moved into my first home! My dog Riley has been enjoying it alot more than I have. He's having a ball running through the entire house. The house is a step up for him since we were crammed in a studio when I first moved out here. But it's great and I am happy. If it is one thing I have learned, is the responsibility that comes with being a homeowner! For all you homeowners out there.....I give you a big pat on the back!

So the new move has been keeping me busy. I couldn't ask for anything better. I wake up and have a job I love to go to... and when the day comes to an end, i come home to a beautiful house and puppy.

Speaking of my job. I shifted from working with the gap filler team to take part in visual inspections of previous tile repairs on Discovery. A group of 5 of us have chosen a critical zone of about 4000 tiles. We have looked at each one individually to see if there are any previous repairs done on the tile. If so, we inspect the integrity and make sure the repair is not eroded, loose, or comment if the repair could be re-worked a little better. Now let me tell you, 4000 tiles is a lot of tiles! We've been making note of the tiles that we feel need to be re-looked, and on Monday we will hear back from upper management if we should continue looking at all the tiles on Discovery's belly, or move on to the the critical zones in Atlantis and Endeavor. I'll see if this week I can take a picture a tile with a previous repair so you see what I am talking about.

I called Embry Riddle last week and they said that I should be getting my admissions letter really soon. The thing that is a bummer is that classes for the winter semester start on Oct. 18th. So I won't be able to start school now until January 2006 since I am still not "admitted" in the computer system.