))
Unleashing Artemis with Rick LaBrode
Manage episode 434671043 series 3593612
Welcome to an exhilarating new episode of the podcast as Sandra and Sandy embark on a captivating journey behind the scenes of Mission Control with none other than Rick LaBrode, the distinguished Lead Flight Director of the groundbreaking Artemis One mission. Together, they unravel the multifaceted role of a flight director and the immense responsibilities that come with overseeing such momentous missions. Along the way, Rick unveils the intricate coordination of system consoles, the unwavering commitment to crew safety and vehicle integrity, the intricate world of pre-planning, and the creation of flight rules that facilitate real-time decision-making.
Rick also offers invaluable insights into the continuous learning experience for the flight control team during the groundbreaking Artemis One mission, and shares intimate details of the exhaustive planning and meticulous training that precede every mission. The necessity of risk assessment, where every conceivable failure is meticulously evaluated, and contingencies are strategically devised to mitigate potential perils, is explored as well. With the Artemis One mission as their compass, Sandra, Sandy, and Rick shed light on the realm of unexpected events and risk reduction strategies while highlighting the resilience and adaptability of the flight team. Sit back, buckle up, and brace yourself for today’s riveting expedition behind the scenes of historic space missions with Rick LaBrode as your guide extraordinaire.
The Finer Details of this Episode:
- The role of flight director and coordination between system consoles for mission success
- Responsibilities of ensuring crew and vehicle safety
- The importance of pre-planning, real-time decision-making, and flight rules
- Artemis One
- Risk reduction activities and testing
- The extensive planning and training process
- Personal dedication and passion for human spaceflight
Quotes:
"The part you see on TV where we're in Mission Control, that's just one piece of it. And actually, the smaller piece, it's probably 10% of the job. 90% of the work is done before we even get on console."
"We try to pre-plan and think about all the what-if scenarios that could go wrong, and we build flight rules that make real-time decision making easy... It's when we don't have a flight rule that covers that scenario where the flight director earns his paycheck."
"I think almost every flight controller who works in mission control, they aspire to be the person who's large and in charge in the room. And I was no different. Right. I wanted to be the guy that people came to ask the questions and got permission to go and do stuff."
"The buck really stops at the flight director console. We are ultimately responsible for the well-being of the crew, their safety, as well as the vehicle itself."
"One of our primary mission objectives for Artemis One was to test the heat shield that was going to protect the crew module on reentry."
"Because we worked it so long and my team was so good, they made my job really easy... I felt so comfortable. We were ready easily the year before to be able to fly this flight."
"Space Ops is just the coolest thing you could ever imagine. You can't do it anywhere else."
Links:
The Adrenaline Zone on Instagram
67 episodes
Share
