Geeks in Space: Economic Realities of the End of an Era

STS-135 Official Mission Poster

NASA’s final shuttle mission is planned to liftoff on July 8th. The mission will mark the end of a historic period of triumph – and tragedy – for America’s space agency. It will also mean the end of jobs for thousands of people.

Not more than a few days after Atlantis lands upon completion of its mission, NASA will lay off approximately 3,200 contractor employees in Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. The force of 6,700 people who performed the day to day maintenance for the shuttles will be reduced to a mere 1,000 who will help during the final transition to retirement as the shuttles are prepared for their final homes at the various museums around the country. This process will take another two years. Of course, this final round of layoffs comes after a long process of winding down the shuttle program. At its height, NASA employed over 30,000 contractor employees.

There are a few signs of hope in the future for displaced workers in the aerospace industry. Commercial companies are ramping up to take over the supply and maintenance of the International Space Station and many of the shuttle workers are applying for those jobs. With the completion of construction of the ISS, the job opportunities for operational and research and development positions will increase.

Shuttle program manager John Shannon is, however, hopeful for the future. He says NASA is ready and waiting for the next chapter in the space agency’s history. In these troubled economic times, such optimism is either refreshing – or foolish.

The iPhone Goes Where No Phone Has Gone Before

iPhone in Space

Okay, I know that’s really cheesy – not to mention geeky – but I just couldn’t help myself. Two Apple iPhone 4′s are getting ready to liftoff next week aboard Atlantis as part of a series of four experiments on the space station. The Odyssey Space Research, a company based in Houston, TX, has loaded the phones with an app that will help astronauts regain their orientation in case they ever get lost in space – something that can easily happen in a weightless environment. While the ISS has plenty of gadgets and gizmos to prevent getting lost, it’s possible that in the future with more commercial space transports going back and forth from the station, mobile devices will be needed. Just imagine the astronauts aboard Apollo 13 looking out the window to get their bearings to set the course home and you can see why such devices could be needed.

By the way, the app with simulated data is available in the App Store.

Can you hear me now?

 
Have a great week!

About Susan

Susan is a 47 year old self-proclaimed geek with a talent for writing. She has a myriad of interests which include cooking, computer games, science, space and technology, human and civil rights, burrowing owls and iguanas. She lives in West Palm Beach, Florida with Miss Nala, her 14 year old kitty who has been known to tweet on occasion.

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