National Astronaut Day

National Astronaut day just passed, a day which acknowledges those audacious few who have, in reality, gone to infinity and beyond.

I spent about 16 plus weeks with then Senator John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth, as he prepared to go back to space, many years later. A lot of astro training is done in the classroom, in simulators and other very controlled settings. The time they occasionally get to get into high speed jets and get their yaya’s out is limited. Like, I was able to connect with one flight, and it was a picture I needed for the coverage, badly.

I got lucky with the light, and with my subject.

Attaching anything extraneous to a tactical aircraft like a T-38 is something that has to be run up and down the bureaucratic and engineering flagpole in triplicate, or more. Very reasonable to do so, as the last thing you want flying at the speeds these aircraft can achieve is something getting loose and rattling around, which makes for a potentially bad day in the wild blue yonder.

Hence the photo making aspect of a picture like this is pretty straightforward. It’s more about tenacity, and establishing good relations from the admin powers that be right on down to the tech crews on the tarmac, which will do the install of the camera. It doesn’t happen overnight. Especially when the camera is facing off with America’s most famous astronaut, John Glenn.

The Senator and I shared a photo credit for this in Nat Geo. I set the camera up, ran a remote trigger wire to his fingers, and told him to look at the sun and fire the camera. I dialed in single shot, as I was limited to 36 frames. Fuji RVP. which was pretty saturated, zippy stuff. I would rate it at ASA 40, as opposed to the official 50, as I always felt it needed opening up for publication, even in Nat Geo.

National Astronaut Day, a respectful nod to those who fly into the unknown, risking it all, for our benefit.

More tk…..