Wayne Hale
@waynehale.bsky.social
Curmudgeon at large. Retired NASA Flight Director.
Great program on Nova tonight about building the ISS. Illustrated just a few of the many challenges in accomplishing that incredible project
November 6, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Great program on Nova tonight about building the ISS. Illustrated just a few of the many challenges in accomplishing that incredible project
After watching the new astronaut selection- very capable individuals- I was reminded of my post about a year ago - the sentiment applies here.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/d...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/d...
Due Consideration
Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful, honor and recognition in event of success. – Apocryphal ad…
waynehale.wordpress.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:42 AM
After watching the new astronaut selection- very capable individuals- I was reminded of my post about a year ago - the sentiment applies here.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/d...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2023/04/12/d...
Magnificent pre-dawn pass of the ISS over Colorado just now. Close by Saturn, Moon, Jupiter, & Venus
Wish more people would look up and see it
Wish more people would look up and see it
August 18, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Magnificent pre-dawn pass of the ISS over Colorado just now. Close by Saturn, Moon, Jupiter, & Venus
Wish more people would look up and see it
Wish more people would look up and see it
Ya can’t fool Mother Nature
July 31, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Ya can’t fool Mother Nature
In the Star Trek canon - DS9 - are we at the Bell Riots in Los Angeles?
June 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
In the Star Trek canon - DS9 - are we at the Bell Riots in Los Angeles?
And just like that, it is 1968 again
June 8, 2025 at 7:23 PM
And just like that, it is 1968 again
This is the saddest news of the day. Marc was absolutely the best and I will miss him
June 5, 2025 at 12:31 AM
This is the saddest news of the day. Marc was absolutely the best and I will miss him
Time to bring out an oldie that once again is relevant:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/s...
“meanwhile, could we please quit cancelling rocket projects before they get off the drawing board?”
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/s...
“meanwhile, could we please quit cancelling rocket projects before they get off the drawing board?”
Space Architecture
Sometimes a Code of Ethics helps in decision making
waynehale.wordpress.com
June 4, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Time to bring out an oldie that once again is relevant:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/s...
“meanwhile, could we please quit cancelling rocket projects before they get off the drawing board?”
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/s...
“meanwhile, could we please quit cancelling rocket projects before they get off the drawing board?”
Glorious high elevation ISS pass during the middle of the high school graduation ceremony for my granddaughter. Glad for a beautiful evening!
May 31, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Glorious high elevation ISS pass during the middle of the high school graduation ceremony for my granddaughter. Glad for a beautiful evening!
Re - reading my Heinlein.
From the notebooks of Lazarus Long, this wisdom:
“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”
“You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.”
From the notebooks of Lazarus Long, this wisdom:
“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”
“You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.”
May 22, 2025 at 6:59 PM
Re - reading my Heinlein.
From the notebooks of Lazarus Long, this wisdom:
“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”
“You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.”
From the notebooks of Lazarus Long, this wisdom:
“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”
“You live and learn. Or you don’t live long.”
Spurious talk: Houston getting a shuttle or NASA HQ.
JSC deteriorating with the proposed federal budget.
I expect to get a 'smoky bear' hat to wear giving tours at the JSC Historical Site when NPS service takes over.
Because Houston just doesn't care.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/w...
JSC deteriorating with the proposed federal budget.
I expect to get a 'smoky bear' hat to wear giving tours at the JSC Historical Site when NPS service takes over.
Because Houston just doesn't care.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/w...
Why Houston Did Not Get A Shuttle
Immediate reaction from many people in the Houston area was that the Orbiter disposition decision was politically tainted. For example, this was the explanation of my old Rice classmate Annise Par…
waynehale.wordpress.com
May 8, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Spurious talk: Houston getting a shuttle or NASA HQ.
JSC deteriorating with the proposed federal budget.
I expect to get a 'smoky bear' hat to wear giving tours at the JSC Historical Site when NPS service takes over.
Because Houston just doesn't care.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/w...
JSC deteriorating with the proposed federal budget.
I expect to get a 'smoky bear' hat to wear giving tours at the JSC Historical Site when NPS service takes over.
Because Houston just doesn't care.
waynehale.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/w...
Proud Purdue Alum cheering the Boilermakers to victory over University of Houston cougars
March 28, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Proud Purdue Alum cheering the Boilermakers to victory over University of Houston cougars
I got one this week!
The astronauts are now not the only group at NASA with a jacket of their own...
Mission Control 'members only': NASA flight directors don new jacket
NASA's flight directors have taken a page from the astronaut crews they support, if not also the Masters Tournament, Hells Angels and even Saturday Night Live's Five-Timers Club. There is now a flight...
www.collectspace.com
March 27, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I got one this week!
Another awe inspiring ISS pass over the northern Colorado Rockies. Reaching the terminator the station disappeared in the bowl of the Big Dipper.
Much more spectacular at bortle 3 than in Houston at Bortle 7 or 8
Much more spectacular at bortle 3 than in Houston at Bortle 7 or 8
March 27, 2025 at 3:19 AM
Another awe inspiring ISS pass over the northern Colorado Rockies. Reaching the terminator the station disappeared in the bowl of the Big Dipper.
Much more spectacular at bortle 3 than in Houston at Bortle 7 or 8
Much more spectacular at bortle 3 than in Houston at Bortle 7 or 8
Today I’d like to celebrate the safe return of Nick Hague the Crew-9 Commander. He just spent 6 1/2 months at the ISS as part of Expedition 72. Nick survived a hair raising launch abort on Soyuz and still has the courage to ride a rocket into space. Hero.
March 19, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Today I’d like to celebrate the safe return of Nick Hague the Crew-9 Commander. He just spent 6 1/2 months at the ISS as part of Expedition 72. Nick survived a hair raising launch abort on Soyuz and still has the courage to ride a rocket into space. Hero.
Beautiful high elevation ISS pass in clear skies over Houston just now.
Humanity’s tenuous toe hold in the universe. Why would we ever give it up.
Humanity’s tenuous toe hold in the universe. Why would we ever give it up.
March 11, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Beautiful high elevation ISS pass in clear skies over Houston just now.
Humanity’s tenuous toe hold in the universe. Why would we ever give it up.
Humanity’s tenuous toe hold in the universe. Why would we ever give it up.
I am off hiking the pilgrimage way, the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Rarely have WiFi, never have television. Occasionally check in with the home folks over the internet.
Silence is a great thing.
Contemplation is a great thing.
Getting out of the continuous babel is a great thing.
Rarely have WiFi, never have television. Occasionally check in with the home folks over the internet.
Silence is a great thing.
Contemplation is a great thing.
Getting out of the continuous babel is a great thing.
February 20, 2025 at 5:54 PM
I am off hiking the pilgrimage way, the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Rarely have WiFi, never have television. Occasionally check in with the home folks over the internet.
Silence is a great thing.
Contemplation is a great thing.
Getting out of the continuous babel is a great thing.
Rarely have WiFi, never have television. Occasionally check in with the home folks over the internet.
Silence is a great thing.
Contemplation is a great thing.
Getting out of the continuous babel is a great thing.
Thinking about accident investigations and how important it is to not jump to conclusions right away:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/a...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/a...
Accident Investigations
This week’s crash of a commuter train in New Jersey plus other recent events got me thinking about the lessons I have learned the hard way through several accident investigations. One of the toughe…
waynehale.wordpress.com
January 31, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Thinking about accident investigations and how important it is to not jump to conclusions right away:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/a...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/10/01/a...
Reposted by Wayne Hale
A letter from the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
“I never thought I would live in a time when the United States government would censure a bishop, jeopardize religious free speech, or threaten to take people while they attend worship.” ⚓️
“I never thought I would live in a time when the United States government would censure a bishop, jeopardize religious free speech, or threaten to take people while they attend worship.” ⚓️
January 29, 2025 at 12:15 AM
A letter from the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas.
“I never thought I would live in a time when the United States government would censure a bishop, jeopardize religious free speech, or threaten to take people while they attend worship.” ⚓️
“I never thought I would live in a time when the United States government would censure a bishop, jeopardize religious free speech, or threaten to take people while they attend worship.” ⚓️
NASA has designated today as 'Remembrance Day' You can read my thoughts about it here:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/r...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/f...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/b...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/a...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/r...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/f...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/b...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/a...
After Ten Years: Enduring Lessons
From the Rogers Commission to reading Dr. Diane Vaughn’s book The Challenger Launch Decision took me 17 years. For all those years I had learned the wrong lesson about the loss of Challenger. The…
waynehale.wordpress.com
January 23, 2025 at 11:25 PM
NASA has designated today as 'Remembrance Day' You can read my thoughts about it here:
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/r...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/f...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/b...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/a...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/r...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/f...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2019/06/19/b...
waynehale.wordpress.com/2013/01/31/a...
Attended a lovely ceremony at JSC honoring Frank Borman. Saw many old colleagues. Great speakers including Jim Lovell’s son, Fred Haise, and Harrison Schmidt
January 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Attended a lovely ceremony at JSC honoring Frank Borman. Saw many old colleagues. Great speakers including Jim Lovell’s son, Fred Haise, and Harrison Schmidt