Where's BJ? A letter home from "the front"

Family and friends:

I've been very tied up supporting the upcoming launch of STS-90, Neurolab which is still scheduled to launch on April 16, 1998. I previously sent you a website crew page to check out that would lead you to a Kennedy Space Center Site, an ARC site and many other links to find out about this awesome mission I'm working on. Well, it seems in my trip to Florida and interactions with crew members, there have been photos taken. Dummy me wasn't really paying attention, just doing my job. Someone here at work found a web site with photos on them, see if you can locate me. You'll have to look for my better features, gray hair and a big rear, to know it's me. Some people might say it's my better side but I personnally wouldn't agree.

On my recent trip to Kennedy I had the opportunity to actually step into the shuttle Columbia and sit in the commander's seat (left front seat). I checked out the orbitor systems and determined there is no way I could sleep in one of those sleep stations. I also got a unique tour of the orbitor engines. The orbitor was horizontal and being prepared for rollout to the Vertical Assembly Building, I was taken inside the engines where the technicians actually crawl around and do the refurbishment and repairs. I sat right behind engine number one. This was a fantastic opportunity and a first. This mission is billed as the last Spacelab mission, so I may never get the opportunity to do something like this again. It really made my year. Four trips to Florida since January has been a bit much for my family and myself. It'll all be worth it when we have a successful launch.

Where will BJ be next?

I'm off to Houston next week for the Middeck Bench Review where the crew member look at all the space stuff, experiment hardware, their clothes, food etc. that goes into the middeck lockers. On or about April 2, I go to Kennedy Space Center to support the final turnover integration of the late loaded experiment hardware and the animals. I'll return after launch to monitor the inflight activities at Ames Research Center.

Have fun looking at my goofy picture. Just in case anyone wants to know my whereabout on January 9, go to: http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/captions/1998/jan/98pc145.htm

Cheers! bj