Post #1867843

2026-05-02 00:37 UTC

Today, Bonnie and I made the kind of memories we'll talk about for the rest of our lives. I've always been fascinated by space since I was very young. And while I dreamed of going to the Kennedy Space Center one day, America was such a long way away that I thought it would remain a dream. So finally, I made it, and Bonnie returned for a second visit. It was very special. We got to talk with an astronaut, Ken Cameron. He is a retired NASA astronaut, U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, and engineer whose career is defined by high-stakes flight testing and pioneering international cooperation in space. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he joined NASA in 1984 and logged over 561 hours in space across three shuttle missions. He flew on three distinct missions, transitioning quickly from pilot to commander roles: he helped deploy the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, one of NASA's "Great Observatories" designed to study high-energy radiation in the universe. He led the second docking mission with the Russian Space Station Mir. This was a landmark flight that delivered a permanent docking module to Mir, proving the assembly techniques that would later be used to build the International Space Station. He played a crucial role in bridging the gap between the U.S. and Russian space programs. In 1994, he served as the first NASA Director of Operations at Star City, Moscow. He lived in Russia to set up the support systems for NASA astronauts training with cosmonauts and personally trained on Soyuz and Mir systems. Oh, and he's also an active amateur radio enthusiast. So as you can appreciate, it was a real thrill to talk with him and hear some of his stories. Bonnie quizzed him about what it was like working with the cosmonauts. We were lucky that we timed it so well. A SpaceX rocket launched this afternoon, and was only delayed by about half an hour, so we got to actually watch a rocket launch. When we heard nothing after the countdown, I wondered if it had failed to fire, but we just had to wait a few seconds for the intense, rumbling sound to ripple over to where we were. It was incredible! We got to the shuttle Atlantas exhibit, and spent a lot of time at the Apollo exhibit, which was my favorite space thing when I was younger. We were assisted by the KSC Smart Guide app, which has great audio description, although I've come back with a list of things they might do to improve the experience even more. People were helpful, and we navigated the whole thing with plenty of great structured discoveries. What a team we make! I've got the technology, Bonnie's got ears that work properly and that incredibly personable disposition of hers. Unstoppable, I tell you. I also got some super recordings using a Zoom H2Essential, which is an ideal wee gadget to take on a mission like this with its adjustable microphone pickup patterns and two sets of mics that record on separate tracks for later mixing. I had a cable running to the iPhone so I could capture audio from the guide. It feels very special to have checked off such a longstanding dream from my bucket list, and it lived up to expectations.

Replies (12)

@Bri@fwoof.space 2026-05-02 00:38

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social That is very damn cool! Rock on!

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@dotsonapage@wandering.shop 2026-05-02 01:17

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social What an incredible visit!! I went there with my family when I was 13 but I feel like there was a lot we didn't get to see. Atlantis wasn't there yet for one thing. Have you been to the Air and Space museum in DC yet? that's pretty awesome too.

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@kernsac@mindly.social 2026-05-02 02:58

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social Dan and I were just talking about you guys today and wondering how the trip was going. It sounds like it has been amazing.

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@kd6cae@dragonscave.space 2026-05-02 03:16

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social @jaybird110127@dragonscave.space I've had the honor of visiting Kennedy space Center twice myself. First visit was in 2009, during the launch of space shuttle endeavor on mission STS-127. During that visit, I got to experience the space shuttle launch simulator, known as the space shuttle launch experience. What an awesome attraction that is. In 2024, I would get a second opportunity to visit Kennedy space Center. This time, I got to visit the Apollo Saturn V center. I also got to have lunch with an astronaut as well. What an unforgettable experience. As someone who grew up near the backup landing site for the space shuttle at Edwards Air Force Base California, I became a space nerd somewhat early in my childhood, and I've now been able to visit the Johnson space Center once, and Kennedy space Center twice. Short of going into space, I think I've crossed off man space flight visitation locations off my bucket list nicely. :)

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@boogiechild@dragonscave.space 2026-05-02 04:19

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social Now how awesome is that for a big dream like that to come true. I've had major dreams like that come true for me like meeting the Bee Gees. Going to England & living in California.

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@baxaphobia@caneandable.social 2026-05-02 04:35

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social Wow! What an experience! I am so happy you had such a good time!

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@technocounselor@caneandable.social 2026-05-02 04:41

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social That’s absolutely amazing!

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@SerenaTori@dragonscave.space 2026-05-02 05:25

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social Did you get a recording of the ship launching? That would’ve been really cool to see how the zoom H2 essential handled that kind of volume and sound pressure.

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@bmoore123@tweesecake.social 2026-05-02 09:09

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social I have not been to that place since I was a teen but I loved it even then. it is really cool! Glad you enjoyed it

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@vol4life8657@tweesecake.social 2026-05-02 11:13

@technocounselor@caneandable.social @JonathanMosen@caneandable.social That is totally awesome. When I was a student at TSB, I got to go to marshall in huntsville alabama. This was after the destruction of the space shuttle colombia, and one thing they showed us was the tiles that protect the shuttle while it's in the atmosphere. When they told me to place my hand on the tile and they fired a blow torch at the other side I won't deny I was a bit nervice. But it helped me understand what happened to the shuttle, and why the TPS failed. We also got to see the test firing of a rocket. The force behind all those engines was encredible! Wave upon wave of low frequency sound envelops you like a giant title wave. I have to admit, it was glorius. But yes indeed that is a once in a life time opportunity, and a memory worth capturing.

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@HarmonthSeeker@caneandable.social 2026-05-02 11:40

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social Out of this world.

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@JohnGassman@tweesecake.social 2026-05-02 15:47

@JonathanMosen@caneandable.social When ACB had their convention in Florida a couple of years ago, I took the Kennedy Space tour with my brand new H4E. I got eerying recorded on the tour including live shows and my experience in the simulator. The one thing I missed was the lunch time presentation of an astronaut for about 90 minutes. I thought my new recorder was on and recording, it was not. That session was a highlight and the only one I missed recording. It was a great tour. The next day I signed myself and friends into Disney World and I remember listening to my phone on the walk back to the car as the shots fired news came out of Butler Pennsylva.

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