I Dream of Jeannie; spin-off TV movie; scene 1; news & articles
I Dream of Jeannie; spin-off TV movie: Title: "Men of M.O.L." or "The Manned Orbiting Laboratory"
Comment: this story is sufficiently "divorced" from the old TV show that I should be able to ‘win’ a claim of it as my own intellectual property - for sale.
Classified Episode Overview: in April of 1970, the first African-American (Robert Lawrence) and the first Jewish Astronaut (James Abramson) team up on a top-secret mission to help end the Vietnam War - But, sadly, there ARE casualties in war; sometimes even "collateral damage“ - or “friendly fire” incidents...
Men of M.O.L. [Manned Orbital Laboratory] – Scene 1
Time: Monday, April 20, 1970; 9 AM EDT… Place: Kennedy Space Center, Florida; Press Briefing Room
<Unclassified News Conference>
[USAF] General Winfield Schaeffer: “Lady… and gentlemen of the press, thank you for being here.
Comment: It’s 1970, and there’s still only one woman out of 25 people in the room!?
Before we begin the briefing about our new mission to study the earth, I’d like to make a personal statement about the recent Apollo 13 mission to the moon - which just had a 'successful failure' - ending 3 days ago... Now, I am glad that NASA did not lose our three brave astronauts… this time...
As you in the press know, back in 1967, we did lose the crew of Apollo 1 - in a fire on the launch pad… After that horrible day, the entire aerospace community promised that manned flight would always be made as safe as is possible…
Well, a week ago, we - in the manned space programs - messed up again, and that's simply unacceptable to me.
All endeavors by humans have some inherent risk, but we owe it to the brave men who journey into outer space to do everything we can to make their voyage safe - and their mission successful.
As long as I’m in command of the Department of Defense: Manned Orbital Laboratory Program, we will only launch after: every solder connection is inspected; every bolt is tight; all sub-systems pass engineering performance tests; every line of computer code is validated… every contingency is planned for…
And I will delay a launch if one of my engineers says that it’s not safe to fly…
Further, I – and my system engineers - will be sitting in on the Apollo 13 failure analysis board of inquiry to be sure that *we* do not miss any possible failure modes – or potential solutions - to a similar situation on *our* DOD Programs...
Now, I introduce [US Navy] Captain James Abramson, and [USAF] Captain Robert Lawrence [Jr.], who will soon spend two weeks in space to study the earth.”
Captain James Abramson: “As General Schaeffer:?said, I, too, pledge to make sure that our mission is safe and successful…
Speaking of our planned objectives, fellow astronaut Roger Healy said to the press, just before he flew on a similar mission to ours back in 1968, that there is no planet ‘B’, so we must do all we can to preserve, protect and defend our home planet from harm.
Of course, many people – even civilians - also worry about damage to our global ecosystem… So, this Wednesday, April 22nd - in my hometown of Philadelphia, PA - America will hold the world’s first “Earth Day”. This will be a celebration of the amazing diversity of life on our planet, and will begin our Nation’s commitment to make the earth a bit better in the future…
Our space program will ‘honor’ this goal by sending me and [points] Captain Lawrence on a two-week mission to study the earth… Launching this Wednesday, we will be looking at our oceans, and especially our rain forests, to see how man has been affecting them...
I know that it’s not ‘politically correct’ to talk about religion, but my faith directs me to be a good steward of our home, and not see the earth as a ‘dead’ thing that we can strip mine into oblivion…
I now proudly introduce Captain Robert Lawrence, Jr. He’s not only a smart guy; he is also the world’s first black astronaut… American… or Russian.” [It’s 1970, so “black” was an acceptable way to refer to Robert Lawrence]
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/robert-lawrence-first-african-american-astronaut
Captain Robert Lawrence: “Good morning, everyone… I echo the remarks about Apollo 13 by General Schaeffer, and the remarks about our Lab mission by Captain Abramson… We are now open to any questions you in the press may have…”
[Ellen doesn't wait - and immediately stands up] “Ellen Fleysher, CBS News… Captain Abramson, could you please elaborate about your religious beliefs - and how they relate to your mission…”
James: “Ellen, I’m Jewish. My belief system includes a pledge to restore the earth... Of course, all human activity affects the planet, but we must make sure that the next generation inherits a world as good as– or better than - we have now.
I’m also working to end war and famine... You know that story in the Bible about the Garden of Eden? To Jews, it’s not a myth – or ancient history! It is, instead, a blueprint for life on our Earth in a time where the lion will literally lie down with the lamb… where Nation will not wage war against Nation… We will, one day, study how-to live-in peace, harmony and cooperation - - not, as it is now; suffer from war, poverty and oppression.
Our Mission objective – working to developing technology and analysis tools to make sure that Nations have enough food & clean water - will reduce the threat of war over a lack of natural resources.”
Reporter #2: "Also from CBS; I'm Ed Bradley; Captain Lawrence, what’s it like to be the first African-American astronaut? For example, as a 'black' man, I’ve had to endure hate and prejudice at home, and, sometimes, even while at work.”
[CBS deliberately “double teamed”; sending a woman and an African American man to this press conference]
Captain Lawrence: “Ed, I’m just happy to be able to be an astronaut, and do important scientific research in space. While I, too, have had difficulty finding a hotel to rent me a room – especially when on assignment in the South, I can say that I’m always treated with respect by everyone in our space program.”
Captain Abramson: “Ed, can I answer that question too?
Ed Bradley: “Sure, James…”
James Abramson: “Ed, first, I know that, like me, you’re also from Philadelphia… so - Go Phillies!
…More to the point, America is working to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed and be happy – BUT this effort will take more time… Blacks suffered from hundreds of years of slavery, then 100 more years of inequality...
Captain Lawrence is too proud to amid that we really must do more to promote women and minorities to positions where they can be managers who make decisions about how we live - and get the salary that they deserve when in a job where they have authority to make positive change.”
Jules Bergman [raises his hand; is acknowledged; stands up]: “Jules Bergman, ABC News; how will your mission differ from those in the past? That 1968 M.O.L. spaceflight also was to study the environment, right?”
General Schaeffer: [chuckles] “Jules, everyone (in 1970) knows who you are! … I’ll take you question... Yes - as in 1968, our team of astronauts will be studying the earth… They will have a much better ability to ‘look’ - thanks to an advanced infra-red camera that can ‘see’ damage to crops – based on minute differences in temperature, and minor differences in moisture content… The camera is so new that it’s just being shipped in early this morning - from the manufacturer in California…”
Jules: “General, we’ve had infra-red photography since World War 2 - - and heat sensing TV camera systems since Korea.”
General: “Yes, but our new camera doesn’t even use analog magnetic tape or Kodak film! [He holds up a .5 by 1” UV EPROM IC] “Pictures” taken are stored directly as “data” in these reusable memory storage devices. No more chemicals needed to develop negatives! Or having to wait a week for reprints! I’m sure that, one day, affordable digital 'data' visible light cameras will be created, and sold for civilian use. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/EPROM
Our new ‘Synthetic Aperture’ RADAR - which will also be installed aboard ‘SKYLAB’ during this mission - is so precise that we expect to be able to track herds of elephants and pods of whales from orbit – even at night – or if its cloudy!
As in 1968, the equipment we have is being tested to prove designs that will, one day, fly in space on unmanned satellites. As we’ve all been saying, we must watch the earth 24/7… and we are working to do so…
While ground personnel will be needed to control our spacecraft, and, more importantly, to correctly interpret the data collected, computer control systems are improving to the point where we will not need a man in the loop to set the right exposure for a photo, or, even one day, to watch for unusual changes that warrant taking that picture...
A military aide walks in to the room, and whispers to General Schaeffer…
If there are no more questions, Captains Abramson, Lawrence, and I have to meet with the scientist who invented the Infrared camera; he just flew in with his hardware - and we have less than 2 days to learn how to use it before we launch... [looks around the room; no more questions to answer] Thank you for being here - and for your interest in practical uses for men in space.”
END SCENE
Background Information:
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/apollo/apollo13/index.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffloftus/2013/04/03/apollo-13-lessons-from-the-successful-failure/
https://www.space.com/17250-apollo-13-facts.html
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo13.html
The Horrible Apollo 1 Disaster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9_8Zvo2REQ
January, 27, 1967: 50 Years Ago; The Apollo 1 Fire - News & Comments
https://www.space.com/17338-apollo-1.html
https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apollo1info.html
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https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/philadelphia-earth-week-fifty-years-on
https://thekey.xpn.org/2013/04/22/earth-day-looking-back-on-philadelphias-earth-week-in-1970-with-the-cast-of-hair-and-redbone/
https://earthweek1970.org/
The first Earth Day celebrations in Philadelphia
https://6abc.com/earth-day-50-years-fairmount-park-history-of/5999953/
Earth Day Across America (4.22.1970)
MOL:
https://www.space.com/34661-manned-orbiting-laboratory-declassified-photos.html
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/50-years-ago-nasa-benefits-from-mol-cancellation
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https://historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/NASA_HQ/Administrators/AbrahamsonJA/AbrahamsonJA_7-23-12.htm
"Elijah's Covenant" --New Rabbinic Statement on the Climate Crisis; by Rabbi Arthur Waskow on 1/2/2020
ABC Science Editor Jules Bergman Dead at 57 (1987 news):
https://apnews.com/article/f4d74f9b89eadb3f769cc4a8020da29e
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Bergman
"Rebuttal" to a claim that Jews in my science fiction movies - who fight for the oppressed - don't exist in real life.
Jon Ossoff Tells Haaretz How His Jewish Upbringing Taught Him to Fight for Justice:
The Democratic candidate in the upcoming Senate runoff election in Georgia hails the importance of strengthening the Jewish-Black alliance in the South...
Again
Apollo 1 (build 204): January 27, 1967
The first fatal accident in the history of U.S. space flight occurred on January 27, 1967, during preparations for the first manned mission of the Apollo space program. A flash fire broke out in the command module of Apollo 204 during a simulated launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, killing astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee of asphyxiation. A stray spark started the fire in the pure oxygen environment inside the module, and design flaws in the hatch door made it impossible to open in time to save the astronauts. In the aftermath of the accident, NASA officially designated the mission as Apollo 1.
Sarah Pruitt Updated: Mar. 29, 2019?Original: May 31, 2018
https://www.history.com/news/the-5-deadliest-disasters-of-the-space-race
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What Caused the Challenger Disaster?
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https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2022/10/26/nasa-methane-iss-emit/7261666792546/
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Nearly 54 years after his untimely death, the legacy of 1st African American astronaut lives on - By?Tatyana Turner ; Chicago Tribune; May 29, 2022?
Maj. Robert Lawrence Jr. was an Englewood native whose contributions to the U.S. Air Force and NASA helped young scholars achieve their dreams in science. Though his untimely death prevented him from flying out of Earth’s atmosphere, his name has reached as far as the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. He is considered the first African American astronaut.
Lawrence graduated from high school from the Englewood Technical Preparatory Academy in 1952 at age 16. At 20, he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1956 from Bradley University in Peoria and was an Air Force Pilot who in 1965 earned his doctorate in chemistry from Ohio State University...
Teal Ruby
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Columbia marked the second deadly mishap for the shuttle program after the space shuttle Challenger exploded during launch in January 1986.
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