THE COLUMBIA COMLINK
VOLUME 1 ISSUE 7 JULY 2010
“To Sail beyond” THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE USS COLUMBIA, A CORRESPONDANCE CHAPTER OF STARFLEET THE INTERNATIONAL FAN
INTELLIGENCE REPOT BY MCPT YOUNG
THE MEDICAL REPORT BY LT. ROBERT PAGE
LTCMDR DAVIS TELLS OF HIS DUNGEON AND DRAGONS EXPERIENCE
PAPER SPACE SHUTTLE INSTRUCTIONS BY Cadet 4th Class Catherine “KITTY” McKean,
SPACE SHUTTLES PAST AND PRESENT: PART 2 THE STORY1 OF THE COLUMBIA
SHIPS ROSTER
Command Staff Commodore Jason Schreck
Commanding Officer
co@usscolumbia.net
Lt Commander Randy Davis
Executive Officer
xo@usscolumbia.net
Lieutenant Al Davies
Chief of Engineering
engineering.chief@usscolumbia.net
Marine Captain Steven McKean
Chief Science Officer
science.chief@usscolumbia.net
Lieutenant Teshie Marie
Chief of Security
security.chief@usscolubia.net
Lieutenant Robert Page
Chief Medical Officer
medical.chief@usscolumbia.net
Marine Captain Zeb Young
OIC 133rd MSG
msg.oic@usscolumbia.net
Lieutenant William Phillips
Chief of Operations
operations.cheif@usscolumbia.net
Command Department Commanding Officer
Commodore Jason Schreck
Executive Officer
Lt Commander Randy Davis
Administrative Officer
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Alan Steinberg
Command Intelligence Officer
Ensign Paul Mastovich
Command Officer
Ensign Rob Dorman
Intelligence Specialist
Ensign Art Crow
Administrative Officer
Ensign Alan Steinberg
Navigation
Ensign Karis Johns
Helmsman’s mate
Crewman Recruit George Leclair
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Engineering Department Chief of Engineering
Lieutenant Al Davies
Warp Drive Engineer
Commander Rodney Billings
Sensors Engineer*
Marine Captain Steven McKean
Transporter Engineer
Ensign Kevin Turner
Medical Department Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Robert Page
Xenopsychologist
Ensign Katie Jackson
Pharmacist’s Mate
Crewman Recruit Monica Beard
Life Science Assistant
Cadet Catherine McKean
Medical Doctor
Crewman Recruit Michelle Guillet
Operations Department Chief of Operations
Lieutenant Jeremy DeSpain
Shuttle Pilot*
Ensign Katie Jackson
Chief Hangar Deck Officer
Ensign Alexander Filip
Operations Management and Tactical Mate
Crewman Recruit Victor Szczerbinin
Science Department Chief Science Officer
Marine Captain Steven McKean
Asst Ch Science Officer (temporary detail)
Ensign Jozette Allen
Engineering Physicist*
Lieutenant Al Davies
Science Officer Astronomer
Lieutenant (JG) Kristy LaFata
Science Officer
Ensign Jozette Allen 3
Anthropology/Archaeology Junior Science Officer Astronomer/Planetary Sci Junior Science Officer Historian/Librarian Junior Science Officer Life Scientist Junior Science Technician Sr. Computer Programmer
Ensign Kathy Trevino Ensign Heath Row Ensign Bambi Robbins Crewman Recruit David Graham
Marine Complement (133rd MSG) Officer-in-Charge
Marine Captain Zeb Young
Deputy Officer-in-Charge*
Lt. Commander Randy Davis
Platoon Leader*
Marine Captain Steven McKean
Platoon Leader*
Lieutenant Jeremy DeSpain
Unit Medical Officer*
Lieutenant Robert Page
Aerospace Member*
Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Alan Steinberg
Image Coming Soon MSG Intel. Specialist
2nd Lieutenant Paul McPherson
Security Department Chief of Security
Lieutenant Teshie Marie
Chief Master at Arms*
Lieutenant Jeremy DeSpain
Security officer
Ensign Ryan Pelkey
External security/Tactical
Crewman Recruit Brittany Vance
Currently Unassigned Crew Members Ensign Cameron Lowe Ensign Nicholas LaFata Ensign Jessica Pehrson Crewman Recruit David Johnson Cadet John Callender 4
Reserve Crew Ensign Kirk Freeman
The rank insignias on this site were created by Kuro-RPG and are used with kind permission. If you would like to obtain a complete set, please visit their website. The Marines rank insignia have been adapted from Kuro-RPG insignia.
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Learn the Klingon Language http://www.kli.org/
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE! 7
Letter from the CO
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From the XO
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intelligence report
12 from MCpt young 13 star trek autobiographies by ens jozette allen 15
science dept.
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space shuttle past and present part 2
21 cadet corner 24 MEDICAL REPORT 26 SPRIT DE CORPS PAGE 27 COLOR ME PAGES
What is SETI@home? SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data. 6 http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
FROM THE COMMANDING OFFICER REAR ADMIRAL JASON SCHRECK
Here it is reporting time again and here we are 6 months in to our 9 month shakedown cruise. Within the next week i will be sending our second vessel registration request to STARFLEET to approve our commissioning in October. Mark your calendars the commissioning ceremony will be Saturday October 23 at 2 PM est in the chat room. I will also be sending out invites to various fleet VIPs in the next couple of weeks to hopefully have some of them in attendance. We have come a long way in the 6 months since launch and with a crew of 37 we should have no problem getting approval for commissioning. I am very proud of this crew and what it has accomplished since launch. I look forward to many more years of service as a STARFLEET chapter and to expanding as a group more in the future. On another note the ship's first roleplaying session is ongoing in the ships message board. If you are not already participating i highly encourage you to do so. We have an ongoing story involving all departments and the more participating the better. Participation also provides points for promotion. If you are not already participating please email your department head to see how your position can fit into the mission. One note on promotions. The Senior staff will meet in September to review promotion eligibility. Anyone determined to have earned a promotion will be promoted at the commissioning ceremony. This could be a big deal since i'm hoping to have the Commander of STARFLEET present. The fastest way to earn promotion points is taking STARFLEET Academy courses. You can also earn points through participation in the roleplaying, attending meetings, and writing for the newsletter. That's it for this month except remember to read my article on the space shuttle Columbia later in this newsletter. This is part 3 of my ongoing series on the shuttle orbiters. This one of course has a connection to us since she was our name sake. As always my ready room door is always open to the crew if you have any questions or concerns.
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FROM THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BY LTCMDR RANDY DAVIS I have been keeping myself very busy this last month, Star Trek Online is about to launch update 2.0 latter this month (more on that next month) and of course school is about to start up again so getting the girls ready for it is time consuming. I have been reading a book every other week or so, I have included non Star Trek books in my book reading I will include these in my book reports as under Non-Trek book reading. Although my love of all things Trek is great my very first experience in role playing come from Dungeons and Dragons back in the late 70’s. I was thinking of starting a Dungeon and Dragons page in the newsletter to include paper modeling of scenes I have collected over the years. I started with the original chain mail rules which latter developed into Dungeon and Dragons. I can remember meeting my friends in the basement of my house and pulling out those blue box set rules. Eventually the Advanced Dungeon and Dragon system came out and we fell at it like wolves. Many years passed and then Advanced Dungeon and Dragons 2cd edition was released, wow big changes there, and again we adopted the new rules. I even played some Dungeon and Dragons in Iraq just before the war broke out when I was in the Army. After leaving the Army, I settled back to my home town and found some new players for my game, a long time passed and wouldn’t you know it 3rd edition came out, then almost immediately 3.5 edition was released. We adapted and moved on then without warning 4.0 rules was released requiring yet another round of rules to relearn. Through it all my love of this game remained and we continued to play, Dungeon and Dragons Online was going to be a big deal in the DnD community but it was a flop, I believe you can play the game for free now. World of Warcraft seemed to have killed the table top playing community around here and who can blame them, I played WOW for many years but then something extraordinary happened, in an add I saw those magic words which changed my online gaming habits, the release of Star Trek Online...YEAH! So here I am, playing the game I love and sharing the greatness that was Roddenberry’s dream with my good friends, what could be better. Until next month my friends, may the wind be at you back and the road rise up to meet your feet.
LtCmdr Randy Davis XO, USS COLUMBIA NCC 2049
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Intelligence Report 133rd Marine Strike Group, U.S.S. Columbia S-2 Intel Officer, 2Lt Paul McPherson 201007.07 These reports will be based on the threat analysis done on neighboring species or alliances that present a potential threat or security risk to the United Federation of Planets (UFP), Starfleet and the SFMC. As tensions between the Klingon Empire and the Federation diminish we must look beyond our traditional enemies to potential new threats that loom on the horizon. The Tholian Holdfast and the Tholian Assembly (the Tholian Assembly is the Holdfast's governing body) which will hence fourth called Tholians are an extremely xenophobic, non-humanoid, hermaphroditic race with an extreme propensity for meticulousness. They are considered to be aggressive and territorial by Starfleet Intelligence. They like us are residents of the Alpha Quadrant, but it is believed that they are not native to this quadrant of the Milky Way Galaxy. Tholians made their first contact with humans in 2152, with a major confrontation occurring between the UFP and the Tholians in 2268, a Tholian commander named Loskene attacked the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) for violating Tholian territory while on a rescue mission to investigate the disappearance of the USS Defiant. Tholians tend to harbor an intrinsic distrust of aliens whom they find distasteful to interact with. Although Tholians rarely advance very far from their home system, they are known to kill outsiders caught trespassing in their territory. They also have a tendency to annex surrounding systems outside of the Holdfast, to further isolate their territory. These territories are often forced to become servile provinces of the Tholian Assembly. At present their territory sits adjacent to the Klingon Empire and the UFP. One area of high “chatter� concerns the Taurus Reach – which lies on the Tholian and Klingon frontiers. High level intelligence from inside the Klingon Empire suggests, that if a Klingon Civil War were to break out, the Tholians might eventually be involved. Their level of involvement and how they would ally themselves remains unclear. It is also believed by both the Klingons and Starfleet, that if it appears to the Tholians that the defenses in either the Empire or the Federation territories have diminished, then they (Tholians) may take the opportunity to annex additional territory. Little else is known about their political system or culture other than the race possessed a rigid caste system where most of them were generation ally mandated though there were a rare few cases of inter caste unions that allowed for some crossovers in the offspring. The most prominent of the castes was that of the warriors with the political being another important position as they ran the machinery of the government as well as the Assembly's subject territories. The Tholians themselves are markedly different from humanoid species of our Quadrant. Analysis of Tholian remains has left Starfleet to conclude that the species are a silicon-based form of life.
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Though they are roughly the same height as a human, they are multi-faceted in shape, and they are primarily a variation of reddish/orange color with an outer shell similar to Earth insects, however it is chiefly mineral in composition. Their bodies have six thin legs that allow then to move in any direction quickly; their legs like humanoids are articulated with joints roughly corresponding to the knee and ankle. Each leg/arm ended in a multi-toed foot. The legs are attached at the base of the torso and are radially symmetrical. There possess two arms; each had joints analogous to the humanoid elbow and wrist though able to bend in either direction not unlike a Terran Mantis. There is no neck and the term "head" is not applicable. Tholians have two glowing spots near the top of their torso. They turned these to face individuals with whom they interacted, which suggested they had some sort of information-gathering organ, though this is just supposition from Starfleet Medical. There is also the suggestion a radioactive field motion within their bodies which provides each Tholian with distinctive coloring. There are a number of abilities that the outer shell provides the average Tholian, such as acting as a natural armor that absorbs impacts made upon it from either kinetic or energy attack as well as provides an accelerated response rate for the Tholian. In addition to this, the outer shell projects an image of itself that's slightly offset from reality which affects the Tholians perception by other races, providing it a defensive advantage. Another noted trait of the outer shell was its ability to filter out all forms of poisons from the air and water sources around it with the thought being that it might serve as a re-breather in order to provide a steady flow of the Tholian chlorine-methane atmospheric compound to the Tholian. Finally, the outer shell provides its user the capacity to remotely access any system on its ship which cannot be blocked by known technology. This makes even the lowest Tholian a formidable warrior. It is important to note that Tholians exist at extremely high temperatures the exact temperature is not known. They are able to tolerate lower temperatures but for very short periods of time; it is supposed once again by Medical that they were exposed to too low temperatures, their outer shell will crack. A Tholian subjected to such a temperature regime could be coerced to cooperate. In temperatures even lower, a Tholian would freeze solid and shatter. Tholians seem to be naturally able to emit various forms of radiation, which they control. They could communicate over short distances in this fashion. The threat this poses as a weapon is not yet entirely known. Tholian starships have tapered hulls and have few discernible features except for what seem to be warp field grilles and three engine exhausts at the aft end. The interior of this ship is heated to more than 200 degrees to suit their unique environmental needs, which makes boarding a Tholian vessel by even the most heavily armored Marine highly perilous. Besides utilizing weaponry, such as phased particle energy beams and ship based projectile weapons, Tholian ships can also work in together to emit an energy field that appears much like an Earth spider’s web, though analysis suggests that it is more similar to a tractor beam in composition. This web will trap any space vessel inside and drain its energy. When multiple ships are available, a web takes much less time to construct than a single vessel alone. Several Tholian vessels working in concert can spin such a web in almost no time, while two vessels might take hours. Tholian ships have “web� emitters at their aft end, allowing it to "spin" a tractor field that would destroy a ship trapped inside. 10
Their ships are also noted as being fast and highly maneuverable at impulse speeds even more so than Federation vessels. The Tholians appear to be actively exploring the time travel. It has been noted in reports dating back as far as the Enterprise, NX-01 when first contact between the Earth Alliance and the Tholian Assembly occurred that even then, they were attempting to experiment with time travel apparently in order to use the advanced technology to further their own agenda. It is believed that Tholians perceive linear time differently than most humanoid species, alluding to their more heightened sense of four dimensional space-time.In conclusion, though we have been aware of the Tholian culture for some time, we have placed their potential threat value on a “back burner� because of ongoing tensions with the Klingon Empire. Now as things appear to be on track toward continued peace with the Empire we must stop and re-evaluate the threat posed by other neighboring races.
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From the Desk of MCpt. Young: Hello once again. Well as all crewmembers should be aware, the SIMM is up and running and as always I am looking for a motivated group of individuals that would be interested to pin on the old Delta, Globe and Anchor. Marines are always needed to provide the “feet on the ground” that win the wars. Any interested parties should contact me at msg.oic@usscolumbia.net. Any and all applications will be processed as quickly as possible. Also we have got our first Intel Report from our newly appointed S-2 Intelligence Officer. We can look forward to a monthly intel report going into every newsletter. Anything that anyone feels relates to the SFMC or could be of interest to the Corps can send it to me for consideration of going into the Marine’s section of the Newsletter. As always Semper Fidelis and Semper Consectatio Protinus;
MCpt. Young OIC 133rd MSG Provost Marshall 2nd Batt 1st BDE
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A Review of Four Autobiographies by TOS-Era Actors By ENS Jozette Allen William Shatner (and David Fisher), Up Till Now: The Autobiography (Thomas Dunne Books, 2008). William Shatner’s autobiography was a real treat. The prose was very informal – he kept interrupting himself to go on a tangent – and made you feel that he was sitting there talking to you. The Star Trek background he gave was great, but perhaps a bit lacking. However, he has written another excellent book, Star Trek Memories, which covers much more of this material. The most interesting parts were the stories of his acting background. Just the amount of acting he did before Star Trek was something I was unaware of. He discusses the stage acting he did, the bit parts he received on many, many television shows, his role as T.J. Hooker, playing the Giant Head on Third Rock from the Sun, and Denny Crane on Boston Legal. All these roles have their own stories to accompany them. He also discusses (but never apologizes for) his famous “Rocket Man” rendition. The story he told of the death of his third wife Nerine and meeting his current wife Elizabeth was touching. All in all, I think this was an interesting read!
Leonard Nimoy, I Am Spock (Hyperion Books, 1995). Leonard Nimoy’s autobiography, in contrast to Shatner’s, was quite calm and soothing. Nimoy did a great job (with no ghostwriter!) to give the reader access to his feelings throughout the events of his life. Some of his poems were actually included throughout the book, adding to this effect. The title is in response to his first autobiography from 1975 I Am Not Spock (difficult to find, but not impossible), where Nimoy was reacts against the fandom’s enthusiasm for Spock. In this book he very much makes the case that he and Spock are in fact one person, and he has come to terms with the Vulcan that speaks in the back of his mind (he documents some of their conversations in each chapter). I was most enthralled by his descriptions of the discussions he had with Paramount throughout his tenure with Star Trek. From other sources we tend to hear that he was often reluctant and cantankerous about playing Spock, especially when it came to the movies, but his explanations of the situation made perfect sense. I wish there was more information about what he did before Star Trek, as I know he was a fairly accomplished actor before he started, but perhaps this was in his 1975 autobiography and he did not want to repeat himself. This was a very interesting insight into the mind of a fascinating man!
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Nichelle Nichols, Beyond Uhura: Star Trek and Other Memories (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1994). Nichelle Nichols’ autobiography was really the most interesting of the lot. She created a name for herself and accomplished a great deal throughout her life. Her voice was very honest and refreshing about the things that happened to her on her journey to Star Trek and beyond. Her experiences as a black woman really shaped her Hollywood journey as she faced prejudices from both sides. However, she explains how she persevered and never let anyone take advantage of her. Her experiences on the Star Trek set are particularly fascinating, especially her relationship with Gene Roddenberry, and her growing dislike of William Shatner, which was particularly interesting having recently read his point of view. The work she did later with NASA to recruit minority astronauts also displayed her acknowledgement of the power of Star Trek to inspire others. She seems to have never denied or shied away from the Trek fans as some of the other actors have. Nichols’ honest telling of her life story was inspiring and intriguing. These three represent the only books available at my public library, however the other TOS actors have written autobiographies. They include: George Takei, To the Stars (1994) James Doohan, Beam Me Up, Scotty (1996) Walter Koenig, Warped Factors (1998) Grace Lee Whitney, the Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy (1998)
Of course DeForest Kelley did not write his own autobiography, but there are two biographies about him that are endorsed by his camp. They include:
Kristine M. Smith, A Harvest of Memories (2001) Terry Lee Rioux, From Sawdust to Stardust: DeForest Kelley (2005) Happy Reading! ENS Allen, Anthropology and Archaeology Officer, U.S.S. Columbia
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Science Department Science Crew Listing MCPT Steven McKean- Chief Science Officer ENS Jozette Allen - Asst Chief Science Officer (temporary detail) …………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ……… LT Al Davies – Engineering Physicist (auxiliary crew from Engineering Dept) LTJG Kristy LaFata – Science Officer / Astronomer ENS Jozette Allen – Science Officer / Anthropology & Archaeology ENS Kathy Trevino – Junior Science Officer / Astronomy & Planetary Sciences ENS Heath Row – Junior Science Officer / Historian & Librarian ENS Bambi Robbins – Junior Science Officer / Life Sciences CRR David Graham – Junior Science Tech / Senior Computer Programmer
Training Accomplished MCPT McKean SFMC SU-20 & SFMC Infantry MOS 330 (Combat Communications Specialist) VAS-107 Math Specialist IOMS:SST:TOS-009 Balance of Terror ENS Allen Archaeology 102
Significant Events McKean Awarded SFMC Legion of Arms Awarded Region 1 Garth Order of Tactics & Phoenix Award STARFLEET Website Judge 2010 Promotion to Ensign: LaFata, Allen, Trevino, Row, Robbins Promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade: LaFata
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Significant Timeline from 2250 to 2295 (present) 2250: Kirk enters Starfleet Academy as a cadet. 2254: Kirk graduates from Academy after beating the "no-win" Kobayashi Maru scenario. 2261: Kirk's relationship with Carol Marcus ends; their son, David Marcus, is born. 2265: Kirk as captain, commands five-year mission of USS Enterprise. 2265: Kirk takes the USS Enterprise to the galactic barrier, the first Earth ship to do so in 200 years. During the mission, is forced to kill close friend Gary Mitchell. 2265: Montgomery Scott assigned as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise; rank: lieutenant commander . 2266: Kirk achieves first contact with the First Federation. Later that year, repels Romulan incursion and destroys a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. 2266: McCoy serves as ship's surgeon and chief medical officer aboard the USS Enterprise. 2267: Kirk becomes the first Starfleet Captain ever to stand court martial, charged with negligent homicide in the death of Ben Finney; charges dismissed. 2268: Kirk is responsible for stealing a Romulan cloaking device during a covert Starfleet intelligence mission. Experiences amnesia and lives among the American Indians on Amerind where he weds Miramanee. 2268: McCoy contracts xenopolycythemia; briefly wed to Fabrini high priestess Natira. 2269: Kirk diverts the asteroid-ship Yonada from destroying Daran V. Nearly killed by Dr. Janice Lester with whom he'd had a year long relationship years before. 2269: McCoy promoted to commander. 2270: Kirk is promoted to Rear Admiral and assigned as Chief of Starfleet Operations. 2270: Montgomery Scott assigned to refit crew of the USS Enterprise; rank: commander 2270: McCoy retires from Starfleet at conclusion of Kirk's five year mission. 2272: Kirk accepts temporary grade reduction to Captain and assumes command of USS Enterprise to intercept V'Ger. 2272: McCoy's commission is re-activated at Kirk's insistence, during V'Ger incursion. 2281: Kirk retires from Starfleet. 2282: Kirk meets Antonia and enjoys a romantic relationship with her until choosing to resume his Starfleet career instead of marrying her--a decision he later regrets. 2284: Kirk returns to Starfleet as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. 16
2285: Kirk assumes temporary command of the Enterprise during a routine training mission, engages Khan Noonien Singh in the Battle of the Mutara Nebula. Deserts from Starfleet later that year to retrieve body of Captain Spock from the Genesis Planet. 2285: McCoy is an instructor aboard USS Enterprise. 2285: Montgomery Scott promoted to captain while assigned to the USS Excelsior; remained the rank of captain following theft of the Enterprise and hijacking of HMS Bounty 2285: U.S.S. Enterprise and U.S.S. Grissom lost in a classified mission in the Mutara Sector. 2286: Earth ravaged by a Space Probe looking for Humpback Whales. 2286: Kirk returns to Earth to face court martial charges. Subsequently saves the planet in the Whale Probe incident. Demoted to Captain for disobeying orders of Starfleet Commander Harry Morrow and assigned to command the USS Enterprise-A. 2286: McCoy is chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise-A. 2286: Montgomery Scott assigned as chief engineer of the USS Enterprise-A 2287 - Nimbus III hostage situation. Shortly thereafter, Chancellor Kesh is succeeded by revolutionary Chancellor Gorkon. 2287: Kirk takes the Enterprise-A to the center of the galaxy after a hijack attempt by Vulcan renegade Sybok. 2293 - Praxis explodes. Khitomer Accords signed; in it are provisions for aid convoys Starbase 77 officially authorized in Khitomer Accords, but resources dedicated to upgrading base are diverted to Klingon Relief Operations. Upgrading is slow, and the base is still referred to as Aljeterius. The assassination of Chancellor Gorkon causes the mobilization of two-thirds of the entire Starfleet, fearing a massive Klingon retaliatory strike. After the successful meeting at Camp Khitomer, the fleet is stood down. 2293: McCoy is imprisoned on Rura Penthe and subsequent escape helps to uncover the Khitomer conspiracy. 2293: Kirk along with Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Excelsior, is responsible for saving the Khitomer Conference: retired from Starfleet and is believed killed later that year during the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise-B. 2293: Montgomery Scott guest of honor aboard the newly-commissioned USS Enterprise-B . Stardate 9715.5 the Excelsior class U.S.S. Enterprise-B is launched from San Francisco orbital fleet yards. The El Aurian people have their encounter with the Nexus. Only 47 of them survive the experience. Zhetara Telkses seeks the answers to her vision. Captain James T. Kirk is lost in the rescue of the El Aurian survivors. 2294: Montgomery Scott retires from Starfleet with the rank of captain; lost aboard USS Jenolan. 17
2294 - U.S.S. Enterprise [NCC 1701-B] is relaunched quietly. Shortly into the mission, Ensign Demora Sulu is thought to have been killed in self defense by Captain John Harriman. It turns out that this is not the case. The Enterprise has developed a nickname as The Flying Dutchman' and the 'Death Ship'. Harriman's mission to Askalon Five is his first steps to absolution for the death of Kirk and walking out from the shadow of his father, Admiral John 'Blackjack' Harriman, Senior. 2295 - U.S.S. Columbia NX-2049/NCC-2049 is the seventh member of the Excelsior class. She is constructed with the Excelsior Refit design which makes her one of STARFLEET's most advanced and largest starships. 2295 - U.S.S. Columbia departs for patrol/exploration of the Romulan Neutral Zone. (This was compiled from multiple sources. Please let me know about any errors.)
Science Humor
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SPACE SHUTTLES PAST AND PRESENT: PART 2 BY REAR ADMIRAL JASON SCHRECK
This month my article focuses on a space shuttle with special significance to us our ship's namesake, The Columbia also known as OV-102. Columbia was the first shuttle orbiter capable of orbital flight and the first manned vehicle to fly in space and return to earth twice. She also set a new precisdense on her first flight when she became the first manned vehicle to fly with a crew aboard on her maiden voyage. Construction of OV-102 began in 1975 at the Rockwell plant in Downey California. Columbia was named for the Boston based sailing sloop Columbia that in 1790 explored the Pacific Northwest including the river which bears the same name. The vessel also became the first American ship to circumnavigate the world. It was also named for the Apollo 11 command module which 41 years ago this week carried men to the first lunar landing. The orbiter arrived at the Kennedy Space center March 25, 1979 to prepare for her first voyage. On April 12, 1981, Columbia launched from pas 39A at the Kennedy space center carrying Commander John Young a veteran of the Gemini and Apollo programs and rookie astronaut Robert Crippen. She landed 2 days later on the dry lakebed at Edwards Air Force Base in California after a successful test voyage. Columbia was then returned to KSC to prepare her for her second flight. Columbia made 5 flights between April 1981 and November 1982 when she was joined by Challenger as the second orbiter in the fleet. While Challenger made the next 3 flights Columbia underwent modifications to carry the Spacelab research module she returned to flight on STS-9 for the Spacelab 1 Mission. This flight also carried the first non-American to fly on an American spacecraft a European Payload Specialist Ulf Merbold. Columbia was then returned to Downey for major modifications to remove all of her flight test equipment that had been installed for the first 4 flights. Columbia would not fly again until January 1986 on STS-61C the final mission before the loss of her sister ship Challenger. Following the return to flight Columbia would make 21 more flights into space. She became the science workhorse of the fleet as well as flying several Department of Defense missions. Columbia was too heavy to make Space Station flights for most of its existence however; she would undergo one more major modification that would lighten her enough to fly smaller payloads to the space station. Her first flight to the station was scheduled to be on STS-118 after which her career would begin to wind down. She was also planned to fly two more servicing missions in 2004 and 2005 to service the Hubble space telescope then to fly STS-144 in 2009 to retrieve the telescope for display on Earth. Columbia was also scheduled to carry the crew return vehicle to the ISS this vehicle was later canceled. Sadly, These last missions were not to be. On February 1, 2003, Columbia was returning to Earth from the highly successful STS-107 research mission. Her crew of 7 was 16 minutes from landing at the Kennedy Space Center. Columbia began her reentry into the atmosphere and was at the peek heating time in the reentry when Mission Control in Houston lost contact with the orbiter. 19
No one knew it then but at that moment, a hole in the wing was allowing hot gas to enter the left wing severing the wing from the fuselage. Columbia then began to tumble out of control breaking up seconds later. Minutes after the expected landing time a call was receive in mission control saying that Columbia had been seen breaking up over Texas. Their were no survivors and the vehicle was lost. Though no one knows exactly what happened in those final minutes and seconds with the crew, this much is known flight data recorders a holdover from the test flights installed only on Columbia at the time, which were recovered from the debris field showed that Commander Husband attempted to take control from the computers and regain control from the tumble. However, he did not know he had no left wing and he had no hope of regaining control of the vehicle. After an intensive investigation it was determined a piece of insulating foam had broken away from the external fuel tank impacted the left wing punching a hole approximately 10 inches across in the wing exposing the aluminum air frame beneath to heat of 3,000 degrees. The shuttle fleet would stand down until July 2005 when Discovery returned to flight on STS-114. Columbia flew 28 times on STS-1,2,3,4,5,9,61C, 28, 32, 35, 40, 50, 52, 55, 58, 62, 65, 73, 75, 78, 80. 83, 94, 87, 90, 93, 109, 107. Highlights oh her career include the first manned spacecraft to fly twice, first 4 person crew, first deployment of a commercial satellite, first 6 person crew, first spacelab mission, deployment of the Chandra X-ray observatory, 11 flights with the Spacelab science module. Remember this is our namesake shuttle and she has a proud name and tradition of exploration and science. This is the legacy and tradition we carry on into the future.
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CADET CORNER BY Cadet 4th Class Catherine McKean, "Kitty"
SPACE SHUTTLE PAPER AIRPLANE Folding Instructions
Step 1 Start with an 8 1/2"x11" paper. Fold paper in half vertically. Step 2 Make a valley fold and unfold. Step 1
Step 2 Step 3 Insert the bottom corner point inward as shown in figure. This inside reverse fold makes a tail fin. Step 4 Fold the top layer as shown in figure.
Step 3
Step 4
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Step 5 Repeat Step 4 on the other side. Step 6 Make a valley fold along the vertical dashed line. Step 5
Step 6
Step 7 Unfold the flap and make a mountain fold so that the flap is under the top sheet. Repeat behind. Step 8 Fold down the wing section. Repeat behind. Step 7
Step 8 Step 9 Make another valley folding upward.
Step 10 Repeat Step 9 on the other side wing. Step 9
Step 10
Step 11 Make a 3-dimensional shape as shown in figure. The Shuttle Paper Airplane is complete and ready to fly. Make sure the back view of your plane matches the diagram shown in figure. Step 11
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MEDICAL DEPARTMENT
Star Trek Medical Device Uses Ultrasound To Seal Punctured Lungs Article Date: 31 Aug 2007 A stretcher races through the entrance of a busy hospital. The car accident victim lies on top and grimaces in pain. While surface injuries look gruesome, the real medical danger is invisible - internal organ damage caused by being crushed against the steering wheel. This isn't a scene from Seattle Grace Hospital, the set of the popular television drama Grey's Anatomy, but from its real-life model, Harborview Medical Center. Engineers at the University of Washington are working with Harborview doctors to create new emergency treatments right out of Star Trek: a tricorder type device using high-intensity focused ultrasound rays. This summer, researchers published the first experiment using ultrasound to seal punctured lungs. "No one has ever looked at treating lungs with ultrasound," said Shahram Vaezy, a UW associate professor of bioengineering. Physicists were skeptical it would work because a lung is essentially a collection of air sacs, and air blocks transmission of ultrasound. But the new experiments show that punctures on the lung's surface, where injuries usually occur, heal with ultrasound therapy. "The results are really impressive," Vaezy said. He cautions that this is still in the early stages and the technique is not yet being tested on humans. High-intensity focused ultrasound is now being investigated for a number of different treatments. It promises "bloodless surgery" with no scalpels or sutures in sight. Doctors would pass a sensor over the patient and use invisible rays to heal the wound. Researchers are exploring the use of high-intensity focused ultrasound - with beams tens of thousands of times more powerful than used in imaging - for applications ranging from numbing pain to destroying cancerous tissue. In this case, lenses focus the high-intensity ultrasound beams at a particular spot inside the body on the patient's lungs. Focusing the ultrasound beams, in a process similar to focusing sunlight with a magnifying glass, creates a tiny but extremely hot spot about the size and shape of a grain of rice. The rays heat the blood cells until they form a seal. Meanwhile the tissue between the device and the spot being treated does not get hot, as it would with a laser beam. "You can penetrate deep into the body and deliver the energy to the bleeding very accurately," Vaezy said. Recent tests on pigs' lungs showed that high-intensity ultrasound sealed the leaks in one or two minutes. More than 95 percent of the 70 incisions were stable after two minutes of treatment, according to results published this summer in the Journal of Trauma. The findings suggest that ultrasound might replace what is now a painful, invasive procedure. Lung injuries are relatively common because the chest is a big surface that's often exposed to crushing or puncture wounds, said Gregory Jurkovich, chief of trauma at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and a UW professor of surgery. A busy trauma room like Harborview's, he said, admits about two patients with bleeding lungs per day. Often the bleeding can be stopped simply by packing the wound and applying pressure. In other cases, doctors insert a straw and drain the blood and air so the wound can heal. But in about one in 10 cases neither of these methods is successful, and doctors must operate to stop the bleeding. That means making a long incision and separating the ribs, and then either sewing up the organ or removing a section of the lung. The new research shows that in these difficult cases, high-intensity focused ultrasound applied from outside could stop bleeding and air leaks. Vaezy and colleagues in the Center for Industrial and Medical Ultrasound in the UW's Applied Physics Laboratory have been developing ultrasound for surgery for more than a decade, concentrating on frequencies in the 1 million to 10 million hertz (cycles per second). The device producing the ultrasound rays, about the size of a golf ball, is inserted into a handle that
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doctors use to scan the outside of the body. Previous experiments used the tool to seal blood vessels and stop bleeding in the spleen. Someday, Jurkovich predicts, this tool might be used for image-guided therapy. "Doctors will scan the body from the outside, recognize where the injury is, focus the beam on the injury and use the beams to seal the wound," Jurkovich said. The futuristic medical technology's promise is substantial, he said. "It would be non-invasive and it would stop the bleeding from the outside. When it happens, that's going to revolutionize how we would care for some of these injuries." The research was funded the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute.
Star Trek-like System Offers Noninvasive Monitor For Patients Article Date: 30 Apr 2009 How long will it take to develop Star Trek-like medical technologies? The gap between science fiction and reality is closing faster than many people may think. A noninvasive, needle-free system that uses light to measure tissue oxygen and pH will soon be an alternative to the painful use of needles to draw blood and cumbersome equipment to determine metabolic rate. The futuristic system, dubbed the Venus prototype, is being developed by Dr. Babs Soller and her colleagues. It has the capability to measure blood and tissue chemistry, metabolic rate (oxygen consumption) and other parameters. The sensor and portable monitor are funded by the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) for use in space. Soller said the technology's multiple, real-time applications will be beneficial to astronauts in their day-to-day activities and to critically ill patients on Earth. "Tissue and blood chemistry measurements can be used in medical care to assess patients with traumatic injuries and those at risk for cardiovascular collapse," said Soller, who leads NSBRI's Smart Medical Systems and Technology team. "The measurement of metabolic rate will let astronauts know how quickly they are using up the oxygen in their life-support backpacks. If spacewalking astronauts run low on oxygen, the situation can become fatal." Placed directly on the skin, the four-inch by two-inch sensor uses near infrared light (that is just beyond the visible spectrum) to take the measurements. Blood in tiny blood vessels absorbs some of the light, but the rest is reflected back to the sensor. The monitor analyzes the reflected light to determine metabolic rate, along with tissue oxygen and pH. One unique advantage of Dr. Soller's near infrared device is that its measurements are not impacted by skin color or body fat. A noninvasive system also means a reduced risk of infection due to the lack of needle pricks. Most of the system's development has occurred at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, where Soller is a professor of anesthesiology. She has worked closely with researchers at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston to develop applications of the Venus system for space. Former NASA astronaut and NSBRI User Panel Chairman Dr. Leroy Chiao said Soller's sensor system and other technologies being developed for spaceflight are a wise investment. "The neat thing about the work being done is that it is a two-for-one deal," Chiao said. "Not only is this research going to help future astronaut crews and operations, it has very real benefits to people on the ground, especially to people in more rural areas."
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On Earth, there are several areas of health care that could benefit from Venus. However, it is patients treated by emergency personnel on ambulances and on the battlefield that could benefit the most from the technology. "Eventually, we expect first-responders would have these devices, which would provide feedback on the severity of a person's injury," Soller said. "Data can be communicated directly to the hospital. Early access to this type of information may increase a victim's chances of survival." The system's Earth applications are not limited to urgent care. It will allow doctors to more efficiently monitor pediatric and intensive care patients. Athletes and physical therapy patients also stand to gain from the technology's ability to measure metabolic rate and to assist in determining the level of activity or exercise that is most beneficial to the individual. "Athletes would benefit from using these parameters in developing training programs that will help them improve their endurance and performance," she said. "And we suspect the same thing will be true for patients in physical rehabilitation." Currently, Soller and her collaborators are working on several aspects to prepare the sensor for integration into spacesuits by reducing its size, increasing its accuracy in measuring metabolic rate, and developing the capability to run on batteries. These activities will also speed its application in helping to care for patients on Earth. Soller's technology is one of a group of innovative medical systems being developed by NSBRI to provide health care to NASA astronauts in space and to improve health care on Earth. NSBRI, funded by NASA, is a consortium of institutions studying the health risks related to long-duration spaceflight. The Institute's science, technology and education projects take place at more than 60 institutions across the United States. Source: National Space Biomedical Research Institute
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