The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 6

A6 Thursday, October 29, 1998 THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER With Glenn aboard, launch becomes event "MS mm i 1 i LI Launch Coverage Television coverage plans for John Glenn's space launch today. ABC: 1:30 p.m., anchored by Peter Jennings with Wally Schirra and Gene Cernan. "Good Morning America-broadcasts live from Cape Canaveral, 7-9 a.m. CBS: 1:30 p.m., anchored by Dan Rather with Gordon Cooper and Bill Harwood. "This Morning" broadcasts live from Cape Canaveral, 7-9 a.m.

"CBS Evening News" broadcasts live from the cape, 6:30 p.m. NBC: 1 p.m., anchored by Tom Brokaw with Scott Carpenter and Bob Hager. "Today" broadcasts live from Cape Canaveral, 7-9 a.m. "Nightly News" broadcasts live from the cape, 6:30 p.m. CNN: 1 p.m., anchored by Miles O'Brien and Walter Cronkite.

Periodic reports from Cape Canaveral starting at 7 a.m. Fox News Channel: 9 a.m., anchored by Jon Scott with James Lovell. MSNBC: 9 a.m., with Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. "The News With Brian Williams" broadcasts live from Cape Canaveral, 9 p.m. Discovery: 1:30 p.m., anchored by Steve Aveson with Jerry Linenger and Blaine Hammond.

today to watch 6ne of their own. The areas surrounding Cape Canaveral one of the few places in the world where rocket launches are almost routine have John Glenn fever. Launch-viewing parking spaces are being sold at a premium, and good-luck signs are displayed for miles around. Scientists, engineers and astronauts who are used to the excitement of launches say this time is special, because Glenn's original flight struck a chord among those who work in or near space. Both John Charles, NASA's chief life scientist for this mission, and Ed Weiler, associate administrator for space sciences and chief Hubble Space Telescope scientist, credit Glenn for sparking their early interest in the subject.

"I would play John Glenn when I was a kid on the playground," Charles said yesterday. Weiler said: "I was 13 years old and I got up at 6 a.m. to watch John Glenn. It's what inspired me to be a scientist." To the astronauts, Glenn is a legend who has become a colleague. "He was my hero when I was a kid.

He's still my hero," astronaut Kay Hire said after chasing Aldrin, unsuccessfully, for a picture with the second man to walk on the moon. When it was first announced that Glenn would launch again, two-time astronaut Winston Scott was blase about it. Now, he said yesterday, "you can't help but get caught up and excited." Scott flew into Kennedy Space Center after a speech to elementary- "Godspeed, John Glenn," Scott Carpenter said in 1962. Though the words are everywhere now, including on photographs being hawked in Titusville, they may not be repeated today. A phrase that took of is grounded this mission GLENN from A1 -1 ment officials, the President of the United States, the eyes of the world that has a television set, for an event that is essentially apolitical?" current astronaut John Grunsfeld said yesterday.

"This is a big event, if and it will never be repeated." Even NASA Administrator Daniel Vii Goldin, who maintains that this fc- mission is not about public rela-l tions, could not help but notice the significance of the launch. "This is bigger than space," he said in an interview this week. "I think it's a very important event to the country. It is something that we need to get into our consciousness." And today's launch of Glenn who was the first American to circle the globe, aboard Friendship 7 on Feb. 20, 1962 is clearly a welcome break from less-cheerful recent news.

"Americans have been through a of issues through the last few years," Goldin said. "They're able to celebrate things that make them feel good about themselves, feel good about the country, feel good about the future." The last time the world enced such a similar event was when the Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon in 1969, which was an even bigger spectacle, Apollo 11 walker Buzz Aldrin said. "The significance of Apollo 11 was the reaction of the people watching it," Aldrin said yesterday, "It changed people's lives." Glenn's flight is along similar lines, but on a smaller scale, especially be- cause it will get people to think about space, Aldrin said. And it may get the government to open up space to ev-' eryday people, he added. Maybe it's not quite right calling Glenn's flight an event.

It is more a spectacle, said John Logsdon, science policy director for George Washington University. "It's not a momentous event in itself," Logsdon said from the crowded media hall at Kennedy. "It's all created, because n6thing is really happening. It's not like going to the moon." But it is a great show, he said. "This is the space Super Bowl," Logsdon said.

"Everybody's here." Glenn will serve as a payload spe KYW to offer HDTV view of shuttle launch By Reid Kanalcy INQUIRER STAFF WRITER In a Philadelphia first, KYW-TV plans to broadcast today's scheduled 2 p.m. space shuttle launch in the dazzling new wide-screen, high-definition format. The digital picture should be so vivid that you will swear you are watching John Glenn through a picture window at Cape Canaveral. The only problem will be finding a TV set that can receive the broadcast. High-definition, or HDTV, sets, with their cinema-screen dimensions, are just starting to go on sale, and carry price tags up to $20,000.

That stone-age analog set in the den won't pick up HDTV, even if you just bought it yesterday. All four major-network affiliates had promised to begin broadcasting digital signals by Sunday. In fact, Fox affiliate WTXF switched on its digital signal Tuesday, and KYW turned on its digital transmitter yesterday. Both, however, were sending out the same network fare that was being broadcast on their older, analog, transmitters. KYW will show the HDTV shuttle broadcast on a wide-screen monitor in the lobby of its studios off Independence Mall.

The station is one of about 20 nationwide that will show the launch in HDTV. Unfortunately, noted KYW's chief engineer, James Chase, "the damn rocket's going the wrong way" for taking advantage of HDTV's expansive horizontal dimension. get by on. in trouble quick. One or the other." Not particularly interested in either option, Glenn had Library of Congress language experts translate a "take me to your leader" message into about six languages.

The message stressed that he came in peace, and promised a big reward "if you get me back to where I came from." Glenn tucked the paper with the phonetic translations into a pocket. Fortunately, he never had to use it: His Friendship 7 capsule stayed aloft over the Australian outback and unexplored areas of New Guinea and Africa, plopping into the Atlantic. i MARK FOLEY Associated Press and astronauts who talk to the crew via the public radio to refrain from the oft-repeated phrase, NASA spokeswoman Jennifer McCarter said. The phrase is "old," McCarter explained, and the space agency does not want everyone who talks to the crew to use the same cliche. NASA was negotiating with Carpenter yesterday to make a taped farewell announcement, probably with "Godspeed" in it.

The message would be played to the world just before launch, but the astronauts would not hear it until they are in orbit, McCarter said. For those who will have to do it, deciding just what to say to the crew today is a tough decision. "It's going to be something generic," said Bob Sieck, shuttle operations chief. "The message is to the whole crew." even NASA officials say this is more about history than science. Even in his senatorial home of Washington, where scandal and partisan wrangling rarely take a backseat to anything, Glenn has taken center stage.

During the, key preelection week, when campaigning is a must, President Clinton and at least 70 senators and House members will fly here By Scth Borenstein INQUIRER WASHINGTON BUREAU CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The phrase "Godspeed, John Glenn," uttered by Scott Carpenter 36 years ago right before Glenn blasted into space, "just sprung up," said the former astronaut and capsule communicator for Glenn's first launch. Lately it has been springing up everywhere. It is on restaurants and stores and thousands of T-shirts around the Kennedy Space Center. The phrase is even pasted on the billboard of a local strip club.

It is prominent in Glenn's home state of Ohio and in school classes across the nation. But it may not be repeated by the Kennedy launch control center today when the space shuttle Discovery is supposed to lift off. NASA has asked the controllers kai, 46, from Japan. The four-term Ohio senator has not flown in space since his 1962 mission. This time his job is to be not the first American to do something, but the oldest.

He is to be a guinea pig for scientific experiments seeking a correlation between the effects of aging and zero gravity on the human body. But school students in Oakland, Calif. Those children knew all about Glenn and his mission, he said. Perhaps the only ones not caught up in the spectacle of today's launch are those about to fly aboard Discovery, chief astronaut Charlie Precourt said. Yesterday, crew members spent time with family and getting briefings.

The countdown to the nine-day mission was proceeding, and meteorologists were forecasting perfect weather. Glenn and his crewmates were to take part in a traditional goodbye to their families yesterday evening, with the crew standing near the launch pad and waving to loved ones lined up 20 feet away. They cannot touch each other because the astronauts are in medical quarantine. "It's tough" for the crew, said astronaut Carlos Noriega, a father of five. But if it means a chance to fly in space, he said, it's worth it.

Words to If he landed ASSOCIATED PRESS CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. As usual, John Glenn was thinking ahead. In 1962, about to become the first American to orbit Earth, he wondered what would happen if he had to make an emergency landing in the outback or jungle. What would he say? How would he say it? "Here comes this big chute down," Glenn said. The side of it blows off, and out steps this guy in a silver suit.

"You've got two things. You're going to be chief or god, or dead pretty cialist aboard Discovery, the seventh of seven members of the crew. Joining him will be commander Curtis Brown 42; pilot Steven Lindsey, 38; mission specialist Stephen Robinson, 43; mission specialist Scott Parazynski, 37; mission specialist Pedro Duque, 35, from Spain; and payload specialist Chiaki Mu- OR CHOOSE ONE. INHERIT A BANK. Sce appreciate Vour busine If your bank is changing it's important to remember this: With change comes opportunity.

Stop by any branch or call to see how easy and rewarding we can make the switch. Choose a bank. Don't inherit Call toll-free 1-877-PNC-FOR-ME (1-877-762-3676) today. wwwchoosePNC.com 'i 1 7 'Offer valid on any rejiumired (Mil mm mi iiisliliiliim oilier limn PNC Honk rfosetl by 123199. The 12' role nil does not aiih to "tenser rules" lint rather the standard rate applicable after the introductory period.

The monthly interest only payment must he debited raw a PNC Bunk Business Checking account. All loans are subject to credit approval. 'Offer valid llimngh I23I9H on an initial order of checks. 'Offer valid on purchases made through I2JI9M up to a maximum rebate oj $50mnnth. Rebate credited to PNC Bank Business Checking account monthly.

Rebate does not apply lo PIN purchases. All tranwitions conducted ol jion-l'NC Bank machines will he charged standard fees. 'Free software and JO'X off monthly reporting fees on Business ExpressPC or no monthly set-vice charge for OuickenOuickhooks Online Bunking and Online Bill Hixment llmiugh I2H9H. Telelihnne mid iiirounl related charges continue lo apdy. Deposit oilers valid onh with line Business Checking accounts aliened between 5I9H and 123 19N villi funds mil cimenth on deposit.

Memlier PDIC..