Expedition Clueless: introduction
I wrote the somewhat irreverent (and somewhat NSFW in places) “Expedition Clueless” stories between 2001-2003, after which I created my own website, become involved in that and effectively abandoned the stories. The arrangements on the International Space Station also changed drastically after the Columbia shuttle disaster in February 2003, so the stories reflect the situation before then (when Expedition Crews were taken up by the Space Shuttle).
I became interested in the International Space Station program in 2000 and was initially enthusiastic about it, but after reading various books and visiting websites (when I began using the Internet in 2001) I became more and more disillusioned, frustrated and bored; feelings which have only increased since then.
I more-or-less finished three stories and wrote bits and pieces of a few others. Unfortunately, the stories are almost unreadable as I used a lot of technical jargon and acronyms, and crammed in as much detail as I could – I essentially regurgitated all the ISS flight manuals I read onto the page. They don’t really have a plot as such. My plan for the ending was to have an Al-Qaeda (or similar) terrorist hijack the ISS (either coming up as a Soyuz space tourist or a “sleeper agent” posing as a Space Shuttle crewperson) and much havoc would ensue, culminating in Our Heroes evicting the (still-alive!) terrorist into the vacuum. Good gruesome fun! The stories badly need editing, but I have no interest in doing this now. I will consider them “practice stories”. I did have fun writing them at the time, though.
For more about the Russian spaceflight program, see my RuSpace site.
Stories
- Off the Planet (172 KB, 25,487 words)
- Here Comes Trouble (150 KB, 22,031 words)
- Houston, We Have a Corpse (132 KB, 19,034 words)
- Rise and Shine
- Bedtime Stories
- Miscellaneous & unfinished stories
Character notes
The main characters in my “Expedition Clueless” stories are Russian cosmonauts Sergei and Yurii. Joe is their hapless American ISS commander (commander in name only!). All are good-looking (of course!).
Sergei Aleksandrovich Konstantinov
Сергей Александрович Константинов
- Born
- 1970
- Height
- 6 feet (1.8 meters)
- Weight
- 68 kg; tall and lean
- Hair
- black
- Eyes
- dark brown
Sergei was born in the Moscow district. Fighter jet pilot in Russian Air Force; Class 1 Air Force pilot. Aircraft flown: Yak-52, L-29, L-39, MiG-31, MiG-29 and Su-27; logged over 600 hours of flight time. Is a qualified parachute instructor (over 200 jumps). Selected as a test-cosmonaut candidate of the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Cosmonaut Office on 28 July 1997 (1997 Air Force group). Sergei is a qualified Soyuz commander-pilot and his flight to the ISS with Yurii is their first (though on the Space Shuttle). He once hoped to fly the Buran Russian space shuttle and is still embittered by its cancellation in 1993 due to lack of funds. Enjoys parachuting, swimming, freediving (deep diving without scuba gear on one breath), running, athletics, tennis, cross-country skiing, ice-skating (outdoors in winter), aerobatic flying, photography, astronomy. Likes reading (Soviet-era) science fiction books and watching similar movies (for nostalgic memories …). His parents live in the suburb of Korolyov (formerly Kaliningrad), Moscow. Rather shy and reticent in personality, but turns into a reckless daredevil when he gets into an airplane’s cockpit (or during a spacewalk!). Mischievous and fun (especially with Yurii). He is single and has no plans to get married.
Yurii Leonidovich Zolotyov
Юрий Леонидович Золотёв
- Born
- 1972
- Height
- 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 meters)
- Weight
- 56 kg; muscular build
- Hair
- pale blond
- Eyes
- blue
Yurii was raised in a Moscow State orphanage. World-class gymnast; competed in Olympics before joining NPO Energiya as an engineer (he still trains and competes). He was accepted as a cosmonaut-candidate in the 1996 Civilian Engineer group. His flight to the ISS with Sergei and Joe is his first. Enjoys gymnastics, running, winter sports, computers, mechanical tinkering. He is single and has no plans to get married … Exuberant in personality (he usually gets Sergei into – and out of – trouble) and an inveterate prankster, but also, like Sergei, angry and frustrated by the decline of his country and its space program since the collapse of Communism.
Joseph (Joe) David McLean
- Born
- 1958
- Height
- 5 feet 10 inches (1.7 meters)
- Weight
- 72 kg; athletic build
- Hair
- brown (turning grey)
- Eyes
- hazel-green
ISS commander. NASA astronaut. Joe was raised in the state of Michigan, USA. Joined U.S. Air Force and became an F-15 fighter pilot. Later joined NASA as a test pilot and flew the NASA SR-71 Blackbird in high-altitude testing before becoming an astronaut. He is a Shuttle pilot-commander with two previous Shuttle flights in the 1990s before this ISS mission. Joe is fit and enjoys running, athletics and weight-training. He played American football in senior school and college as a linebacker. He was married to Kelly, a NASA employee, but this ended in an acrimonious divorce as they were apart for so long due to Joe’s training. She had an affair with another astronaut, Joe learned of this through the NASA “grapevine” and he then had an affair with a nice Russian lady called Ol’ga who works at TsUP (whom he sends e-mails to during his ISS tour). She is also divorced; a couple of years older than he. Joe is moody and prone to depression, especially since his divorce. He is the butt of jokes amongst the other astronauts; he knows and resents this. He feels isolated on the ISS with two Russian cosmonauts whom he really can’t relate to (he can barely speak any Russian despite months of language training – fortunately, Sergei and Yurii’s English is better than Joe’s Russian). They like to play practical jokes on him (to “cheer him up”), though they mean no harm.
NASA acronyms
NASA (and other) acronyms used in these stories, listed in alphabetical order.
- A/A
- Air-to-Air
- ACES
- Advanced Crew Escape Suit (model S1035)
- ALSP
- Advanced Life Support Pack
- AMP
- Ambulatory Medical Pack
- APDS
- Androgynous Peripheral Docking System
- AOA
- Abort Once Around
- APU
- Auxiliary Power Unit
- ASAP
- As Soon As Possible
- Ascan
- Astronaut Candidate
- ASP
- Astronaut Support Person/s (also known as “Cape Crusaders”)
- ATO
- Abort to Orbit
- ATU
- Audio Terminal Unit
- BFS
- Backup Flight System
- BITE
- Built-In Test Equipment
- C&W
- Caution & Warning
- C/O
- Check Out
- CCDB
- Configuration Controller Database
- CCPK
- Crew Contamination Protection Kit
- CDR, PLT, MS
- Commander, Pilot, Mission Specialist
- CEVIS
- Cycle Ergometer with Vibration Isolation System
- CHeCS
- Crew Health Care Center System
- CL
- Crew Lock
- CMG
- Control Movement Gyroscope
- CMO
- Crew Medical Officer
- CMRS
- Crew Medical Restraint System
- CPR
- Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
- CRT
- Cathode Ray Tube
- CST
- Central Standard Time, GMT/UTC −06 hours (used at Houston Mission Control Center)
- DAP
- Digital Autopilot
- DPC
- Daily Planning Conference
- DVCAM
- Digital Video Camcorder
- EDT
- Eastern Daylight Time
- EMU
- Extravehicular Mobility Unit (U.S. spacesuit)
- ESA
- European Space Agency
- EST
- Eastern Standard Time
- ET
- External Tank
- ETA
- Estimated Time of Arrival
- EVA
- Extra-Vehicular Activity
- ETVCG
- External TV Camera Group
- F&D
- Fill & Drain
- FPS
- Feet Per Second
- FRCI-12 HRSI
- Fibrous Refractory Composite Insulation (tiles), High-temperature Reusable Surface Insulation (tiles)
- GCTC
- (Yurii) Gagarin Cosmonauts’ Training Center (TsPK)
- GLA
- General Luminaire Assembly
- GLS
- Ground Launch Sequencer
- GMT
- Greenwich Mean Time
- GN2
- Gaseous Nitrogen
- GOX
- Gaseous Oxygen
- GPC
- General-Purpose Computer
- He
- Helium
- HGDS
- Hazardous Gas Detection System
- HIU
- Headset Interface Unit
- HMS
- Health Maintenance System
- HPU
- Hydraulic Power Unit/s
- HUT
- Lower Torso Assembly
- IDB
- In-suit Drink Bag
- IBM
- International Business Machines
- IMS
- Inventory Management System
- IMU
- Inertial Measurement Unit
- ISS
- International Space Station
- JSC
- Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas
- KSC
- Kennedy Space Center, Florida
- LCG
- Liquid Cooling Garment
- LCVG
- Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment
- LDB
- Launch Data Bus
- LH2
- Liquid Hydrogen
- LiOH
- Lithium Hydroxide
- LOX
- Liquid Oxygen
- LPS
- Launch Processing System
- LRD
- Laser Ranging Device
- LSS
- Life Support System
- LTA
- Lower Torso Assembly
- LVLH
- Local Vertical/Local Horizontal
- MAG
- Maximum Absorbent Garment
- Max-Q
- Maximum Dynamic Pressure
- MC
- Midcourse burn
- MCC
- Mission Control Center
- MDM
- Multiplexer/Demultiplexer
- MDMS
- Maintenance Data Management System
- MECO
- Main Engine Cut-Off
- MET
- Mission Elapsed Time
- MHz
- MegaHertz
- Miles p/h
- per hour
- MLP
- Mobile Launcher Platform
- MO
- Medical Operations
- MPS
- Main Propulsion System
- MS
- Mission Specialist
- MSG
- Microgravity Sciences Glovebox
- N2
- Nitrogen
- NASA
- National Aeronautics & Space Administration
- NBL
- Neutral Buoyancy Lab
- NC
- Nominal Correction burn
- NC-1
- Nominal Correction-1 (first phasing maneuver)
- NCC
- Nominal Corrective Combination/Maneuver
- NSTC
- National Telemetry/Television Standards Committee
- NSTS
- National Space Transportation System
- NTD
- NASA Test Director
- O&C
- Operations & Checkout Building
- OMS
- Orbital Maneuvering System
- OOPN
- Out Of Plane/Position Null
- OPS
- Operational Sequence
- ORB
- Orbiter
- ORU
- Orbital Replacement Unit
- PASS
- Primary Avionics Software System
- PDA
- Portable Data Format
- PGSC
- Payload and General Support Computer (IBM – International Business Machines – ThinkPad laptop)
- PMA
- Pressurized Mating Adapter
- PMS
- Power Management System
- PPK
- Personal Preference Kit
- PTK
- Pregnancy Test Kit
- PNP
- Probability of No Penetration
- PRSD
- Power Reactant Storage & Distribution
- R-bar
- Radius Vector Axis
- RADAR
- Radio Detecting And Ranging
- RCS
- Reaction Control System
- RED
- Resistance Exercise Device
- RASA
- Russian Aviation & Space Agency (Rosaviakosmos; see also RAKA in Russian glossary) (note: now the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos)
- RGS
- Russian Ground Sites
- RMS
- Remote Manipulating System (Orbiter’s robot arm)
- RPOP
- Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program (used for ISS docking)
- RTLS
- Return To Launch Site
- SAFER
- Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue
- SARSAT
- Search and Rescue Satellite
- Scop/Dex
- Scopolamine (0.4 mg) & Dexedrine (5 mg) in gel capsule
- SECAM/PAL
- Sequential Couleur Avec Memoire (Sequential Color with Memory)/Phase Alternating Line
- SLWT
- Super Light-Weight Tank (introduced in 1998)
- SM
- Service Module (Zvezda)
- SRB
- Solid Rocket Booster/s
- SRSS
- Shuttle Range Safety System
- SSME
- Space Shuttle Main Engine
- SSRMS
- Space Station Remote Manipulator System (robot arm or Canadarm-2)
- STA
- Shuttle Training Aircraft
- SVMF
- Space Vehicle Mockup Facility
- TAL
- Transoceanic Abort Landing site
- TDRS
- Tracking & Data Relay Satellite/s
- Ti
- Terminal Initiation
- TV
- Television
- TVIS
- Treadmill with Vibration Isolation System
- UHF
- Ultra-High Frequency
- V-bar
- Orbit Velocity Vector – Velocity Vector Axis
- VAB
- Vehicle Assembly Building
- VHF
- Very High Frequency
- Vi
- Internal Velocity (inside Orbiter)
- VRL
- Virtual Reality Lab
- WCS
- Waste Collection System
- WETF
- Weightless Environment Training Facility
- WMS
- Waste Management System (toilet)
Russian glossary
Russian transliterations used in the stories, listed in English alphabetical order.
- Amerikanskii
- Американский
- American (adjective)
- Amerikantsy
- Американцы
- Americans
- Angel Smerti
- Ангел Смерти
- Angel of Death
- Angliiski
- Английски
- English (language)
- ASPRO
- АСПРО
- Asprin
- ASU: Assenizatsiya Sistema Ypravleniya
- АСУ: Ассенизация Система Управления
- Sewage disposal system management
- B-3
- Б-3
- Babushka
- Бабушка
- Grandmother
- Baikonur
- Байконур
- Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan (also transliterated “Baykonur”)
- Berkut
- Беркут
- Golden Eagle
- BI: Bortinzhener
- БИ: Бортинженер
- Flight engineer
- BITS: Bortovaya Informatsionnaya Telemetricheskaya Sistema
- БИТС: Бортовая Информационная Телеметрическая Система
- On-board data telemetry system
- BK-3
- Блоки Кислородный СК (скафандр)
- On-board Oxygen Tanks (spacesuit)
- BKU: Bortovoi Kompleks Upravleniya
- БКУ: Бортовой Комплекс Управления
- Onboard Control Complex
- BNP: Blok Nadduva Perenosnoi
- БНП: Блок Наддува Переносной
- Portable Repress Tank
- BO: Bytovoi Otsek TK (Transportnyi Korabl’)
- БО: Бытовой отсек ТК (Транспортный Корабль)
- Soyuz Habitation Module (crew transport vehicle)
- BRTA: Blok Radiotelemetricheskoi Apparatury
- БРТА: Блок Радиотелеметрической Аппаратуры
- Radio-telemetry unit/apparatus (Orlan)
- BSS: Bortovaya Sistems Stykovki SK s Bortom
- БСС: Бортовая Система Стыковки СК с Бортом
- Orlan (spacesuit) Interface Unit
- Buran
- «Буран»
- Snowstorm (canceled Russian space shuttle)
- Chto? (pronounced “Shto”)
- Что?
- What?
- CNO: Cvetil’nik Naruzhnogo Osveshcheniya
- СНО: Светилник Наружного Освещения
- Light exterior illumination (outside light)
- Da
- Да
- Yes
- Dvoinya
- Двойня
- The Twins
- Dedushka
- Дедушка
- Grandfather
- Devushka/devuskhy
- Девушка/девушкы
- Young maiden/s
- DMV: Dekretom Moskovskoe Vremya
- ДМВ: Декретом Московское Время
- Decreed/Legal Moscow Time
- Do svidaniya
- До свидания
- Goodbye
- Dobroe utro!
- Доброе утро!
- Good morning!
- Do svidaniya
- До свидания
- Goodbye
- DSD: Datchik Signal’nyi Davleniya
- ДСД: Датчик Сигнальный Давления
- Pressure Alarm Sensor
- Ekspeditsiya Nedalyokii
- Экспедиция Недалёкий
- Expedition Clueless
- Elektron
- Электрон
- Electron
- Energiya (also spelt Energia)
- Энергия
- Vigor; energetic (name of rocket, and of S. P. Korolyov Rocket & Space Corporation – Ракета Космическая Корпоация)
- GA: Germetichnyi Adapter
- ГА: Герметичный Адаптер
- Pressurized Adapter (Zarya)
- Gidrolaboratoriya
- Гидролаборатория
- Hydrolaboratory
- Gigienicheskie plavki
- Гигиенические плавки
- Hygienic briefs (diapers)
- Glavnyi
- Главный
- Main/senior person in charge
- Glisser-M
- «Глиссер-М»
- Speedboat
- GStM-1 and –2, Gruzovoi Strela Manipulyator
- ГСтМ-1 & -2, Грузовая Стрела Манипулятор
- Cargo Crane Manipulator
- IMBP: Institut Mediko-Biologicheskikh Problem
- ИМБП: Институт Медико-Биологических Проблем
- Institute of Medical and Biological Problems
- InPU: Integrirovannyi Pul’t Upravleniya
- ИнПУ: Интерированный Пульт Управления
- Integrated Control Panel
- Izolyator
- Изолятор
- Isolation/punishment cell; solitary confinement cell
- Kayuta/kayuty
- Каюта/каюты
- Cabin/cabins
- Kazbek-U
- «Казбек-У»
- Khorosho
- Хорошо
- Good
- Komandir
- Командир
- Commander
- KK: Komandir Korablya
- КК: Командир Корабля
- Spaceship commander
- Kondomy
- Кондомы
- Condoms (slang term, plural; also prezervativy, презервативы)
- Korona
- «Корона»
- Crown
- Kosmicheskaya Mafiya
- Космическая Мафия
- Space Mafia (a.k.a. NASA)
- Kosmonavt
- Космонавт
- Cosmonaut
- Kosmonavtka
- Космонавтка
- Woman cosmonaut
- Kriogen
- «Криоген»
- Cryogenic
- KSD: Klapan Stravlivaniya Davleniya
- КСД: Клапан Стравливания Давления
- Depress valve
- KVD: Klapan Vyravnivaniya Davleniya
- КВД: Клапан Выравнивания Давления
- Pressure equalization valve
- KVO: Kostyum Vodyanogo Okhlazhdeniya
- КВО: Костюм Водяного Охлаждения
- Liquid cooling garment
- Ledyanaya Korolyova
- Ледяная Королева
- Ice Queen
- LP: Litievyi Poglotitel’
- ЛП: Литиевый Поглотитель CO2
- Lithium absorbent (carbon dioxide) canisters
- Lyubushka
- Любушка
- Sweetie
- Mir
- «Мир»
- Russian space station (1986-2001)
- MKS: Mezhdunarodnaya Kosmicheskaya Stantsiya
- МКС: Международная Космическая Станция
- International Space Station (Cyrillic acronym)
- Mrazi
- Мрази
- Scum, dregs, bottom of the bucket (colloquial insult – plural)
- Moskva
- Mосква
- Moscow
- MV: Manovakuummetr
- МВ: Мановакууммето
- Pressure gauges
- Myortvy?
- Мëртвы?
- Dead?
- Ne budet dorogi
- Не будет дороги
- You will have no road
- Nuzhnik
- Нужник
- Latrine, the can, toilet (slang)
- Nyet
- Нет
- No
- Ochkariki
- Очкарики
- Bespectacled eggheads (scientists – derisive slang, plural)
- Orlan-M, Orlany
- «Орлан-M», plural «Орланы»
- Sea Eagle (Russian spacesuit)
- PA: Pul’t Abonenta
- ПА: Пульт Абонента
- Public Address system/comm panel
- Partizanskaya voina
- Партизанская война
- Partisan (guerrilla) warfare
- PGO-SU
- ПГО-СУ
- PGPU: Pul’t Gidropnevmoupravleniya CK
- ПГПУ: Пульт Гидропневмоуправления СК
- Pneumohydraulic control panel (spacesuit)
- Pioneerskaya Organizatsiya
- Пионерская Организация
- Pioneer Organization
- Pirs
- «Пирс»
- Pier
- PkhO: Perekhodnoi Otsek
- ПХО: Переходной Отсек
- Transfer Compartment
- PkhO-SU
- ПХО-СУ
- Poekhali!
- Поехали!
- Let’s go!
- POV: Pul’t Obespecheniya Vykhoda
- ПОВ: Пульт Обеспечения Выхода
- Control panel provision for exit
- Privet
- Привет
- Hi!
- Progress
- «Прогресс»
- Russian cargo/supply spaceship
- PSS: Pul’t Signalizatsii Sistem
- ПСС: Пульт Сигнализации Систем
- Caution & Warning Panels
- RO: Rabochii Otsek
- РО: Рабочий Отсек
- Working Compartment (Zvezda)
- Rabochii Otsek
- Рабочий отсек
- Working compartment
- RAKA: Rossiiskoe Kosmicheskoe Agentstvo
- РАКА: Российское Авиационно-Космическое Агентство , РК
- Russian Aviation & Space Agency (became Federal Space Agency/Roscosmos in March 2004)
- Regul
- «Регул»
- Regulate
- Regul-Paket
- Регул-пакет
- Regulated-package
- RO: Rabochii Otsek
- РО: Рабочий Отсек
- Working Compartment
- Rosaviakosmos
- Росавиакосмос
- Russian Space Agency (to March 2004)
- Rubli/rubl’
- Рубли/рубль
- Rubles (singular/plural)
- Ruskii
- Рускии, руский
- Russians, Russian
- SB: Solnechnaya Batareya
- СБ: Солнечная Батарея
- Solar array
- Schastlivogo puti!
- Счастливого пути!
- Have a good journey!
- Shlemofon
- Шлемофон
- Communications cap (plural shlemofony, шлемофоны)
- Sokol
- «Сокол»
- Falcon (Russian pressure suit)
- Soyuz Transportnyi Modernizrovannyi Antropometricheskii
- «Союз Транспортный Модернизрованный Антропометрический »
- Union (Russian spaceship), Transport Modernized Anthropometric (replacing TM version)
- Soyuz-Forsunochnaya Golovka
- «Союз-Форсуночная Головка»
- Soyuz fuel-injector’s head (type of rocket)
- SOZh: Sistemy Obespecheniya Zhiznedeyatel’nosti
- СОЖ: Системы Обеспечения Жизнедеятельности
- Life support system
- Spasiba
- Спасиба
- Thank-you
- Spetsnaz
- Спецназ
- Russian special forces (abbreviation of Специальный Назначение, Spetsial’nyi Naznachenie, Special Purpose)
- Spetsial’naya meditsina
- Специнальная медицина
- Special medicine (alcohol)
- SSSR: Soyuz Sovetckikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublikh
- СССР: Союз Советских Социалистических Республих
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)
- Strizh
- «Стриж»
- Swift, Martin (species of bird) (Russian pressure suit)
- STTS: Sistema Telefonno-Telegrafnoi Svyazi
- СТТС: Система Телефонно-Телеграфной Связи
- Telephone-Telegraph Signal System
- TNG: Tangenta
- ТНГ: Тангента
- Push-to-talk (button)
- Tovarishchi/tovarishch
- Товарищи/товарищ
- Comrades/comrade
- Tranzit
- «Транзит»
- Transit
- TsP: Tsentral’nyi Post
- ЦП: центральный пост
- Service Module central command post
- TsPK: Tsentr Podgotovki Kosmonavtov imeni Yu. A. Gagarin
- ЦПК: Центр Подготовки Космонавтов имэни Ю. А. Гагарина
- Yurii Gagarin Cosmonauts’ Training Center
- TsUP: Tsentr Upravleniya Polyotom v Moskve
- ЦУП: Центр Управления Полëтом (в Москве)
- Flight Control Center (in the suburb of Korolyov, Moscow)
- Tvorog
- Творог
- Cottage cheese with nuts
- Uchastnik polyota
- Участник полёта
- Flight participant
- Ura Rossiya!
- Ура Россия!
- Hooray for Russia!
- VK: Ventilyator Komfortnyi
- ВК: Вентилятор Комфортный
- Personal fan (ventilator comfort)
- VKD: Vnekorabel’naya Deyatel’nost’
- ВКД: Внекорабельная Деятельность
- Out-of-cabin or out-of-ship activities/work (i.e. EVA)
- VL-1 & -2: Vykhod Lyk-2
- BЛ-1, ВЛ-2: Выход Люк-1
- Pirs exit hatch one (of two)
- Voskhod
- Восход
- Sunrise
- Vozdukh
- «Воздух»
- Air
- Vozdushno-Desantniye Voiska
- Воздушно-Десантние Войска
- Aerial landing army/force (Russian airborne force – the “Blue Berets”)
- VP: Vtori-Pilot
- ВП: Второй-Пилот
- Co-pilot
- VU
- БУ
- Yakor’
- «Якорь»
- Anchor
- Za …
- За …
- To … (toast)
- Zarya
- «Заря» (фунционально Грузовой Блок)
- Sunrise (Russian Functional Cargo Block module)
- Zdravstvuite!
- Здравствуйте!
- Hello, greetings
- Zenit
- «Зенит»
- Zenith
- Zvezda
- «Звезда» (Служебный Модуль)
- Star (Russian Service Module)
- Zvyozdyi Gorodok
- Звёздый Городок
- Star City (Starry Town) – the Yurii Gagarin Cosmonauts’ Training Center
Cyrillic words:
- Сергей Александрович Константинов, Серëжа
- Sergei Aleksandrovich Konstantinov, Seryozha (official/intimate names)
- Юрий Леонидович Золотёв, Юра
- Yurii Leonidovich Zolotyov, Yura
Measurement unit conversions
Shuttle measurements are in Imperial, as this is still used on it (as well as the U.S. segment of the ISS).
| From | Multiply by … to obtain | To |
|---|---|---|
| Inches (in) | 2.54 | Centimeters (cm) |
| Centimeters | 0.393700787 | Inches |
| Feet (ft) | 0.3048 | Meters (m) |
| Meters | 3.2808399 | Feet |
| Statute (land) miles (mi) | 1.609344 | Kilometers (km) |
| Kilometers | 0.621371192 | Statute miles |
| Nautical miles (nmi) | 1.85200 | Kilometers |
| Kilometers | 0.539956803 | Nautical miles |
| Pounds (lb) | 0.45359237 | Kilograms (kg) |
| Kilograms | 2.20462262 | Pounds |
| Gallons | 3.7854118 | Liters (L) |
| Liters | 0.264172051 | Gallons |
| Pounds per square inch (psi) | 6.89475729 | Kilonewtons per square meter (kilopascals – kPa) |
| Kilonewtons per square meter (kilopascals – kPa) | 0.145037738 | Pounds per square inch (psi) |
| Pounds per square inch (psi) | 51.7149326 | Millimeters of mercury (mmHg) |
| Millimeters of mercury (mmHg) | 0.0193367747 | Pounds per square inch (psi) |
| Kilograms of force (kg) | 9.807 | Newtons (N) |
| Pounds force | 4.448 | Newtons |
| Kilometers per hour (km/h) | 0.621371192 | Miles per hour (mph) |
| Miles per hour | 1.609344 | Kilometers per hour |
Temperature
- Degrees Farenheit to Celsius – subtract 32, then multiply by 0.55.
- Degrees Celsius to Farenheit – multiply by 1.8, then add 32.
- Temperature conversion calculator at Online Conversion.
You can use the Google search box to calculate units of conversion; e.g. type in 1 meter in feet. The key term is “in”. (See How to use the Google calculator.)
© Suzanne B. McHale, August 2003-January 2004; revised 7 June 2007