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Monday, February 03, 2003

By Steve Twedt, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Dan Malerbo wrote most of the script for "On Orbit," the Buhl Planetarium and Observatory film about the International Space Station featured at the Carnegie Science Center for the past year.

He's watched the 30-minute film at least 100 times.

Yet, like many in yesterday's near-capacity audience, he saw it in a different light over the weekend.

While most of "On Orbit" depicts the life and work on the space station, both the opening and closing scenes show a shuttle launch and re-entry, including scenes shot over the astronauts' shoulders that vividly convey what the flight crew sees as they hurtle back into Earth's atmosphere at 12,500 miles an hour.

"The atmosphere is a blaze of light and heat around us," the moderator says. "The only things protecting us are the heat shield tiles that line the shuttle's skin. They quickly absorb and dissipate the heat, keeping us cool and safe."

Another segment briefly shows Judith Resnik, one of the Challenger crew who died when the shuttle exploded shortly after launch in January 1986.

"It's a little too close to home, even for me," said Malerbo, 52, of Scott, an education specialist at the science center. "It really conveys the dangers and the hazards."

Malerbo has more than a passing interest in the space program. Before Saturday's tragic ending to Columbia's mission, he was scheduled to fly to Houston on Thursday to conduct a workshop for teachers at the Johnson Space Center. He's still awaiting word about whether the conference will go on.

Malerbo also writes about the space program, and had nearly finished a Kid's Corner article on Columbia's payload commander, Michael Anderson, slated to run in next Monday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. During his research, Malerbo found an interview with Anderson in which the 43-year-old U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel said that he "really didn't enjoy launches" but looked forward to the re-entry.

Anderson said that "I'm just going to sit down in my seat and hopefully reflect on the 16 days on orbit that we've had. And, [I'm] just anxious to get back to Earth and give the scientists all their research results. And you know, I'll be happy to have the flight behind us."

Before yesterday's 3 p.m. showing, Malerbo answered audience questions about Columbia.

They wanted to know about its speed, why it fell from the sky, why the heat tiles could not be nailed to the shuttle, and what data will be available to help NASA officials understand what happened.

"After the program, one woman asked if I thought they'd suffered," Malerbo said. He told her it was probably all over within seconds.

"It was sad. I felt teary, especially at the end when they were coming back, hitting the atmosphere," said Philomena Jaehne of Ross, who attended with husband Kevin and their 7-year-old son, Ryan.

"When I saw that, I thought of them [the Columbia crew], and said a little prayer."