In this, “My Scooter Sunday”, I started my writing playlist with “Vincent” (1971) by Don McLean: Starry, starry night, Paint your palette blue and gray. Though Don McLean wrote this song as a tribute to Vincent van Gogh, I chose it as a tribute to the stars. As for my riding playlist, I picked Don McLean again, but this time for American Pie (1971).
Today, I carried on with my riding route from Petaling Jaya to Kuala Lumpur via Bangsar, but with both the GOPRO, and cell phone (Waze) mounted and activated. Taking Bangsar, I rode past Hotel Majestic, and the Railway Administrative building on my left, and the Sulaiman building, the old Railway Station, and the old National Mosque on my right. My final destination was Jalan (Road) Perdana.
There, sitting on top of the hill in Lake Gardens, is the blue-domed structure - the National Planetarium of Malaysia. It reminded me of the Griffith Observatory and Planetarium, and the Wilson Observatory in Los Angeles. But back to the planetarium in Malaysia: I walked around the various exhibits, including the mock-up of the International Space Station, and the most dazzling part of the visit was watching “Incoming!” in the planetarium’s Omnimax theatre. The show explored asteroids, comets, and meteors, and their collisions with Earth.
After working on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in Maryland, USA for seven years, in 2004, my husband accepted an offer in Los Angeles to help design, build, and launch HST’s successor for NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). More than three decades after it was first proposed, and about six-months after a flawless launch, and commissioning, the first Science images from JWST were released by NASA this week (12 July 2022).
Talking about the pictures released, my husband said, “The pictures were gorgeous, and I was very excited to see the fruits of our (along with thousands of others’) labour. But not nearly as excited, or as nervous, as during the Christmas day launch of JWST from French Guiana atop an Ariane 5 rocket!"
“After being dropped off from the Ariane rocket, I was responsible for JWST’s Attitude Control System (ACS) that would get it to its final orbit, about 1.5 million km from Earth. I had also managed a part of the deployment control system, which unfurls the tennis court sized, 5-layer Sunshield that allows the telescope to cool to below -230°C. Any significant issues in these systems could have resulted in a $10 billion, 6,500 kg piece of space junk. So, I was very happy, and relieved that we got to the final orbit, and deployed the sunshield, and mirrors without a hitch”.
“I was eager, but not nervous about the release of Science images. My major responsibility was to design, build and operate the ACS – this allows the telescope to point accurately, and steadily at targets Astronomers choose. During the six-month commissioning period between Launch and now, we had confirmed that the ACS was working just fine, so I expected the images to be fine too. I am proud to have been a part of the wonderful team that delivered a control system that makes such beautiful pictures possible. Astronomers can now study the universe as it was more than 13 billion years ago, most objects within our solar system today, and everything in between, with unprecedented clarity and resolution”.
“The show you saw, “Incoming!”, is about large objects. If one of those objects were to hit JWST, we would end up with 10 billion pieces of space junk, but the probability of such an event happening is miniscule. However, JWST is expected to be hit by dust sized micrometeoroids. Each hit will slightly degrade the mirrors, like scratches on your new eyeglasses. And JWST has been designed to degrade gracefully as the number of scratches from micrometeoroid impacts accumulate over life. Within the six-month period since Launch, five micrometeoroid impacts on the mirrors have been detected. Anyway, as they say, so far, so good. I look forward to many more years of beautiful pictures, and amazing Science to come from JWST”.
After the HST and JWST expedition, we re-entered Earth, and I started “My Scooter Sunday” ride back home. My roundtrip was 20 km, and 30 minutes long. And what I enjoyed most was riding at top speed, communing virtually with the stars, reminiscing about Los Angeles, and blogging together as a couple.
Also, see footage of my ride around my neighbourhood. https://youtu.be/q59Ok1yncns
Scootin’ off for now!
Overview of JWST: https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/videogallery/index.html
33 comments on “Starry, Starry Night”
I got goosebumps just reading the post!
I felt like I was on a journey around KL too!
Looking forward to more blogs, Ms May!
I’ve only been following JWST’s recent progress but I must say its truly inspiring to read Mr Satyan’s experience working on JWST!
Warmest regards from Kavvi, an aspiring engineer and space enthusiast
Dear Kavvinah! Thank you for reading, and providing your generous feedback! I will be sure to forward your JWST comments to my husband. Thank you, and good luck with your engineering!
I viewed the "Starry, Starry, Night" Ride 1 video. Familiar places, but I failed to notice the beauty. Looks like a beautiful relaxed ride on JuJu. Wondering where are all the vehicles? Landscape looks very clean. No litter around. Enjoy your Sunday ride. May, you are very authentic, and creative. Both the right brain, and the left brain functioning equally. Kindly give my love to your Mom.
- Dr. Jeya
Brilliant and Kudos to you May. I look forward to seeing you, and the family in August.
- Krishpathy Singapore
Hello May! Beautiful scenery from your JuJu, and to listen to American Pie, an ever green. I used to hear this in the late 60's and early 70's during my post-graduate studies days in Minnesota... Thanks for sharing and rekindling old memories. Good night.
Dr.Sultan
You are clever, sensational, and a very, very, very brave cousin! Very proud of you, May. Beautifully researched, and written blog posts. Among the old six of us, I vote you the champion! I have taken into account that we all lead lives, and are successful in our own paths. But the last seven years has made you the Hands Down Champion! You have kept true to our childhood ideals of Adventure, Fun, and Progress. Plus, you have changed the course of Akka's longevity by being with her.
My Darling Fabulous May!!
- Usha, Australia.
You are clever, sensational, and a very, very, very brave cousin! Very proud of you, May. Beautifully researched, and written blog posts. Among the old six of us, I vote you the champion!
I have taken into account that we all lead lives, and are successful in our own paths. But the last seven years has made you the Hands Down Champion! You have kept true to our childhood ideals of Adventure, Fun, and Progress. Plus, you have changed the course of Akka's longevity by being with her.
My Darling Fabulous May!!
- Usha, Australia.
Incredible experience...lucky you..
Looking forward to more stories..
Keep writing..
Awesome pictures,by the way..
Kohula! Thank you for reading, and thank you for your encouragement and feedback!
Hi May, Good Evening to you! I just went through your "My Scooter Sunday", it was a beautiful post. Its an eye opener for me. I enjoyed your music, and I felt I was on your scooter going through that area. Wishing you many more of it. (I have subscribed to your blog.) Here is to many, many more posts you are going to give us. What we cannot see, we see through you Thank you to you, and Satya. God Bless you both.
- Malar
Thank you May for sharing the Starry Starry night with me. I saw two pictures taken by JWST on Facebook. Of course I didn’t understand much about it. I am awe-struck to know Satyan had been involved in the making and launching of JWST. Great experience May. Now, enjoy your down to Earth experience with Juju.
Dr. Jeya! Thank you for reading, and thank you for your feedback. I will be sure to pass your comments to Satyan. Thank you, again.
May, an incredible write-up & experience you have shared with us. Love the pictures of the beautiful pictures we have in KL. was imagining what a lovely ride it must be with Juju! What an experience ❤️
Congrats on your hubby’s work with JWST! An extraordinary feat!👏🏼👏🏼
Keep on writing, May! Love it!
Geetha! Thank you for your awesome feedback, and encouragement!
Another fantastic blog post! I look forward to reading this every week and thought this week’s tribute to her husband’s incredible work was particularly touching.
Looking forward to next week’s! Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Lav!
Truly enjoyed this week's write-up on science and space May
Getting to love your bike Julu. Lovely pictures taken
Elisabeth
Elisabeth! Thank you for your feedback. JuJu is getting popular!
Absolutely enjoyable read. Feels experiential because of the fluid style of description and attention to details.
Congratulations for being part of the prestigious JWST team and the trail blazing work done for mankind. Keep up the writing enjoying Malayasia through your eyes and JuJu.
Usha! Thank you for your generous feedback. I will be sure to pass on your comments to Satya. Keep enjoying Malaysia. Juju sends her love.
Absolutely enjoyable read. Feels experiential because of the fluid style of description and attention to details.
Congratulations for being part of the prestigious JWST team and the trail blazing work done for mankind. Keep up the writing enjoying Malayasia through your eyes and Julu.
Thank you very much, May. Your choice of song, Starry, starry night is also on my permanent playlist. "My Scooter Sunday". Keep them coming. Thanks. Best Regards.
Dr. Sultan
I am so proud and honoured to be able to share my little knowledge I have about flying with Satyan at the Air Adventure Flying Club in Malaysia.
Satyan is a great pilot and fun to be with. Amazing to see what he has done... JWST.. only selected few can join that adventure....
Andres! Thank you for your generous comments. I will pass it on!
Amazing! I’m such a proud proud proud niece!
Kaveena, I will pass it on, and you can pass it on too!
Very detailed information! I must say that you have great memories of what Satyan's job was, and what it meant to both of you. Congratulations on this week's blog post. Continue your great passion with JuJu, your love ride!
Dr. Ambi
Cool!
Thank you, Ramu!
Kudos 👏👏👏 to your husband Satyan Anandakrishnan and the JWST team on their 30 years product that was successfully designed and launched to be our Eye in Space. I watch a lot of the JWST progress on YouTube.
So it must have been a lovely morning ride to look at the stars from earth before sunrise while our Eye in Space is having a clear longer look and taking pictures for us on Earth.
Keep on riding and writing May Maniam.
Sripathy! Thank you taking the time, and effort to comment. I really appreciate it!
Wow! That's a great experience to go through, Satyan and May.
Thank you for bringing that experience to us. Will share it with some of the young people who are so interested with space and Nasa.
Deva, thank you so much!