Chapter 6 – Facing Losses
1986 got off to a rough start for Lynette and Ivan. Their beloved Korry died on New Year’s Day. Lynette was devastated and inconsolable. Ivan was beside himself and concerned for his wife. Little did he know his grief had only just begun for later in the month there was an explosion shortly after the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched; all seven crew members were lost.
NASA was scrambling. The crew’s family members who were watching the launch were quickly whisked away from other people, the news media in particular. Investigators immediately began their investigation by interviewing different members of the Mission Control Team. Ivan and his team were not directly affected because their focus was on the ISS, but they were indirectly affected for two reasons: first of all, the Space Program was halted temporarily pending the investigation findings and the fixes in place, and secondly because they had to attend briefing meetings about the ongoing investigation. Safety was now a NASA priority. It was too late in Ivan’s estimation; it had been his priority all along. Now they had to deal with the needless deaths of seven crew members and the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger.
On the home front Lynette was depressed; she had not been that depressed since her first husband died. The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was painful because of the scope of its impact on her husband and because of the unnecessary loss of life. If only they had waited a few days for the temperatures to warm up before launching. Now, in addition to Korry being gone, Ivan was home even less. Ivan was concerned about his wife, but had to remain focused at work. He was thinking ahead, though, and made plans to do something different on Saturday, instead of their normal outing for bird watching and photographing. They were going to the Humane Society.
If Ivan had asked Lynette about getting another dog, she would have said she was not ready yet. However, when they got to the Humane Society and saw that there were two black and tan Dachshunds together in the same cage, Ivan could see that determination slip a little. The sign on the cage indicated they were brother and sister, bonded siblings who needed to be adopted together. Lynette could not turn away, she wanted them right now. Once the paperwork was filled out and the adoption fees paid, they were out the door with two new pups.
When Ivan was driving home with the dogs sitting on Lynette’s lap, he informed her that badger dog in Russian was “barsuk sobaka”. Lynette said “that’s it! He will be Barry and she will be Soby.” Ivan smiled. He was so pleased that these siblings brought the light back into Lynette’s eyes. Those two pups would be the healing balm that she needed right now. He could return to work on Monday more focused as he faced the continuing fallout and grief from the Challenger disaster.
The media was all over the disaster. Shuttle Challenger should not have been cleared for takeoff with an air temperature of only 36 º. One of the manufacturers said there was substantial risk below 40 º. Ivan was furious. Had he been on the shuttle team, he never would have signed off on the launch recommendation because of safety concerns. The shuttle did launch, however, and ended in tragedy for NASA, all Johnson Space Center employees, and family and friends of all seven crew members. The grief of the American people was turning to rage, as little-by-little the details from the ongoing investigation were unfolded by the press.
Chapter 7 – Leave of Absence
Barry and Soby were the most adorable dogs. Lynette’s cloud lifted as the depression floated away. She still ached for her husband regarding the Challenger tragedy but it did not consume her, thanks to the dogs. Barry was quiet and laid back; Soby was noisy and feisty. Barry was a quiet instigator; Soby was a hoarder of toys. Lynette would laugh and laugh as she watched the two of them. It felt so good to laugh again. She had not forgotten Korry, but now she could reflect on the memories instead of focusing on the fact he was gone.
Ivan was back at work and was immediately sent to the briefing room. NASA was putting the entire Space Program on hold indefinitely, including the ISS. Ivan had anticipated it – he even supported it – because there were some shuttle issues that needed to be resolved. It was imperative. Nevertheless, it grated on Ivan to have a complete standstill ordered for the project he was overseeing. The previous day President Reagan appointed a special commission called the Roger’s Commission. Now the ISS Team would have a long wait ahead while the commission completed their lengthy investigation and the team had done fixes according to their recommendations. The safety of all future crew members was at stake and you can’t put a time frame on that.
During the investigation phase Ivan did not have to work any overtime. He was able to be home more with Lynette, Barry and Soby. He also had more time to pursue his hobbies. Even with the extra time with family and hobby pursuits, Ivan was going stir crazy. There was not enough to do to keep him busy at home or at work. He chomped at the bit at work; the press’ perpetual presence and persistent questions were unnerving and distracting, too. After discussing the matter with Lynette, he put in for a two-month leave of absence with NASA. Lynette was finally getting her honeymoon.
It was essential that Lynette and Ivan go wherever they could take the dogs. They both agreed Lake Tahoe would be a perfect destination. While Lynette planned, prepared for their trip and made campground reservations, Ivan took care of home logistics; he hired a contractor for security services and another for landscaping to keep up their yard. He also leased an RV, figuring it made more sense to lease than to buy as they would probably not need it again.
When the RV was all loaded with one month of necessities, Ivan, Lynette, Barry and Soby took off on their Lake Tahoe adventure. Barry and Soby were so excited to be going for a ride, and were also curious about the RV. This was a whole new adventure for them in the big car. They jumped from seat to seat, sniffing everything and watching out the windows to see what they could see. Their nose prints were all over the windows – nose art Ivan called it. Lynette laughed; she would clean them off after their trip. Having Dad with them made it all the more special for the pups. This trip was giving them special bonding time. They were family all right.
Chapter 8 – Lake Tahoe
Ivan and Lynette were like a couple of kids when they were on their honeymoon trip to Lake Tahoe. Relaxed, comfortable and totally enjoying each other, they grew closer than they had ever been. The time was extra special for Lynette as she had spent much time alone before Ivan came into her life. Now they had the dogs, too. This new and unexpected dimension to their lives was a welcome change to the daily grind at home.
Their first dog, Korry, was not a big fan of water; in fact he went out of his way to completely avoid it. However, that was not the case with Barry and Soby, even though the Lake Tahoe waters were frigid. They did not venture too far away, but swam in the general vicinity of the campground, near the RV; they darted back and forth in the water like little black torpedoes. When they got closer to shore in the shallow water, they would stand on their back legs and drop on their front legs to splash water on each other. Lynette and Ivan laughed. It seemed their dogs did not think they were wet enough.
There was definitely a connection between Ivan and the night sky. He did not say anything out loud, but he did not have to say anything for Lynette knew his thoughts were on space exploration again. She wisely lay next to him and held his hand without saying anything. Besides, Ivan was all hers during the daylight hours – at least for now. Soon it was time to douse the campfire and go to bed in the RV and into their own little dream worlds.
Lynette dug out her flute one evening and began to play some of her favorite tunes from heart. Ivan saw a side of her he had not seen before and he was in awe. Even though he knew she played, it had been several years since the last time. It was moving as the melodious flute tones resonated across the water with “Taps,” “How Great Thou Art” and “Amazing Grace.” Barry and Soby were enjoying it as well. They lay on the ground in front of her, with their chins resting on their front paws and their eyes big and wide.
The next
morning they were all awakened with a loud commotion outside the RV. Lynette held onto the dogs while Ivan went to check it out; it was best if the dogs stayed inside until they knew what was causing the racket. Ivan came back in rather quickly, telling Lynette it was a big black bear that got into the garbage he forgot to dump the night before. There was no way he was going to tangle with a big black bear over a pile of garbage; he could have it. They had to use the restroom facility in the RV and the dogs would just have to wait to go out.
Lynette and Ivan spent a whole month together at Lake Tahoe. It was a defining moment in their marriage. The Tahoe honeymoon was over far too soon, but the memories would be with them for the remainder of their lives. Unless Ivan retired, there would never be another chance like this one. Yet the bond between them was strong enough that it really did not matter. It was time to go home to take care of the mound of mail and bills, as well as things that needed to be done around the house and yard.
Chapter 9 – Return to Work
Ivan knew it was imperative that he remain in the information loop. He worked during part of his leave, doing independent research and intercepting e-mails from both Russian ESP Team members and the U.S. ISS Team. Doing both would pay off in big dividends when he returned to work. One major thing that came down the information pike during this time was that China indicated they were going to build rockets; it was their turn to compete in the international space launch market.
When Ivan’s leave was over, NASA asked him to return to work as a contracted consultant to assist with the shuttle upgrades. His job as ISS Project Director was still secure, but they could not resume either the Space Shuttle Program or the ISS Project until all of the upgrades were in place. They assured him that he would then be able to return full-time as the ISS Director. He smiled when they said that as he knew he would end up working overtime again and that suited him just fine.
As long as he was working part-time, Ivan was able to make Lynette, Barry and Soby his priority. He would also be able to spend time with his hobbies, but the family was always included on those outings. His photos were now displayed in the hallway, as well as the office. Lynette gushed over them. He had come a long way in his photography skills. The photographs were a nice addition to the home decorum.
When Lynette would walk Barry and Soby, Ivan joined them. He figured the walks would do him good, too. Among other things it helped pass the time, plus it was good exercise. The dogs were well behaved, walking slightly ahead of Ivan and Lynette without tugging on their leashes. Ivan had not expected that and was quite impressed at his wife’s training of the dogs.
Meanwhile, back at work, the team was making headway with the shuttle modifications. While they were waiting for the final clearance to resume the Space Shuttle Program, the team got word that Israel’s Shavit rocket successfully launched their first satellite, Ofeq-1. The United States and Russia were both getting more competition in the space race.
Finally, the much-anticipated day arrived; NASA approved the shuttle modifications and announced the Shuttle Program could now resume. At the same time, Ivan’s position as Director of the ISS was reinstated. It was one of the happiest days in Ivan’s life. His life dream could now take the fast track to becoming a reality.
The next two years were a whirlwind of activity for all of the world’s space programs; Russia and China began a cooperative space program, the Voyager-2 probe was sent to Neptune and the Shuttle Discover deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. Ivan’s smile was bigger than ever. With each successful launch, they were probing further and further into space and accomplishing more. The teams were getting closer and closer to finishing the ISS. Soon the largest international undertaking in the history of the world would be done. With reusable spacecrafts operating from eight different countries, the ISS would soon have permanent staff on board and intermittent visitors, too.
Chapter 10 – Standing Ovation
The years had been good to Ivan, but he was not a young man any more. Thankfully, he was still in good health; nevertheless, the years were catching up to him. Lynette had talked to him about retiring, but he said it was not feasible until the ISS was docked and the first permanent crew members on board. He assured her that he would retire then.
When Ivan arrived at work one day, he got a standing ovation when he walked into Mission Control. The ISS Team, all of the Space Shuttle Team, some of his Russian comrades and many high-level NASA officials were all present. The din was deafening, three of the main modules for the ISS were now complete; the U.S. Laboratory Module Destiny, the European Research Laboratory Columbus and the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo. All that was left was to launch and dock the modules. Ivan could not wait to get home and tell Lynette.
Under Ivan’s direction, the teams had accomplished what they set out to do. All of the module launches were a success. Once the three modules were in place astronauts with highly-specialized training would be going to live on the ISS conducting various experiments. In November 2000 Expedition One arrived at the ISS with the first permanent crew. Now they were reaching the last frontier.
NASA gave Ivan a retirement party of gigantic proportions. There was no amount of recognition they could give Ivan to pay him back for all he had done with and for the space program. He got the prestigious NASA Employee of the Year award. He was Director of the Year at Johnson Space Center. His ISS Team signed a specially-designed retirement card on a 4’ x 6’ poster board; some of the sentiments thanked him for his leadership and some told him how much he would be missed. He would be missing them, too.
Ivan went home on “Cloud 9” with his awards and retirement card in hand. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived because he came home to a crying wife. As gently as she could she informed that him Barry had died that morning. Oh, the irony of it all with it happening on his special day. Both Ivan and Lynette grieved for Barry in their own ways, but how could they have known that three weeks later Soby would join her brother on the rainbow bridge? She could not live without her brother. It was a time of great loss, especially for Lynette. She and Ivan would spend the next few weeks reminiscing and looking at the pictorial history of their time with their precious pups. The memories overflowed in their hearts as tears of joy mingled with tears of grief.
Ivan and Lynette began to go out on their bird watching adventures more frequently. Hand-in-hand they walked, stopping occasionally for Ivan to get the next “perfect shot” of his birds. Several months of these journeys also aided in the healing process until the time was right for them to make a return trip to the Humane Society. Much to Lynette’s delight there was the most gorgeous red smooth male Dachshund! He stood up on his back legs, begging her to take him. He selected her. Once the paperwork was completed and the adoption fee was paid, they were on their way home with their new pup.
Once Ivan and Lynette were home with their newest family member, they contemplated names for him. They wanted to keep with Ivan’s tradition of giving their dogs nicknames based on Russian names, but Lynette rejected each of Ivan’s suggestions until he got to “mezhdunarodnyy” for international. But she would call him Rodney. She held him in her lap, squeezed him tight and whispered in his ear “how do you feel about space exploration, Rodney? I have so many stories to tell you!”
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Website Bibliography
www.google.com
www.nasa.gov
www.russianspaceweb.com
www.history.com
https://foxct.com/2014/09/20/international-space-station-fast-facts-and-timeline
Other books by Stella Dillenbeck:
The Dream Team, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/548450
The Chuckwagon Gang, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/552534
In the Eye of the Storm, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/556846
Out of this World, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/601482
Once Upon a Shining Star, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/624177
The Tough Lumberjack Dog, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/657572
From Splinters to Splendor, https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/662338
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