Ann Micklos, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Engineer, Merritt Island, Florid
March 1, 2021
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For the March 2021 Horological Society of New York (HSNY) lecture, retired NASA engineer Ann Micklos shared her personal connection to the Space Shuttle (SS) Columbia and the history of watches in the United States space program.
The most demanding environment a watch can experience is in space flight since the pressures and temperatures are extreme. For example, gravitational forces can be up to six times greater than the Earth’s atmosphere. The first timepiece to experience the conditions of space was the Heuer stopwatch and the Breitling 24-Hour Navitimer, worn by American astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter, respectively. However, since Carpenter’s timepiece was not waterproof it was damaged by seawater when he left the capsule after splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean at the end of his space mission.
During the Apollo program, the timepieces had to be designed to enter the vacuum of space and for temperature fluctuations from 80 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6667 to 65.5556 degrees Celsius). The timepiece that met that expectation and was certified by NASA was the Omega Speedmaster.
In the time of the Space Shuttle program, the role of watches took a different meaning. In order to conduct experiments, the shuttle crew would wear multiple watches (as well as their personal watches) — and since the shuttle could now carry more payload, watches became a significant nostalgic piece to be flown in space. It is at this point where Micklos shared her story.
Micklos had a personal relationship with astronaut Dave Brown who was one of the SS Columbia crew and remained close friends prior to the shuttle mission. Before Brown went on the mission, he told Micklos he had bought her a gift and it was coming in from Connecticut. When she received the package, it was a box from Tourneau. When she opened it, the box was empty with the note, "HELP! I’m being held hostage aboard the Space Shuttle.”
After the 17-day mission, SS Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry. The debris field was scattered in the area of eastern Texas. She had thought about the watch but let it go. While attending Brown’s funeral, she was told by his brother that the watch had been found — Micklos asked for the watch to be sent to her. When it was received the strap and sapphire glass were gone, the case was singed and the dial's color was a dirty light blue. The time was frozen at 9:07 AM, the time mission control confirmed the disintegration of the shuttle. Incidentally, there was a debate on whether the watch should be kept as part of the SS Columbia investigation, but since it was a personal item and not listed on the crew’s official manifest, Micklos was able to keep the piece.
HSNY thanks Ann Micklos for her fascinating lecture!
Submitted by Melody Benloss, Recording Secretary & Associate Librarian