DREXTV-04 Temporal Sonar

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Here is the latest and fourth D-TV, a time machine if you will, a window looking back to our old school Star Trek roots… the roots which begat new school Galactica. Working on Trek those 17 years was some of the best fun I’ve had. Picture it: A starship right downstairs… calls from Gary Hutzel at Image G to come down and see the D lit up and on the stick, or building a space station out of junk… all as if your life depended on it.

Old school, new school… in show business it pays to be both. At this very moment, a couple of old school guys and a team of CG madmen (who I will be profiling here soon) are pushing that upper right hand corner of the TV VFX envelope. Some of you know we’re working with Gary Hutzel on the upcoming Blood And Chrome, the decidedly new school spinoff of Battlestar Galactica. B&C, except for the actors, has been built in V-World. The leash is off, and if you think BSG was big before… well, let’s just say that we’ve shifted into huge. Gary and I are old school guys who are having a new school blast, and the roots to our metamorphosis are firmly embedded in the firmament of old school Star Trek.

We are in tough economic times. Even the motion picture industry is feeling the pinch. Today, shows with sprawling sets, like BSG and TNG, are a hard sell. The studio doesn’t want to invest millions of dollars in sets for a show that may or may not hit. If you know that you are going to go seven years, then you can amortize the cost over the run of the series. That kind of guarantee rarely happens. Ultimately you get less science fiction happening on television. The fantastic thing is that television science fiction is being saved by a creation that in itself is the very stuff of science fiction: computer generated environments. It is now cost effective to build virtual soundstages, in fact it’s even desirable. No upkeep or storage, infinitely malleable, and no limits.

First up is some lost handycam footage shot at Image G. It was Gary’s task to uncrate the Reliant\Saratoga and see if it still worked since the last time the teamsters tossed it on the back of a truck and bounced it along bumpy roads to the storage facility up north. Naturally, work it doesn’t. In a classic example of roll with the punches, Gary invents another class of ship. Whenever I see old footage like this, I kick myself for not shooting more.

You know that crack about having a starship right downstairs? Second up is a classic illustration of that. Mike Okuda knocked on my door, “…They’ve lit the Voyager sets one last time before they strike ‘em! Grab the cam, and meet me on the bridge!” It’s funny the quiet reverence you experience when saying goodbye to a make believe spaceship. The show over seven years becomes a family, and the starship sets are where that family lives. Sure, it’s the family you see on the screen every week, but even more so the collection of quirky, talented and lovely human beings behind the scenes that you fall in love with, too. Enjoy!

Propworx Trek Auction Unveiled

Almost three years in the organizing, Alec Peters and his Propworx team have released the auction book for their upcoming  Star Trek Prop and Costume auction.

Regular readers of the drex files know that I turned my collection, acquired after nearly two decades of working on Star Trek, over to Alec  to be made available to fans of the show. That’s a lot of dumpster diving folks! The auction also includes amazing memorabilia from the collections of Mike and Denise Okuda, Rick Sternbach and Marc Zicree. As usual, the Propworx auction book is a collectors item in its own right, and is now available for free download at their site http://startrekauction.blogspot.com/. The book will also be available as an impressive high quality hard copy collectors edition. In the meantime, go to the Propworx site and download your free copy! It’s a fantastic document that all Trek fans will want to add to their archive of Star Trek data! Congrats to Alec and his team (a shout out to graphic designer Damaris Degan) for another great job!

Okuda Vision

In a rarely seen document entitled “Ideas for developing a graphic identity system for the new Starship Enterprise” dated 1 February 1987, Trek graphic maestro Michael Okuda presented to Gene Roddenberry a variety of possible graphic styles for Star Trek: The Next Generation. As usual they display the deft understanding of clarity and organization that is the hallmark of Okuda. These are just a sampling of a TNG look that might have been. Sometime in the near future we hope to see more of these revealing illustration from Mike.

Constellation – A Message from Mike and Denise

(Above) The Altair Moon Lander

Dear Friends:

As long-time supporters of real-life space exploration, Denise and I were disappointed to learn that the proposed NASA budget for 2011 would cancel Project Constellation and the planned return to the Moon.  Constellation, as you may know, began in 2004, after the tragic loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew.  NASA was determined to make spaceflight safer for its astronauts, and it knew that it had to give those astronauts a worthwhile mission: exploration.

Constellation is tasked with developing boosters, spacecraft, and other systems to provide a safer replacement for the Space Shuttle, one that would enable a return to the Moon for the specific purpose of developing the ability for humans to live on another world.  Unlike Apollo, Constellation is designed to run on a comparatively constrained budget.  Constellation’s Ares boosters are based on Space Shuttle technology, reducing their development costs and improving safety and reliability.

(Below) Lunar Truck designed for Constellation.

Okuda Log – The Launch Of The Ares 1-X

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Mike and Denise have posted an in-depth report on their trip to the Cape to view the launch of the Ares 1-X on their blog. Check it out!

http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/michael_okuda/Blog/Blog.html

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Ares – Right Stuff, Right Graphics.

Denise and Mike at the Cape just last week.

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Greetings from the Okudas!

NASA launched the Ares I-X vehicle from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.  The successful Ares I-X Development Flight Test was designed to help NASA engineers gain valuable data to help with the design of the next generation of America’s human launch vehicles.  The Ares launch vehicles, teamed with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicles, will replace the space shuttle and provide safer, more reliable space transport for our astronauts.  Eventually, the Ares boosters may be a vital link in returning astronauts to the Moon, then on to Mars and beyond.  I worked with the Ares team to develop emblems for Project Ares, as well as the Ares I-X Development Flight Test, and Project Constellation, which is the overall family of exploration systems projects.  Normally, NASA doesn’t put project logos on the sides of their rockets, so I nearly fell out of my chair when I learned that the Ares I-X vehicle would carry three of my designs on its exterior.

The launch was pretty awesome, too!

Afterwards, NASA declared the test a success, calling it a “huge step forward for NASA’s exploration goals.”

- Mike

For more info on Ares I-X:
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/flighttests/aresIx/index.html

Visit Mike and Denise at their web site:

http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/michael_okuda/Mike.html

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(Below) Ares roars off the pad bearing Mike’s mission logos. NASA knows cool.

Where were you on July 20, 1969?

Where were you on July 20, 1969?  Nearly everyone who was alive on that day can remember where they were when the Apollo 11 lunar module, Eagle, landed on the waterless Sea of Tranquility, and what they were doing when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took those first, amazing steps on the surface of another world.  Not just America, but the entire world, joined together to watch these two emissaries of humanity, exploring the Moon in peace for all mankind. - Mike Okuda

Houston Pt III – Apollo Mission Control

Continuing with our celebration of Apollo 11′s historic journey to the Moon, Mike picks up with part III of he and Denise’s trip to the Johnson Space Center. Michael Okuda has been selected to receive one of NASA’s highest honors; the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal.

 Apollo Mission Control -  “A cathedral to the human exploration of space…”

 

The last stop on our tour of NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston was a visit to the historic Apollo Mission Control.  This is the control center used during the Gemini, Apollo, and early Space Shuttle programs.  It has been preserved as a national historic monument.  The place immediately felt familiar, having seen it so many times on television and in film.  We were fascinated at the 1960s technology used by these pioneers to reach the moon.  Each console had rotary phone dials, and pneumatic tubes to deliver documents to other rooms.

 

 

Denise Okuda takes a moment to reflect on the monumental events guided from this historic control room.

 

Former Flight Director James “Milt” Heflin once told us that he regards this place as a cathedral to the human exploration of space.  Stepping into this room, there’s no doubt that he’s right.  When Neil Armstrong reported that “the Eagle has landed,” he was talking to the people in this room.  It’s where quick, decisive thinking by Gene Kranz and the entire flight control team saved the lives of the Apollo 13 astronauts.  

 

 

Rotary phone dials and pneutmatic tubes recall another era of human space flight.

 

Hanging on the wall is a small mirror that was salvaged from Aquarius, the Apollo 13 lunar module.  Below the mirror is a plaque indicating that it is a gift from the crew of Apollo 13, in thanks so that the Mission Control team could look into it and see who was responsible for their safe return to planet Earth. – Mike

 

For more on our Houston adventure:

http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/michael_okuda/Blog/Blog.html

NASA Poster for Expedition-21 Trek Themed!

 

Thanks to Mike for sending this on!

Fine looking starship, by the way.

Mike & Denise Update their Site!

Check it out! Fun stuff!

http://web.me.com/michaelokuda/

NASA is on its way back to the Moon!

From the Earth to the Moon – Go Baby! Go!

At 2:32 pm (Pacific Daylight Time) today, an Atlas 5 rocket lifted off from Cape Canaveral, carrying two robotic science spacecraft:  NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite.  The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will create detailed maps of the lunar surface, helping to identify natural resources and to identify future landing sites for the human return to the Moon.  The second probe, the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will study the Moon for about four months before it is deliberately crashed into a crater near the lunar south pole.  The Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter will study the impact plume, looking for evidence of subsurface water. – Mike Okuda reporting.

More info on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter:

http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/090616lropreview.html

More info on LCROSS
http://spaceflightnow.com/atlas/av020/090616lcrosspreview.html

Have robots, will travel – Zipped and hoisted!

Photos NASA

Altair Class – Space Trials

My art department generated test of the Altair class starship. This sequence was generated as one of several designs being considered for the Enterprise J. It’s a design concept which originated with Mike, and that I developed during the Voyager search.

Backstory – http://drexfiles.wordpress.com/2009/02/12/if-at-first-you-dont-succeed/

Special thanks to Matt Wright for nudging me to make the drex files video clip capable!  Note – it may take a moment for the clip to show up, so give it a second!

Mike Okuda, The Phaeton, and Nuclear Pulse Propulsion

NASA concept for a nuclear pulse spacecraft. A nuclear pellet is fired from the aft end of the craft and detonated, yielding far more thrust than conventional chemical rockets.

Last week I had mentioned the upcoming Ron Moore pilot “Virtuality”, set to air on June 26th, just a few short weeks away. That thread lead to a spirited discussion as to what might be the propulsion system of the show’s spacecraft, the Phaeton, a NASA style interstellar craft. In fact the Phaeton uses nuclear pulse propulsion, and I’ve asked my good friend Mike if he would explain how it works. Mr. Okuda has seen the Phaeton and witnessed the ship’s propulsion system in action, and he is delighted to elaborate on it for us. Take it away Mike…

Zefram Cochrane notwithstanding, most fans know that real scientists have very little idea how faster-than-light “warp drive” or “hyperdrive,” could actually work, or even if they’re possible.   A lot of slower-than-light technologies seen in stories and films for reaching the stars are more grounded in scientific reality, like lightsails, ramscoops, and generation ships.  Unfortunately, most of them involve extremely long travel times, miniscule payloads, or near-magical breakthroughs in engineering.  (Sometimes all three!)  Present-day rockets are amazing machines, but they have only a tiny fraction of the performance that would be needed to travel to the stars on anything approaching a human timescale.

But there was one incredibly audacious proposal for a propulsion system, using (relatively) off-the-shelf technology that would have been able to send massive payloads to the outer planets, and maybe even to nearby stars.  Nuclear pulse propulsion.

Wired.com Jazzed By Okuda’s NASA recognition

Some of Mike’s outstanding Trek graphic work. As if you didn’t know!

Check out Wired Online’s recognition of Mike’s historic work for NASA. Gee, maybe Star Trek should think about hiring him?

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2009/06/star-trek-designer-to-receive-nasa-public-service-medal

Mike Okuda To be Honored by NASA!

 

 

Denise, and her award recipient husband Michael Okuda in Mission Control, during a 2004 visit to the Johnson Space Center.

Michael Okuda has been selected to receive one of NASA’s highest honors; the NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal. “The award is granted only to individuals whose distinguished accomplishments contributed substantially to the NASA mission. The contribution must be so extraordinary that other forms of recognition would be inadequate.” Mike and Denise will be going to the Johnson Space Center next month to the NASA Honor Awards Ceremony. Go Hot dog! GO!

Congratulations Mike! I’m popping my vest buttons!

Welcome Home Atlantis!

 

This morning at 8:39 am PDT, Space Shuttle Atlantis and her crew returned safely home to Planet Earth from the STS-125 mission to repair and upgrade the incredible Hubble Space Telescope.

STS-125 was the riskiest shuttle flight since the Columbia accident because Atlantis had to match Hubble’s orbit.  Had there been a serious problem with Atlantis, it would have been unable to take refuge at the International Space Station because the difference in the orbits is too great.  In NASA’s judgement, Hubble’s scientific value justified the risk of sending seven astronauts on this mission.  But spaceflight is always a difficult, dangerous business, and the risks were real.

Because of this, NASA kept Space Shuttle Endeavour on the launch pad, ready for launch during most of the STS-125 flight.  The rescue mission was code-named STS-400.  It was the shuttle mission that NASA hoped it would never have to fly.  STS-400 planning flight director Paul Dye asked me to design an unofficial Space Rescue patch for his team.  Like Paul and his team, I’m relieved that this one never had to be used.

Shuttle landing photo from nasa-tv and nasaspaceflight.com.

-Mike

(Below) The greatest gift ever, the Hubble Space Telescope.

And here is the image that went up moments ago on one of the big screens at Mission Control in Houston, courtesy of JSC Ground Control Officer Bill Foster.

Supersize Those Fries! Buckaroo Banzai!

That Buckaroo project was a whole lotta fun. For a while, it seemed like everyone in the graphics department was a volunteer member of the Banzai Institute! Doug did those great sketches, as well as a bunch of cool CGI renderings of Buckaroo’s new underground headquarters (built in an abandoned missile silo) and World Crime League central. Anthony built a miniature Jet Car. Our friend and colleagues at Foundation Imaging did an amazing CGI demo with glimpses of future adventures of Dr. Banzai. Other friends built some amazing props, including a couple of great oscillation overthrusters and a series of potato-energy guns designed by Doug for Dr. Lizardo.

(Above) John Litgow as Dr. Emilio Lizardo, determined to make the “monkeyboys” pay, and  Buckaroo prepares to drive the famous Jet Car through a mountain.

Skywalking with Mike Okuda!

Astronauts John Grunsfeld and Andrew Feusel during one of five spacewalks to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.

(NASA CAPTION) The reflection in the visor shows astronaut Andrew Feusel taking the photo as he’s perched on the end of the Canadian-built remote manipulator system arm. The mission specialists are performing the first of five STS-125 spacewalks and the first of three for this duo. LOOK! Mike Okuda’s mission patch on a real live spacewalk! Oh you beautiful Galaxy!

Okuda Flies STS-125 TODAY!

Today, at about 11:02 am Los Angeles time, the Space Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to be launched on mission STS-125 to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope.  It’s one of the most important Space Shuttle flights in recent memory because it will be the final servicing mission to the orbiting observatory before the shuttle is retired next year.   It’s also special to me for a very personal reason.  The crew asked me to help them with designing their mission patch, which they’ll wear on their space suits during the flight.  Naturally, I said “Yes!”  Seems that one of the astronauts, Dr. John Grunsfeld, likes Star Trek.  A lot.  He told me that one of the reasons he became an astronomer and an astronaut was because he was inspired by Star Trek and Mr. Spock.   This will be one of the most challenging Space Shuttle missions ever attempted.  The crew is scheduled to conduct five space walks, during which they plan to install two new scientific instruments, plus six new gyroscopes, new batteries, a new computer, and a host of other goodies.  The Hubble Space Telescope has already proven to be one of the most important scientific instruments of our time.  If all goes to plan, Hubble will be more capable than it has ever been, and it will be able to continue to explore the cosmos for years to come.  To contribute – even in a very small way – to this amazing adventure is a huge thrill for this kid who grew up watching the Apollo astronauts walking on the Moon.   Dr. Grunsfeld was kind enough to invite Denise and I to be his guests at the Kennedy Space Center today.  If the weather and everything else behaves, we will be among the cheering crowds when Atlantis is launched.    If you’re near a television at launch time, do take a moment to tune in and join us in applauding these seven brave souls as they soar into the heavens, part of our never-ending quest to push outward the frontiers of human knowledge.    -Mike

Valiant Pictorial

Another rarely seen ship from Mike and Denise’s Star Trek Chronology, the Valiant. Built by master modeler Greg Jein, and built expressly for the book. These pictures were taken before the decision was made to add warp nacelles to the vessel.

I’ve always like the idea that before the Enterprise 1701, most spaceships looked like this, and that the Enterprise was the first “starship” that featured the saucer arrangement. Remember Harry Mudd’s reaction to the Enterprise. Seeing a “starship” was something special, and you didn’t see one every day. Presented here is a nice array of shots of this historic Trek spaceship, and I look forward to your analysis. 

One Day In Mike Okuda’s Office

No, this is not an optical illusion, or a photoshop trick! It’s Mr. Mike’s office! He’s in for some surprise when he get’s in! Margaret Clark of Pocket Books is a regular prankster, and this is what she asked us to do with an over-run of Star Trek Encyclopedia covers! Fritz Zimmerman (above, left) and I gleefully went to town. I’m actually in this picture too, but I’m wearing my Encyclopedia stealth suit. See me? Check the SS Minnow life preserver. Mike is a big “Gilligan’s Island” fan, and Dorth snared this from the G.I. episode of “Rosanne.” Yes, that’s Mike’s desk in the bottom picture. You can jus’ make out the Mr. Coffee! At the end of TNG, Jimmy Mees put Picard’s ready room chair in Mike’s office, see it? Man, I coveted that! I coveted it with book covers! I did! I did!

Romulan Spaceship – 2156 Romulan Wars

Built for Mike Okuda by the lengendary Greg Jein. It made it’s only appearance in the Star Trek Chronology by Mike and Denise. Wouldn’t you love to see this realized and in action!

 

R is For Rocket

                                                      Doug, Neezee, and Mike at the Pad.

 It was Doug’s fault.

It was during the last season of DS9.  Doug, Denise, and I were planning our work for the next episode, when I said that I really wanted to see a Space Shuttle launch someday.  We’d talked about it many times before, but this time, Doug gave me his Look.  He said, “We should just do it.”

“But…” I said.  I started to count off the reasons why this would be tough to pull off.

Doug repeated, “We should just do it.”

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Mike’s 40th B-Day Spectacular

Mike Okuda gleefully pilots George Pal’s immortal Time Machine on his birthday. Surely the best of times!

Pull the lever backward and take a little trip with us to the time of DS9. Mike’s 40th birthday was coming up and Neezee wanted to make it extra special. We racked our brains. What to do? What to do?  Then it hit us like a truck full of clocks! Our hero, Bob Burns! The beloved protector and collector of science fiction treasures was the key!  Bob’s house is one of the premier repositories of Sci Fi props, costumes, and creatures. A virtual museum that will bring any true sci fi devotee to gasps of joy and amazement. We were giddy! Mike’s birthday party would take place at Bob’s house, amongst the iconic treasures of his childhood,  surrounded by his devoted friends!

Payday!

It was payday. Payday because we just got our checks, but it was also payday because DS9 premiered to terrific ratings. It opened as the number one syndicated drama,  so stage 16 was a light hearted place that morning.  Mike and I were standing by craft service just outside the station conference room. We just walked the set and it was good for camera. There goes Marvin Rush! Marvin! Great job… congratulations!

I poured myself some of that commissary coffee, surveying the table for foragables. Look at that! A big ‘ol congratulatory cake to the cast and crew! Had to be four feet long! How thoughtful! Look how pretty! Hey Mike! I said. If I put my butt in that cake will you give me your paycheck?

Mike thought about it for barely a second, whipped out his check and:

Mike had me slack jawed! Dude! You weren’t supposed to do that! Mike looked at me inquiringly… well?  Butt in cake, please!

Awwww… ya got me! I can’t believe you did that! I said. What if I had gone through with it? Mike grinned. I would have given the check to you! An Okuda has never lived who welched on a deal!  And with that he handed me the check…