| Starboard
In
the beginnings of sail-craft the rudder was
nothing more than a "board" that the cox'n could "steer" with. It was
the
"steer-board" and was always placed on the right side (facing forward)
so that the strongest arm (apologies to all right-challenged persons)
could
be brought to bear. The other side of the boat became to be called
"port"
because when the boat was tied up the "steer-board" side would always
be
placed away from possible damage.
Port
The
"left" side of the boat or ship when facing
foreward. It was the side of the boat opposite of the side upon which
was
mounted the "steer-board", a flat board that was the primitive rudder.
The "port" side of the boat was almost always the side facing the dock
so as to avoid damage to the steer-board by contact.
Logisticslogistic
support
(LS) elements. [DSMC] A
traditional group of items,
that taken together constitute logistics support. These include:
maintenance planning; manpower and personnel; supply support; support
equipment; technical data; training and training support; computer
resources support; facilities; packaging, handling, storage, and
transportation; and, design interface. (from Military Definitions)
Snipes
To the tankers, it would mean that the ship would house personnel and supplies that would be needed when a splash down unit comes within the ships range of support. There were crew members aboard the tankers, trained to put rubber raft type material around a capsule in the water. A week or so prior to splashdown, NASA placed several supervisory folks onboard as well, i.e. recovery specialists and medical staff, and they stayed aboard until the recovery was completed. Quality assurance, Snipes live down below and can occasionally be see emerging from small hatches in the main deck. |