STS-129
I had the time of my life at the shuttle launch.
The tickets had timed entries, no doubt to keep the roads from becoming impassable. Ours were for 9AM. We were concerned about rush hour traffic and construction so we ended up being quite early and got there about 7:30. The first thing I want to mention is just how excited everyone was. And I do mean everyone. From the guard who checked my purse to the ladies working the information desk to the gentleman driving our shuttle bus around. And most of these people had been there at work since about 4:30 or 5:00 AM. This was very much a party day for everyone. The whole place buzzed with excitement.
We saw the Saturn V complex first. If you ever get a chance to visit Kennedy Space Center make sure you see this. Don’t dismiss it because it is all old stuff from the 60’s and 70’s. There is simply nothing out there to compare with those achievements. Moreover, NASA has the best collection of memorabilia anywhere. Not only do they have an actual Saturn V, they have *the * control room that was used for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. And the audio tapes to go with it. And a collection showing the evolution of space suits. One them was pretty much a human shaped sardine can.
We toured the International Space Station area next. The Skylab memorabilia is here also. ISS is considerably roomier than I thought. They have recreations of the berthing, science, and storage pods and more. The exercise room…. I have a picture of the kids alongside a 1/20th mockup of Skylab. It is less than a foot taller than them. That was some seriously crowded living quarters.
Then we toured the visitor center and started staking out a place to watch the launch. We sat near the entrance, by the mockup of the ET and SRBs. There was a big screen on which we could watch a NASA video feed.
In the couple of hours prior to the launch the feed was from the White Room where the astronauts get into the balance of the suits they wear for the launch and then get into the shuttle itself. The mission commander goes in first so even if the launch goes on time, they are there, flat on their back, already in the whole space suit and helmet, for nearly two hours. Watching the feed was one of the best parts for me. A fair percentage of the astronauts come through the place where I work before being selected for the astronaut program. So I know some them as human beings instead of icons. I have worked with three of the gentlemen going up on this trip. One of the gents going up this time worked a program with me for over 2 years about 18 years ago. He was, at that time, quite the character. Living full throttle on every front, but not a mean bone in him, always smiling, always a good laugh in him, always up for a good time. And even without the audio feed from the White Room, I could see that he is just the same now. This was his first ride into space and you would think that the excitement or the nerves or the rarity of the occasion might catch up to a body. But there was that smile, the laugh, the hand shaking and shoulder touching that is his natural style. It was good to see it again.
The launch itself was incredible to me. I will post links when I have them. Please understand that I only had normal tickets so I was good six miles away, so most things are from a great distance, though no one is closer than 3 miles. But to me, it was still impressive. You see the shuttle come up above the tree line long before you hear it. Even on a bright sunny day, it was the most brilliant thing in the sky, brighter than the sun. The plume is a light orange and so bright it hurts to look at it overly long. Then the sound rolls in 15 or 20 seconds later. Even at this distance it rumbles in your chest and your stomach. And all around you the crowd is shouting and laughing and yelling and cheering it spaceward. It is gone from view in under a minute, only the contrail is left, but what a minute it is. I think I held my breath the entire time. I just watched the contrail for a while. The gentleman I was telling you about earlier told me almost 20 years ago that he was, someday, some way, some how, going to ride the shuttle into space. I had to catch my breath and say a prayer and wish him well. I’d give nearly anything to trade places with him, but I wouldn’t ever take his chance from him. But I’ll tell you my heart made it into space this trip. It been a bit of a joke with me and DH, the kids are old enough to remember now and we are still young enough that we will remember for a long time! But I think even if I go daft I will remember forever.
The tickets had timed entries, no doubt to keep the roads from becoming impassable. Ours were for 9AM. We were concerned about rush hour traffic and construction so we ended up being quite early and got there about 7:30. The first thing I want to mention is just how excited everyone was. And I do mean everyone. From the guard who checked my purse to the ladies working the information desk to the gentleman driving our shuttle bus around. And most of these people had been there at work since about 4:30 or 5:00 AM. This was very much a party day for everyone. The whole place buzzed with excitement.
We saw the Saturn V complex first. If you ever get a chance to visit Kennedy Space Center make sure you see this. Don’t dismiss it because it is all old stuff from the 60’s and 70’s. There is simply nothing out there to compare with those achievements. Moreover, NASA has the best collection of memorabilia anywhere. Not only do they have an actual Saturn V, they have *the * control room that was used for the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. And the audio tapes to go with it. And a collection showing the evolution of space suits. One them was pretty much a human shaped sardine can.
We toured the International Space Station area next. The Skylab memorabilia is here also. ISS is considerably roomier than I thought. They have recreations of the berthing, science, and storage pods and more. The exercise room…. I have a picture of the kids alongside a 1/20th mockup of Skylab. It is less than a foot taller than them. That was some seriously crowded living quarters.
Then we toured the visitor center and started staking out a place to watch the launch. We sat near the entrance, by the mockup of the ET and SRBs. There was a big screen on which we could watch a NASA video feed.
In the couple of hours prior to the launch the feed was from the White Room where the astronauts get into the balance of the suits they wear for the launch and then get into the shuttle itself. The mission commander goes in first so even if the launch goes on time, they are there, flat on their back, already in the whole space suit and helmet, for nearly two hours. Watching the feed was one of the best parts for me. A fair percentage of the astronauts come through the place where I work before being selected for the astronaut program. So I know some them as human beings instead of icons. I have worked with three of the gentlemen going up on this trip. One of the gents going up this time worked a program with me for over 2 years about 18 years ago. He was, at that time, quite the character. Living full throttle on every front, but not a mean bone in him, always smiling, always a good laugh in him, always up for a good time. And even without the audio feed from the White Room, I could see that he is just the same now. This was his first ride into space and you would think that the excitement or the nerves or the rarity of the occasion might catch up to a body. But there was that smile, the laugh, the hand shaking and shoulder touching that is his natural style. It was good to see it again.
The launch itself was incredible to me. I will post links when I have them. Please understand that I only had normal tickets so I was good six miles away, so most things are from a great distance, though no one is closer than 3 miles. But to me, it was still impressive. You see the shuttle come up above the tree line long before you hear it. Even on a bright sunny day, it was the most brilliant thing in the sky, brighter than the sun. The plume is a light orange and so bright it hurts to look at it overly long. Then the sound rolls in 15 or 20 seconds later. Even at this distance it rumbles in your chest and your stomach. And all around you the crowd is shouting and laughing and yelling and cheering it spaceward. It is gone from view in under a minute, only the contrail is left, but what a minute it is. I think I held my breath the entire time. I just watched the contrail for a while. The gentleman I was telling you about earlier told me almost 20 years ago that he was, someday, some way, some how, going to ride the shuttle into space. I had to catch my breath and say a prayer and wish him well. I’d give nearly anything to trade places with him, but I wouldn’t ever take his chance from him. But I’ll tell you my heart made it into space this trip. It been a bit of a joke with me and DH, the kids are old enough to remember now and we are still young enough that we will remember for a long time! But I think even if I go daft I will remember forever.