Sunday Arne and I drove over to Titusville. We spent some time at Space View Park looking at the Astronaut Walk of Fame and monuments for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo missions. We then checked in to our motel and decided it would be the best place from which to view Monday's shuttle launch. Our room was on the second floor and early Monday morning Arne set up our chairs on the balcony looking directly across to the launch pad. We were 12-13 miles away. The sky was very cloudy throughout the morning and we were concerned the launch would be cancelled. The launch of Atlantis took place as scheduled, 2:28 PM EST, and according to NASA it was "perfect" and "flawless." We totally agree and feel so fortunate to have witnessed this spectacle. We thought we would be lucky to view the shuttle for 20 seconds but actually were able to view it for almost two minutes. Words cannot describe what we saw.
Here's some video. I apologize I got so engrossed in the launch that I didn't pay attention to the camera I was holding. Kind of like my experience in Ocala today when I was stopped for going 57 in a 40 MPH zone. OUCH! Now I know where the state of Florida gets their revenue since they don't have state income tax. :-)
Wow, that was great. It is amazing how we take it for granted in most of the country and don't hardly pay attention to the launches or landings (except when they explode). Thank you for sharing this breathtaking moment.
ReplyDeleteThe launch photos are almost identical to the ones I have from the last successful launch of Challenger in January, 1984. I stood in the Atlantic Ocean,Titusville, Fl., to take the photos. An awesome event and I am glad I had the opportunity at
ReplyDeletehistory. Jan 28, I don't remember the year, Challenger exploded on launch. A friend from Hughes Corp in California was the boss one of the astronauts on that flight. GReat photos.