smartbrabus
Active Member
Shuttle mission STS-122, is due to get under way this week.
Launch scheduled for Thursday 7th Feb @ 14.45 EST
Launch scheduled for Thursday 7th Feb @ 14.45 EST
Stratman
MB Enthusiast
Way back in the early '80s my then girlfriend, now Mrs. Stratman, and I were on holidays in Florida and went to see Cape Kennedy as it was then. We were nosing around the visitor centre where I spotted a small sign stating that it would be closed tomorrow due to the shuttle launch! "What shuttle launch?" I enquired. You would think they would have made more of it, but no, and indeed there was a launch tomorrow.
The alarm call was ordered for 0330, much to SWMBO's disgust. We drove from Orlando to Cape Kennedy where we fully expected to be turned away long before we got there by gun-toting guards. Not a bit of it. We passed a few signs saying 'Launch Traffic This Way' or similar and followed them. When we were driving in front of grandstands covered in red white and blue bunting and the like we wondered if we really should be this near. Security seemed non-existent, as we had actually managed to drive into the Space Center itself unchecked on the day of a launch! Cowardice was the better part of valour and we retreated to a public viewing area about twelve miles away across an inland waterway.
The launch itself was jaw-droppingly astonishing. It took off just before dawn as a blinding white flash lit up the sky. The tiny shuttle (remember, we're twelve miles away) then went skywards on a plume of white exhaust, the silence broken only by the cheers of fellow spectators. It went higher and higher, and then, a minute after it took off the Gates of Hades itself opened, the air was ripped apart by the most fantastic noise imagineable. Think Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple all playing in a small room at the same time and you'll get somewhere near it. My chest cavity resonated with the low-frequency rumbling and my ears lapped up the rest. Even the future Mrs. Stratman, who was singularly unimpressed with the early start was transfixed.
We've been married twenty four years but I can still remember it like it was yesterday. If anyone here ever gets the chance to see a launch then don't even think about it: just do it!
The alarm call was ordered for 0330, much to SWMBO's disgust. We drove from Orlando to Cape Kennedy where we fully expected to be turned away long before we got there by gun-toting guards. Not a bit of it. We passed a few signs saying 'Launch Traffic This Way' or similar and followed them. When we were driving in front of grandstands covered in red white and blue bunting and the like we wondered if we really should be this near. Security seemed non-existent, as we had actually managed to drive into the Space Center itself unchecked on the day of a launch! Cowardice was the better part of valour and we retreated to a public viewing area about twelve miles away across an inland waterway.
The launch itself was jaw-droppingly astonishing. It took off just before dawn as a blinding white flash lit up the sky. The tiny shuttle (remember, we're twelve miles away) then went skywards on a plume of white exhaust, the silence broken only by the cheers of fellow spectators. It went higher and higher, and then, a minute after it took off the Gates of Hades itself opened, the air was ripped apart by the most fantastic noise imagineable. Think Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple all playing in a small room at the same time and you'll get somewhere near it. My chest cavity resonated with the low-frequency rumbling and my ears lapped up the rest. Even the future Mrs. Stratman, who was singularly unimpressed with the early start was transfixed.
We've been married twenty four years but I can still remember it like it was yesterday. If anyone here ever gets the chance to see a launch then don't even think about it: just do it!
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
What a fantastic experience, me envious... me?? I find it so sad that this spectacular achievement is now accepted as an 'everyday' event.
Unless things go wrong we will be lucky to see live footage of the launch plus the landing. I would willing pay to have the NASA channel as part of Sky but sadly X factor type programs are what we get thrown at us.
Boy do I envy you and jsut wish I could get to witness a shuttle being sucessfully launched.
Thank you very much indeed for sharing the experience and did you gtet the oppurtunity to take any pictures?
Regards
John
Godot
Active Member
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
At the moment there is a 60% chance of the launch not taking place on Thursday but for the following two days the weather prospects look better with only a 20% chance on Friday and Saturday of there not being a launch. Fingers crossed.
Regards
John
Regards
John
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
During the night they have declared there is now a 70% chance of not launching as opposed to the early 60%. Tomorrow has been reassessed at 40% not fit for launch and then just 20% on Saturday.
Great pictures of the shuttle on the launch ramp
Regards
John
Edit
Fixed a duff link
Great pictures of the shuttle on the launch ramp
Regards
John
Edit
Fixed a duff link
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
For those not interested in the Space Shuttle..... Look away now.
For those that are interested there is still only a 30% chance of launch but if it does take place then I think lift off will be about 4.20pm our time this afternoon.
The shuttle has got further along the countdown than it manged the last time when the lauch was cancelled due to problems.
The wether front is going to nbe the fly in the ointment as it is slowly but surely drifting into the no launch zone
Regards
John
4hrs 20 min to lift off
For those that are interested there is still only a 30% chance of launch but if it does take place then I think lift off will be about 4.20pm our time this afternoon.
The shuttle has got further along the countdown than it manged the last time when the lauch was cancelled due to problems.
The wether front is going to nbe the fly in the ointment as it is slowly but surely drifting into the no launch zone
Regards
John
4hrs 20 min to lift off
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<fawlty> Don't mention the environment!! I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it... </fawlty>
- Joined
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- W169 A, W205 C, R172 SLC, W447 vantastic
Sorry Alfie,
A million and one apologies. at the moment I don't know if I'm a slipper or a slapper.
Try this
I'll also edit the original
A million apologies and it is now daylight in Florida
Regards
John
Excellent. I was standing just about where that camera is only five weeks ago! Seems ages now.
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
There has been a couple of holds in the countdown, but if it is live then the astronauts are now en-route to the shuttle so there has been a delay but the launch has not been cancelled..... YET! 
Looks like it will now be 7pm our time if the count-down does not get put on anymore holds?
Looks like it will now be 7pm our time if the count-down does not get put on anymore holds?
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Just under 1hr 10 min to go and the weather officer has reassessed the lauch possibility.
It has been a 30% chance of launching today and she has just changed that to a 40% chance and ground crews have now left the shuttle and main doors are being closed.
Looking at the faces of the brace astronauts you can not only see the tension, you can feel it. Boy am I envious and would love the oppurtunity to be in one of those seats.
My fingers will be crossed and my breath held.
Main door is closed and sealed.
John
Built in HOLD for 35 minutes but there is also a NO GO for launch because of weather. Estimated launch time is now 7-45pm
It has been a 30% chance of launching today and she has just changed that to a 40% chance and ground crews have now left the shuttle and main doors are being closed.
Looking at the faces of the brace astronauts you can not only see the tension, you can feel it. Boy am I envious and would love the oppurtunity to be in one of those seats.
My fingers will be crossed and my breath held.
Main door is closed and sealed.
John
Built in HOLD for 35 minutes but there is also a NO GO for launch because of weather. Estimated launch time is now 7-45pm
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Brilliant,Its done
Looks good, minor issues with a transducer but thats all so far.
They are just about to televise the post launch conference.
My son has set my graphics card so that it streams the footage to my large plasma TV, plus the sound goes through the room Hi-fi.
Regards
John
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glojo
Hardcore MB Enthusiast
Have you noticed the tie of the guy on the far right of the briefing team? Someone has clearly cut his tie At first I thought he just looked sruffy, but a closer look showed how he had the 'snip'
Someone has a sense of humour.
Regards
John
At first I thought he just looked sruffy, but a closer look showed how he had the 'snip' Someone has a sense of humour.
Regards
John
