Shuttle launch disappointment

gismo

gismo

Touchdown! Greaser!
Joined
Feb 28, 2005
Messages
12,675
Location
Minneapolis
Display Name
Display name:
iGismo
Today I flew across Florida to watch the Space Shuttle launch that was scheduled for this evening (9:20 pm). Because of the related TFRs I had to arrive before 2:15 pm and to ensure this deadline was met I actually landed at KTIX around 1:30. I rented a car and drove into Titusville and around 3 pm while I was visiting a local "museum" and gift shop I learned that the mission was scrubbed. At first the story was that NASA would reschedule for tomorrow night but the latest news is that Sunday evening is the soonest possible time for the next attempt so we won't be able to go since that's the day we're flying back to MN.
 
ah that sucks! not too many opportunities left to see a launch either.
 
That's why I have pretty much abandoned the idea of going down in May to see double-launches -- it's a LONG trip and I HAVE to be back up here on a certain day (2-days after the *scheduled* launch date), so I can't afford to go down and wait. :(
 
gismo said:
At first the story was that NASA would reschedule for tomorrow night but the latest news is that Sunday evening is the soonest possible time for the next attempt so we won't be able to go since that's the day we're flying back to MN.
Click to expand...

Sunday the 15th. Hmmm.

They're doing four EVA's (spacewalks), my sister's specialty. She's got night shifts in mission control for this mission.

The spacewalks are on days 5, 7, 9, and 11, or the 20th, 22nd, 24th, and 26th.

Want the definition of stress? Her wedding is on the 28th. :eek:
 
Lance, way back when someone (you?) first mentioned the idea, I thought oh how cool, I wanna go, maybe I could ride in the Baron. Then I forgot all about it. How unfortunate to not get to see what you were going there to see! I guess we're not the only ones who scrub flights after a preflight inspection. I would have been pretty disappointed too. Hopefully the journey was at least somewhat worth it.
 
Man, I am sorry, I feel for you. Launch viewings are truly a "better lucky than good" thing. We were lucky enough to catch one sixteen years ago, and then again last year. Both times though, we steeled ourselves for disappointment by making alternate plans, with the launch being a secondary 'nice to have' event. Last year was with the kids, the alternate was two days in Orlando. They jokingly kept saying, "C'mon, fuel pump failure! C'mon computer crash!" But as the smoke plume from the SRB's was being pushed out to sea, and we started packing up the pre-launch picnic, my teenage daughter looked at me and asked, "Dad, can we do this again sometime?" Priceless vindication!
 
Last edited:
flyingcheesehead said:
They're doing four EVA's (spacewalks), my sister's specialty.
Click to expand...
WAs she working there circa 1985? We might have crossed paths.

I ask because I was the USAF liason for some TPEs related to SDI. We had designed the experiments to not require EVAs, met with NASA Shuttle people and were told "add EVAs, the astronauts LOVE them". So back to the drawing board we went and added a few.

Reconvened with NASA folks a little later and now met with EVA people including an astronaut, Judy Resnick, who would die in a little over two months in the Challenger explosion, holler at us for putting useless EVAs into our flights. They went on to say how they hated EVAs and only wanted them when absolutely necessary. Ahh! bureaucracy!
 
catmandu said:
Man, I am sorry, I feel for you. Launch viewings are truly a "better lucky than good" thing. We were lucky enough to catch one sixteen years ago, and then again last year. Both times though, we steeled ourselves for disappointment by making alternate plans, with the launch being a secondary 'nice to have' event. Last year was with the kids, the alternate was two days in Orlando. They jokingly kept saying, "C'mon, fuel pump failure! C'mon computer crash!" But as the smoke plume from the SRB's was being pushed out to sea, and we started packing up the pre-launch picnic, my teenage daughhter looked at me and asked, "Dad, can we do this again sometime?" Priceless vindication!
Click to expand...

My 16 yo daughter and her friend were lukewarm on the plan to watch the launch but when it was apparent we wouldn't get to see it, they were unhappy about it.
 
It was a beauty, and HDNET carried it in, well, HD (I don't think the NASA channel is HD). It launched minutes after sunset, so it wasn't too dark. Also, they showed a shot of the shuttle about 3 - 4 minutes before launch, with 4 contrails in the background. I bet those pilots wished they slowed down a little so they could have a front row seat to this launch.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top