Wow.
Wow.
Wow.
Seriously, wow.
After working at the NASA Johnson Space Center for 12.5 years now (much of which was strictly dedicated to supporting the Space Shuttle Program), I was finally blessed to be able to go to Florida to watch a launch in person. While the launch ended up being scrubbed for an amount of time that is still TBD, the experience was just simply breathtaking.
My coworker (and very close friend) Leslie and I caught a flight at 3:55pm on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from Houston to Tampa Bay. Our excitement had been building for weeks prior to the trip, but I think it really hit once we got to the airport. We were giggling, giddy, pumped up, you name it! Leslie has been working here longer than I have, and I believe this was her first time to view a launch opportunity as well. And after a while, well ... things got a bit nutty ...
After we arrived and got our rental car, we had a delicious dinner at the Cheesecake Factory there in Tampa. While I realize this isn't too touristy/unique, we both teased our spouses about the dinner we had! ;)
Day Before Launch Attempt: Thursday, April 28
Our coworker, Dan & his wife Sue, had graciously allowed Leslie and me to stay with Sue at their Florida home. It was the most beautiful house! The home backed up to the Banana River and faced the Atlantic. I couldn't imagine a more perfect arrangement. We were in awe when we arrived from our drive in from Tampa, but were more stunned the following morning by the gorgeous views from their backyard.
After our morning coffee, we made the drive over the causeway to Cocoa Beach & Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The first thing we noticed (even before reaching the center) was the towering Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Oh, wow! This thing is HUGE!! It is the largest single-story building in the world, and before modifications were made to prevent this, rain clouds used to form in the top of the VAB. How incredible.
Our sweet tour guide, Brooke, met us and took us first to the Thermal Protection System Facility (TPSF) where the parts that make up the orbiter's Thermal Protections System (TPS) are fabricated. This work was especially exciting to both Leslie and me because beginning ~16-18 hours after launch (every STS flight), we support the inspections of the vehicle's heat shield (TPS) from the TPS Imagery Coordinator (TIC) console in the NASA/JSC Mission Control Center's Mission Evaluation Room. This work continues in performing a variety of imagery inspection evaluations throughout the remainder of each flight, as needed. Each flight is unique and incredible.
Although we'd both seen tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of images of the various parts of the TPS, this was our first time to see the fabrication and related processes of/for each piece of the TPS first-hand.
One of the harsh realities is the reason that my group and all that we do to support the spaceflight program exists. The gravity of the Challenger and Columbia accidents still hits everyone at NASA pretty hard. In fact, some of the debris from these accidents still washes up on Florida's shores. Incredibly heart-wrenching. This below is a piece of debris that is believed to be from the first PEM I Trident II missile (which was deliberately destroyed).
After touring the TPSF, Brooke showed us one of her favorite spots to view the launch (the launch pad is the small gray triangular object in the background). She said this spot allows for incredible reverb once the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) ignite, and if we are able, it will be where we watch the launch someday.
On our way to tour the VAB, we snapped a few images of the Mobile Launching Platform (MLP). This bad boy is what transports the orbiter, fully stacked, to the launch pad at a rate of 2mph.
As I mentioned before, the VAB is just massive. At one point, Brooke took us up a few floors and let us look out over the rail to the floor below. Oh wow. Yikes. It was awe-inspiring, and we weren't even nearly halfway up.
This next slideshow is the longest, by far. But it is deservingly so, as it is impossible to fully describe the magnitude of our tour of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF).
Once we walked into the OPF, I immediately recognized the "ceiling;" we were standing under the belly tiles of OV-104, Space Shuttle Atlantis. Wow. Atlantis is currently being prepped for the final space shuttle flight in history in the OPF, slated for June 28, and we were here to see it in person as it was processed pre-flight for the last time. In fact, this is the last of any pre-flight processing that any space shuttle will undergo. Amazing.
The last 8 images are of OV-103, Space Shuttle Discovery, as it was being processed post-flight and being made ready for delivery to it's final resting place at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum near Washington, D.C. This is the first of the 3 remaining orbiters that NASA will retire. Geek moment: Notice how the belly tiles of this orbiter are more brown than the first; this is due to the vast amount of heating the vehicle goes through upon re-entry into our atmosphere. And the bald tires? These were brand new prior to the flight and are bald from the one single landing.
The other two people on the tour of the OPF with us were part of the Air Force One Advance Team; the President and his family landed in Florida the following day and were given a tour of the OPF, as well.
After our long day of dropped jaws and amazement at KSC, Leslie and I made a pit stop at a couple of shops in Cocoa Beach. Everyone from JSC had told us numerous times that we had to go by Ron Jon's Surf Shop; apparently it's a tradition. So we stopped at a few stores near by, and then we went to Ron Jon's. We must have stopped to buy something from Ron Jon's at least 3 times during this trip.
Attempted Launch Day: Friday, April 29
Friday morning, Leslie and I woke up early, packed our bags, grabbed some water and headed out to KSC to watch the STS-134 launch of Space Shuttle Endeavor. The launch was planned for 3:47pm EST, and we made it to the center at around 11:30am EST.
It was a beautiful, cool and windy morning in Space Coast and it made for a perfect day for being outside. We passed many people parked alongside the highways on our way to the center.
After parking at our chosen spot onsite, Leslie and I made our way to the intersection near the VAB/LCC and OSB 1 to watch the astronaut procession as they were whisked by on their way to the launch pad. We got there just in time to see the crew van (a.k.a. "Astrovan") go by, pause, then turn around and head back. It was when they were paused that we got word that the launch had been scrubbed.
Afterward, Leslie and I went back to Ron Jon's, bought some beach towels, and headed for the sand and water. The Atlantic is chilly!!! We collected shells for our girls and had a great time.
While it would have been great to see the launch in person, I still cannot begin to put into words how incredible this trip was. The only word I can say to describe the whole experience is wow. Thank you to everyone who helped make this special!!
Note: If the slideshows aren't working, try back later. They're hosted on another site (www.slide.com).
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