it happened! it really happened!

where NASA assembles the space shuttle

my dad and I are settled in for watching the launch

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1- Blast Off!
The launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Up, up, and away
The sunset made the smoke really pretty!

I will set the scene. It is March 15th at 12:30 am. My dad and I arrive at our choice viewing site in Titusville, FL. We came prepared. Today was the day for the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. The space shuttle was headed for the international space station to deliver a set of $300 million solar panels. This is one of the last shuttle missions that NASA will be doing because they are starting a new program.

When the shuttle launch was cancelled earlier in the week, we took the time to scope out the area for the best spot. We ended up on a bridge/seawall looking out over the ocean around Kennedy Space Center. We packed cold food in a giant bucket with frozen jugs of water covered in towels in my hatchback. We brought the surprisingly nice beach chairs that my dad found near a dumpster. We had our cameras, binoculars, hats, and a golf umbrella for shade. Our spot was also near a vending cart (which made at least $10,000 that night) and across the street from the bathrooms.

We staked our claim on our spot and defended it for about 7 hours. The time passed surprisingly fast. There was an island across from us that boaters and kayakers went to watch the shuttle launch. We watched those people through the binoculars. We also saw some horsehoe crabs in the water. My dad saw a manatee and I saw a shark. I am absolutely positive it was a shark too! My dad also did some woodburning with a magnifying glass. We sat there most of the day not sure whether the shuttle was actually going to take off or not, but we were hopeful.

Throughout the day, my mom kept confirming that the shuttle was still going to be launched that night.

It was scheduled for 7:38 pm, which is right as the sun was setting. Like I said, the time passed fast throughout the day, but started to go really slow about an hour and a half prior to the launch. The anticipation was killer! The shuttle did not go off exactly at the scheduled time, but it was really close. A feeling of excitement filled the air, and there were so many people there! When the shuttle went off, it lit up the whole sky with this giant orange ball. The orange ball lifted up and then you could see it shoot up into the air. It then soared across the sky. A couple minutes after it actually lifted off of the ground, the sound came across the water. You could feel the roar from the blast-off when it hit you, and it vibrated the ground a little too.

We watched part of the launch through the binoculars which was really cool. We saw once the rockets had detached, and the smoke from the exhaust just hung in the air. The setting sun lit up the smoke with really pretty pinks and oranges.

The whole launch took about 30 seconds. After the launch, the traffic was crazy! We ended up just sitting around for another hour and a half. We met a lot of really nice people that day and had a really great time together! It was amazing to see the shuttle launch and worth the wait.