We slept for most of the morning and went Outlet shopping for the afternoon, grabbed a quick dinner and then headed back to the bus stop to get picked up for a return to the KSC. Being the second day and with only 24 hours notice that the event was on seemed to significantly change the number of people that were able to attend. It was also Sunday night rather than Saturday which may have deterred a few locals who had to work.
Whatever it was, it made things better for us as we were through the gate quickly, spent more time in the Space Centre and didn’t have to line up for 2kms to get back on the buses when the time came to move over to the causeway. For some reason we still spent a bucket of time in the bus waiting (I think they held them all until the shuttle had been fueled) and because the bus driver we had on the second day was complete crap compared to the first day, despite the reduced numbers, we ended up on exactly the same piece of real estate. This time however, we were much better prepared for the cold, double panted and extra-womble like layered to repel the chill wind. We'd even stopped to buy a couple of beanies!
And there we waited, counting the hours, then the minutes until the launch was due, again watching the clouds overhead, hoping against hope that we would be more fortunate.
The reduced numbers gave us some time to move around a little and the wind wasn’t quite as fierce, so the cold was slightly more bearable. Thomas and I wandered down to the launch clock that you see if you ever watch one of these things on the web and the T-20 hold came and went.
There were whispers of 60% chance of launch, dropping to 40% at some point, climbing again … all designed surely to keep us nervous with anticipation. The T-9 hold came (a 30 minute hold in itself) and we continued to count the minutes, watching them creep by, waiting whilst the kids slept. Then a cheer went up, we had moved past the T-9 hold, things were happening, it looked like it would be a go (but we held our breath because our tour operator from the day before had told us of a time when a launch had been scrubbed with 2 minutes on the clock). The real no turning back point is at 30 seconds.
We woke the kids up, shaking and talking and shaking until we knew they were awake enough not to succumb to sleepy bo-bos at the critical moment and then waited just a little bit longer.
Then we heard it, “Go for Launch!” 10 seconds … the free hydrogen burnoff … 9 seconds … 8 … 7 … 6.6 seconds … Main Engines Start … 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 …0! Ignition! Hold down release and launch!
The first thing that we could see (being some 5 miles or so from the launch pad) was a burst of fire down near the base of the pad. Then the night sky is lit up until it is the colour of a beautiful orange summer sunset, almost as bright as day light.
The tail of flame shoots skyward propelling the shuttle into the heavens. You can’t see it for the intensity of the light, but you know it’s there with its crew strapped in and flying. 20 seconds or so after the launch, as the shuttle shoots upward, the wall of sound catches up, the deep base rumble washing over you, literally rippling the water, stirring up the ‘gators and giving you yet another sense of the power and wonder that is unfolding before your eyes.
As the shuttle climbs, the intensity of the light fades and the shuttle tilts over and rolls ready for separation of the boosters.
There’s cheers from the crowd as it is announced that separation has been achieved, memories of Challenger vivid amongst the launch community, everyone hoping that they never see anything of its like again.
It continues to fade until the night sky has resumed its dominance over the intruder which disappears toward the darker sky of space, its light now white, like an overly bright star before it winks out, only 3 and a half minutes from that moment when ignition began.
The words really don’t do it justice, nor do the pictures. It truly was a once in a lifetime, awe-inspiring spectacle that I count myself incredibly fortunate to have witnessed it.
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