One of the joys of living in Central Florida all those years we were on Coble Drive was this...
Whenever there was a launch from over at the Cape, we could see it. I don't mean that we hopped in our car and headed over to the coast to see it up close and personal. Although we did that from time to time. I don't mean that I took a ride in a private plane that was given a heading to track the launch from no more than 10 miles away, and up there in the sky. Although I had the joy of doing that, too.
No I mean that we could step out our front door and watch the launch from our own little corner...
We hardly missed a launch in all of those years. Our usual pattern was to watch the countdown on WESH, and then when we heard them say, "Lift off", we went out the door and looked to the east, and a bright light appeared in the sky, signifying that the launch was happening. And there it would go. Up, up, and away!
It NEVER got old.
It was just as thrilling the 30th time as it was the first.
And then the Space Shuttle program ended. The eastern skies became quieter. Oh there were satellite launches from Patrick AFB and so forth. But it wasn't quite the same.
And then we had a few years in Pittsburgh. As much as we enjoyed our time beging back in the Burgh, there was no possible way we could watch a launch in the skies overhead. We were simply too far away.
All that has changed. We are back in Central Florida, living in our new house which is only a few miles from our old house. This past week was when the first all non-professional crew went up and went into orbit for several days. We did our usual thing. WESH was on. The countdown happened. We stepped out the door. And there it was for us to see. Inspiration4, on its September 16, 2021 Space Launch; SpaceX Dragon, in the sky over Central Florida.
Wow! Wonderful! What a thrill!
We are looking forward to watching many more such launches as time unfolds.
No comments:
Post a Comment