Shuttle Launch (updated with pics)

LOL, yeah they change a lot of plans.  To put it mildly.

Wow, you really went all-out with your launches.  My launches usually were just me and my brother.  I love these new projects where they have kids putting together high-altitude packages launched with weather balloons.  I would have loved that as a kid (heck, I would love it now).  Speaking of which, I found pictures tonight of the launch that were taken at 64,000 feet, with one of those packages.  I think it was done with help from Elementary age kids.

How far are you from Titusville?

Oh yes!  I even built a Space Shuttle model and when we did a rocket building unit in school I fired it off in front of my class.  Which was a big disappointment, it recommended a break-in launch with an A motor which took that behemoth up about... 10 feet.  Did I mention this was in front of my class?  Yeah, that was embarrasing.  I think it could take a C motor after that but the 2nd launch - in front of my class - still didn't take it that far.  I never fired it off again.

The noise was interesting.  I had read before I left that depending on atmospheric conditions it could be anywhere from fairly quiet to chest-shaking.  Without prior experience I can only guess that this was half-way.  Fairly loud, with the expected loud pops from the rocket boosters (they don't burn their fuel evenly so you get pops) but not what I would call chest-shaking.  What was interesting was since we were 12 miles away it had disappeared into the clouds long before the first sounds from ignition reached us.  So once the visible show was done we then got a minute or two of sound.

Definitely room for 'pods and tow vehicles.  I didn't see any on this trip in the area where I was, but last trip I saw RVs up and down the road wherever they could park on the news.  As long as there is no "no parking" or "private parking" sign, the Titusville police don't care.  The trip in July I'm considering taking the 'pod again since we'll all be there (I don't think my wife would sleep in the van like I did).  Parking right where I am in that pic above, maybe 50 feet farther forward since just past that electric pole its only wide enough for vehicles so nobody could try to squeeze around me to park farther in.  I was the first person in there the night before and several people squeezed past me after spots around me filled in.  I was glad I was there 2 weeks earlier so I knew right where to go this time.

David, I agree.  I like that they are pressing for private industry to come up with solutions, but for the first time since our space program started we will be without any active solution to keep us in space.  I know Orion was revived after the whole Constellation program was killed, but its now just an escape capsule for the ISS.  No moon shot, no Mars shot. 

Thanks for the pics!  Too cool.  It's a bit sad for me that we (as a Nation) just can't afford to do more space exploration.  A lot of good stuff came out of the space program.  It also gave us (as a Nation) something to be proud of.