*Way cool* - Endeavour launch

[CapnK]

I worked late at a clients, got back to the boat pushing midnight. Heard about this first nighttime shuttle launch in a while on the way back to the boat, and since we have nice clear air and a cloudless sky tonight, I wondered if it might be visible. Since I still had some data recovery work to do on another system, I figured I might be up long enough to maybe get a glimpse, see a little bright spot heading up into the sky.

Only time I'd even seen any other shuttle launch was a few years back, an evening launch. My brother called me just as it was about to happen, giving me a heads up, so I ran outside and looked towards the SW. Since it was right at sunset, though you couldn't see the shuttle, the contrail/exhaust plume was lit up by the sun as the shuttle climbed. That was neat.

Well, I was still awake at 2:15, so I started watching NASA TV via the web about 12 minutes from launch, got the binos out, and shut off the big light belowdecks to help my rods and cones adjust to the dark a little better. Watched ignition and release on the computer, and then stood in the companionway, looking off in what I figured might be the right direction.

Boy was I wrong about seeing a little dot. In a good way!

Sure enough, this thing catches my eye, something not normally there, a big orange streak racing upwards from down-Bay, and compared to what I was expecting, it was really big! Like maybe 2" long at arms length, *very* bright, and with easily distinguishable rocket flames and smoke plume. Even better through the binocs! I watched it for several seconds before it must have turned or entered a cloud bank, as the light and visible parts faded from view.

I wish I'd had the foresight to look at the launch track. Though I was thinking it went into a cloud bank, I think what really happened was that it turned more towards me, and so the flames weren't as visible. Had I known that, I would have anticipated where to look a little better, and maybe been able to watch it for a bit longer. Still, it was sure no disappointment - it was as cool as watching the lunar eclipse through the companionway while lying in bed a couple weeks ago. ;D

And it was way better than the last entire shuttle launch sequence I watched like this - which was Challenger.

Good luck to the crew of Endeavour! I guess that theirs is a pretty small spaceboat, going long distances. :)

[Tim]

Good luck to the crew of Endeavour! I guess that theirs is a pretty small spaceboat, going long distances. :)

The juxtaposition of those two concepts is quite appropriate for me. For as a teen watching the first Apollo missions I was fantasizing about my cruising to Polynesia   :)

The whole space program was a thing made for dreaming. Going from watching Flash Gordon to watching real men go up, made one think that it could really all happen.

It's funny how dreams change.  ;) Now I just want to finish getting the boat rewired and rigged so I can leave the dock. ;D

[Pappy Jack]

CapnK,

A man I worked for decades ago said that you could see a night launch from Tampa Bay. I don't know if that was BS or not but one of my dreams is to watch a night launch from a boat that's out in the Stream :). One can only hope.

Pappy Jack