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studio1009I had the privilege of viewing the launch of STS-1 carrying Columbia from Kennedy Space Center. Some good friends had obtained a viewing pass that would admit his vehicle onto KSC and invited some friends to join them. The launch was scheduled for April 10th, but knowing the vagaries of space flight, I planned extra days in Florida in the event of a slip.
On the day before the scheduled launch, we took one of the KSC Visitor Center bus tours. The plan was to drive to a viewing area outside the security fence where we could take pictures. As luck would have it, the gate to the loop road around the launch pad was open, so the bus driver drove in and very slowly around the loop taking us closer than visitors normally went. (He was not allowed to stop or let us out.) Then the bus stopped at the viewing area for the normal photo op. (Click on the thumbnails to see larger photos.)
We woke up very early the next day, drove onto the center and to the designated viewing area in the dark. This was the road along the new shuttle landing runway. I'm guessing we were 4 miles away from the pad. We parked and situated ourselves on the shoulder of the road, mindful of snakes and alligators. There were no amenities, just loud speakers over which we could hear Launch Control. To record the event, I had a Super 8 movie camera, a tape recorder, a 110 film camera, and my sketchbook. In those days, I always had my sketchbook. The countdown proceeded and excitement built, but at T-30 seconds, the engines were shutdown by automation. My disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that it would be possible to try again April 12th. We went to Disney the next day, then returned for the launch.
It was odd to see the shuttle high in the sky before the sound reached me, a roar, then crackling. In a minute, it was out of sight.
This was the only time the public was allowed to watch a launch from that road. Turns out the exhaust from the rocket drifts over that area and has hazardous things in it. For the two other launches we viewed, we were restricted to the causeway more than 10 miles from the launch complex.
In the forty years since the launch, I married the guy with the beard, gave birth to two bright and compassionate children, and worked as a NASA contractor. We were able to see another shuttle launch with the children.
On the day before the scheduled launch, we took one of the KSC Visitor Center bus tours. The plan was to drive to a viewing area outside the security fence where we could take pictures. As luck would have it, the gate to the loop road around the launch pad was open, so the bus driver drove in and very slowly around the loop taking us closer than visitors normally went. (He was not allowed to stop or let us out.) Then the bus stopped at the viewing area for the normal photo op. (Click on the thumbnails to see larger photos.)
We woke up very early the next day, drove onto the center and to the designated viewing area in the dark. This was the road along the new shuttle landing runway. I'm guessing we were 4 miles away from the pad. We parked and situated ourselves on the shoulder of the road, mindful of snakes and alligators. There were no amenities, just loud speakers over which we could hear Launch Control. To record the event, I had a Super 8 movie camera, a tape recorder, a 110 film camera, and my sketchbook. In those days, I always had my sketchbook. The countdown proceeded and excitement built, but at T-30 seconds, the engines were shutdown by automation. My disappointment was tempered by the knowledge that it would be possible to try again April 12th. We went to Disney the next day, then returned for the launch.
It was odd to see the shuttle high in the sky before the sound reached me, a roar, then crackling. In a minute, it was out of sight.
This was the only time the public was allowed to watch a launch from that road. Turns out the exhaust from the rocket drifts over that area and has hazardous things in it. For the two other launches we viewed, we were restricted to the causeway more than 10 miles from the launch complex.
In the forty years since the launch, I married the guy with the beard, gave birth to two bright and compassionate children, and worked as a NASA contractor. We were able to see another shuttle launch with the children.
