July 17, 2003
YOU KNOW WHAT I MISS?
Sitting on my front porch with the kids watching a shuttle launch over Skeeter's elementary school. Sure it's 90 miles as the opsrey flies, but you could see the shuttle, the flames, the contrail, and even the solid rocket boosters disengaging and arcing back to earth. I seldom missed one, even if it meant taking time off from work.
I mention this because I just watched an Atlas go up with some communications hardware. It was weak. All you could see was a puny-assed little contrail that looked like the pee-dribble of a 90-year-old man. Sad. And that was an Atlas, that put our first boys in orbit. Kind of puts thrust in perspective.
I saw the first moon shot live. Believe me, witnessing a Saturn V from 9 miles away was a bitching experience. Fly me to the freaking moon, indeed.
Watching it from across the Indian River (about 4 miles) was pretty awe-inspiring, too.
I grew up in Titusville. Dad worked on the Saturn V instrument unit for IBM.
Helluva place to grow up.
Posted by: Kevin Baker at July 17, 2003 11:15 PM