June 10, 2007
Houston, We Have A Cocktail!
Here's the space shuttle lifting off Friday evening from the vantage of my front porch.
It's a mighty fine thing, sitting on one's front porch with a cuba libre, watching some complete morons ride a gazillion pounds of thrust with a horrible track record into outer space. I salute them! Hic!
In a more depressing aside, I've now lost more X-15's than NASA and the Air Force combined. They built three, and only lost one to a crash. I took Skeeter out Saturday to fire the second of my X-15's, the first having been lost in the woods several weeks back. But these C6-3 engines pop that puppy about 1,500 feet up, so even in a 6 acre field it drifts off on landing. I lost this one on the second shot. Damn. Tore my shins up combing the woods, too. I need to find a desert or something.
Watch the prevailing winds and place your launch pad accordingly, my friend. Other than that, keep sending those boys skyward.
Posted by: og at June 10, 2007 3:56 PMI absolutely dream (literally, but I don't want to whore my old post in your comments) of watching a spaceship take off. You lucky dog. *jealous* Did you feel anything rumble? Or smell spaceship fumes?
Posted by: Erica at June 10, 2007 4:47 PMWatched it from over the marsh, cuba libre in one hand, binocs in the other. With good binocs I was able to see the external tanks fall away, which was a first for me. Of course, one must chant the, "go baby, go!" mantra while partaking of the launch ritual.
I remember the nuns marching us out of our little 1st-grade classrooms to watch the Mercury blast-offs, thus ensuring my geek status at a very tender age.
Posted by: Joan of Argghh! at June 10, 2007 6:39 PMI was at a bar on the beach (North Turn) at Ponce Inlet to see it launch. Beautiful! I was amazed at how long the ship was visible... not to mention the tanks, after they fell away.
...and, yes Erica... we clearly heard the 'boom' several minutes after it launched. If I had been standing on the beach itself, I could have felt the vibration through the sand. THAT is an awesome feeling!
Posted by: Jean at June 10, 2007 8:17 PMheh... I will gladly whore a post I did about a night launch watched from the Halifax River in Daytona... http://beauvoirglass.blogspot.com/2006/12/night-launch.html
(Vman, if this is a no-no here, tell me and delete!)
Posted by: Jean at June 10, 2007 8:27 PMNo, that's a yes-yes here.
Posted by: Velociman at June 10, 2007 8:37 PMAnd Erica, yes, I smelled some fumes. But I think I just need to change my underwear.
Posted by: Velociman at June 10, 2007 8:38 PMCuba Libre? Ahh, I know heem well. Especially after last week...
Posted by: Elisson at June 10, 2007 11:24 PMWaaay awesome shot! How cool is that? Thanks for sharing -- the pic at least if not the rum.
Posted by: Marianne at June 11, 2007 1:46 AMAh! THAT'S why people move to Florida. Can't see that from here!
Posted by: PeggyU at June 11, 2007 1:29 PMWasting drinking time tieing up one hand with binoculars.
Shame on you.
Go to Maine they got a desert.
Folks in FLA get everything. Shuttle launches, nice weather and hot babes.
Posted by: JohnB at June 12, 2007 7:22 AM*That* is cool. Saw one of them coming down at Edwards once.
Posted by: baldilocks at June 13, 2007 10:03 PMEver think of putting a beeper in one of those puppies to make 'em easier to find when they go exploring the rough? Gotta be some button battery powered noisemakers around somewhere. Even a small watch plastic with the straps removed and the alarm going off would help. Either that or close up a claustrophobic mouse with a loud squeak and send him along for the ride.
Posted by: G at June 16, 2007 11:28 AM