This has nothing to do with Hoya's but I thought I would share this picture I took about 45 minutes ago.
Living in Central Florida (about 50 miles north of Kennedy Space Center), we get a view of Shuttle Launches from our front yard. Not as spectacular as watching it from the beach but still amazing to see every time!
Space Shuttle 'Endeavor' launched at 6:03 p.m. EST ...
COOL BEANS!!!!
That is neat Lin. Thank you for sharing.
The shuttle used to come over this area when landing. It would fascinate us to see it go overhead and we would see the landing on the news in about 15 minutes. From east TX to Florida in 15 minutes, now that is time travel. It no longer comes over this area. The space shuttle Columbia came down here and that ended that flight pattern. It was an event that affected this area deeply.
I am always in awe of the science of space travel. Only from the ground ~ LOL
Pod: LOL, I like that "Only from the ground" statement! My DH teaches in the Aviation field and it's great that we get to see the view of the Shuttle launches from our own front yard. I prefer being on the beach ... much better view and as I said, night time is really Awesome!
I thought the landing pattern still took them over Texas? I guess maybe they go farther south out over the Gulf, since the Columbia disaster? I remember when Challenger exploded too ... it's very sad to lose any aircraft/spacecraft with crew.
I remember times when the shuttle's have landed here in Florida and the doors and windows rattle from the sonic booms. That is pretty scary when you aren't expecting it. Today we heard the loud rumbles about ten minutes or so after launch! I asked my husband why we were hearing it so loud and he said it takes awhile for sound to travel.
Yes, we used to hear the sonic boom but the sound that will always stay with us was the rolling sonic booms the morning it broke up. I've never heard such a noise. We all ran outside and could see nothing but the noise continued on. We were told later that was all the pieces individually breaking the sound barrier. Minutes later the television news had a byline that contact with the shuttle had been lost and I knew what had happened. So sad.
I may be wrong but was told the shuttle now goes further south across the gulf. I should think it would be more difficult to recover debris in the gulf but I guess these pineywoods had their own nightmares.
The space shuttle program is indeed a wondrous piece of technical genius and has a hugely significant place in U.S. history. And a little bit in mine....
My family and I were vacationing in Florida in January 1986 when there was a scheduled flight of the space shuttle Challenger. We got up very early and drove up to wait with thousands of others on a very grey morning, hoping for a break in the weather. It never happened, and the flight was scrubbed. A week or two later, when we were back home in Canada, Challenger lifted off without any problems in weather or equipment … and then exploded in the air. I’ve always felt very fortunate that I missed that horrific event.
Christine
I remember the Challenger explosion very clearly. I was at work and the guy in the building next door came running in telling us about it ... we turned the t.v. on in the bosses office and were so shocked. Challenger and then the Columbia disaster ... two too many! Now news is reporting and showing video of yesterday's launch of Endeavor where stuff was flying off the booster rocket or someplace and leaving marks on the bottom of Endeavor ... praying it is nothing serious and they can make it back to earth safely.
I have loved watching launches even before my DH was teaching in the Aviation field. When he was in the military and overseas back @ 1970 I was visiting my family in Merritt Island Fl. My youngest sister was in high school at the time and one Friday night I went to a high school football game with the family. Everyone was laughing at me because I wasn't interested in the game, I was turned around backwards watching a Satellite launch from the Cape!
You know, the Challenger and the Columbia did leave their mark but taught many lessons in the advancement of space travel and safety. I would bet that there is not one of the participants that lost their lives that would have done anything differently. Their dedication was so strong.
LOL on the football game. I'm with you on the satellite launch being far more interesting!
It's funny, everyone in my family is avid football fans ... except me. I love Basketball, whether it's college or NBA.
I guess DG is as close as I've ever come to a spectator sport ~ 8 )
We also can see the shuttle launches from our backyard. Did you see it the evening that it launched right at sunset? We were able to watch it cross the sky from the east to northeast until it crossed the horizon and the red clouds/smoke afterward - stunning!
