Space Shuttle Launch!?!

Weather: Temp range – 60 – 75 degrees; N wind 10 – 12 knots – cool on the water!

Comment: Our mission is to view the launch of the space shuttle “Atlantis” for mission STS-122, the 24th mission to the international space station. “Atlantis” will deliver the Columbus European Laboratory Module. Lift off will take place on launch pad 39A at 1631 hours.

We rented a car (the marina office also does Avis car rentals ($40.00/day); drove up to Titusville to meet Joe and Dee Fritz. We’re going to have a picnic lunch, watch the shuttle launch and go out to dinner. Some time between 1200 and 1300 hours, our launch viewing neighbors inform us that the launch has been scrubbed. OH NO! After our brief disappointment, we enjoyed our picnic lunch and devised “Plan B.”

We toured the Kennedy Space Center. The bus trip included two stops. At the Saturn V building one cannot only view the huge completely restored Saturn V rocket, but one can attend a spectacular simulated Apollo launch program and a lunar landing simulation. We have seen both before, but they remain spectacular! The Kennedy Space Center is awe-inspiring!

The second stop was the dedicated to the International Space Station. One can “roam” through mock-ups of various modules of the ISS. Most people seemed fascinated by the bathroom facilities and sleeping quarters.

Our final bus driver was quite a character. He knows a lot of facts about the astronauts, various launches and particular fascinating details. He had a most engaging personality.

After a visit to the missile park, we departed the space center and headed off to Cocoa Beach to find a seafood restaurant. Surprisingly, we didn’t find a seafood restaurant is this seaside community. We settled for ribs at Sonny’s Bar-b-que. It was a fun meal.

Joe and Dee took us on a tour of the famous Ron Jon’s and their competitor across the street, the Cocoa Beach Surf Company. Both stores are real surfing stores on steroids. They are huge and sell all kind of beach stuff, surf boards, trinkets, foot wear and clothes. This Ron Jon’s is much larger than the New Jersey store in Ship Bottom.

Our drive back to the marina was uneventful and gave plenty of time for reflection on our space program; the wonders of exploration and the benefits society has reaped. One that stands out in my mind is communications. NASA developed the first world wide communications system so that mission control was able to stay in constant touch with the capsules. It was the start of a communications revolution that is in full swing today!