"Atlantis"

 

Can you guess where we were on Monday May 11th?

We were able to go to the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch of space shuttle 'Atlantis'.

I was awestruck at the sheer size of a Saturn Rocket (About the size of a Space Shuttle)!

We were 3 miles from the shuttle!  It is on the launch pad over my right shoulder - the little dot sticking up out of the landscape.

This is the happy & very excited New England couple who always dreamed of being present for a shuttle launch!  Maybe next time we can be in the shuttle for a ride???

This is the VAB "Vehicle Assembly Building" in the background, the flags, TV camera & bleachers in the foreground...there was a count down clock there, but not the one you see on TV.

This is the VAB up close - where the shuttles are repaired & cleaned.  They are then attached to the 2 solid rocket boosters & the external fuel tank (orange).  The 2 LARGE gray doors on the left fold open upwards & the shuttles can then be transported to the launch pads on a large flat crawler.  Did you know that a second shuttle is put on the second launch pad?  It will stay there (ready to be launched in case of emergency) until the launched shuttle returns to earth!

*Did you know that after a launch, you must return to your vehicle within 10 minutes as the launch may cause a shower of acid rain?  CRAZY!

*The launch was BLINDING...we needed sun glasses.  As the air blew past us, you could feel the air shake, complements of the shuttle engines.

*The NAVY (GO NAVY!), waits in the ocean to bring the Solid Rocket boosters back to land after they burn off.  They travel from the coast on train tracks to their own special rehab building!

*When the shuttle returns to earth, it makes such a loud sonic boom that the last time it returned I thought a tree fell on our house!  It almost comes right over our house!

I know these may be silly little factoids to you, but it has become part of our life in Florida!  We had a BLAST (pun definitely intended)!  Thanks to Mr.Al for getting us onsite...  We can't wait to do this again!

Video Of Shuttle Launch 'Atlantis':