Re: Discovery flies!

In article <6x4Ge.13279$h.7140@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, sjconolly_98
@yaaho.com says...
> "Tom Betka" <tbetka@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:0ebde1hbf8eg84smj8gqgqac02dg0tldlc@xxxxxxxxxx
> >I saw my first shuttle launch today, unfortunately from across the
> > Indian River (about 12 miles away) from the launch pad. WOW! I have
> > never seen so many people lined up along a road--had to be 50,000
> > people along several miles of roadside from what I am told. Damn!
> >
> > I have seen several rocket launches in the last 2 years here, but this
> > is the first shuttle launch. To say it was very impressive would be a
> > tremendous understatement. The sheer power required to hurl a few
> > million pounds to speeds in excess of 17,000 mph is breathtaking when
> > witnessed first-hand.
> >
> > A very humbling experience, to say the least...
>
>
> It's a hell of a lot more visceral in person than on TV, that's for sure.
> It's just one of those things you have to experience in person to really
> appreciate it.

Man, you should've seen the night launches! I used to work for a
company that made some parts for the shuttle, so we got base passes
and would go on base for the launches. It's like a ten second rock
concert! You can hear it 30 miles away, too. The night launches
were like a star born on earth ascending into the heavens. Quite
the spectacle, yes.

> Sadly they had -more- problems with the foam so we're ack to resolving that
> issue.

Yep. They've suspended any further flights today. You may have
seen the last Shuttle go up. Not the last man in space, but the
last of that particular launch vehicle. It is simply a dangerous
business, I guess.
--
---Mikhael...
.

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