CaptnKirk
Lifer
I was able to obtain viewing area tickets from where I work (Lockheed) to take the company bus to the launch viewing area on Saturday.
STS-127 is scheduled to launch at 7:17 A.M. from Pad 39-A to take the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module to the ISS.
I'm taking my wife, my daughter, her husband & their 16 month old son to the launch, and we're staying in Cocoa Beach through the weekend.
Hope it goes off on time without a delay.
We have to meet the bus at 4:30 A.M. to leave for the observation site alonf the causeway on the NASA facility.
It's the closest position to the launch pad that people are allowed to be, and it's directly accross the lagoon from the pad.
I've been working on the Shuttle (off-and-on) since 1976 when I worked for Rockwell in Palmdale building the Shuttles,
and watched the first flight re-entry and return to Edwards. (The glide-path was just North of where we lived in Lancaster)
Worked at Vandenberg from 1981 to 1985 on the SLC-6 Shuttle launch pad.
Was in Florida at Martin-Marrietta's Lake Underhill campus, watching the climb out to the Challenger when it was destroyed.
(We lived in Orlando, and the view from our house was 35 miles - watch it on TV, then step outside and watch it as it cleared the treeline)
Was in Fort Worth when the Columbia disintergrated on re-entry.
I'm presently working in New Orleans building the very last of the External Tanks for the Shuttles, my assignment ends in 2 more weeks.
So it's about time I get to make it to an 'Official' Launch viewing, should be interesting.
STS-127 is scheduled to launch at 7:17 A.M. from Pad 39-A to take the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module to the ISS.
I'm taking my wife, my daughter, her husband & their 16 month old son to the launch, and we're staying in Cocoa Beach through the weekend.
Hope it goes off on time without a delay.
We have to meet the bus at 4:30 A.M. to leave for the observation site alonf the causeway on the NASA facility.
It's the closest position to the launch pad that people are allowed to be, and it's directly accross the lagoon from the pad.
I've been working on the Shuttle (off-and-on) since 1976 when I worked for Rockwell in Palmdale building the Shuttles,
and watched the first flight re-entry and return to Edwards. (The glide-path was just North of where we lived in Lancaster)
Worked at Vandenberg from 1981 to 1985 on the SLC-6 Shuttle launch pad.
Was in Florida at Martin-Marrietta's Lake Underhill campus, watching the climb out to the Challenger when it was destroyed.
(We lived in Orlando, and the view from our house was 35 miles - watch it on TV, then step outside and watch it as it cleared the treeline)
Was in Fort Worth when the Columbia disintergrated on re-entry.
I'm presently working in New Orleans building the very last of the External Tanks for the Shuttles, my assignment ends in 2 more weeks.
So it's about time I get to make it to an 'Official' Launch viewing, should be interesting.
