Atlantis Shuttle Launch, Kennedy Space Center

With NASA's Space Shuttle program coming to a close, we decided we should see one of the last launches. We picked the mid-May 2010 launch of Atlantis. We weren't lucky enough to score tickets to watch from the Kennedy Space Center, so we found a spot along Highway 1 on the other side of the river. Rob estimated it was about 5 miles from the launch pad, so we were happy.

The Long, Sweaty Wait

Rob and I were really excited for the coutdown to begin.  The first shuttle launch took place in 1981, when we were 10 years old, so we grew up with the shuttle program.We both remember watching the Challenger explosion in school in 1986. Viewing Atlantis's last launch with the crowd along the riverbank felt like watching a historical era end.

The boys were less enthusiastic since it was a long wait on a hot, sunny, sweaty day. After a couple hours of waiting outside, we let them sit in the car with the air conditioner and a video.

When the launch finally began, we got to hear the actual countdown on someone's radio. At the beginning, huge clouds of smoke billowed from the launch pad. Then we saw the engine fire and the shuttle began to rise. The blast was so powerful that the ground shook and we could feel the rumbling in our bones. As it rose higher, we could see the rocket boosters fall.  It really was an awesome sight, despite the long wait for abut five minutes of excitement.

Here's footage from closer range.

The Kennedy Space Center wasn't open on launch weekend, so we returned in November. It was amazing to crawl inside the actual spacecrafts that carried astronauts. We couldn't believe how small the pods were. Imagine the astronauts with all their gear and suits crammed into that space.

We were also amazed by the Saturn V rocket on display.

A retired astronaut who had flown on shuttles and Saturn rockets gave a talk and had a Q&A session. He was the man in ground control communicating directly to the astronauts in Apollo 13!  His experience was fascinating. Rob asked a question about how anything in the rest of your life could compare with going in space. He really liked the question and said a lot of astronauts have issues because no other achievements are as big.

Another highlight was a bus tour of the entire complex. We'd seen so many of the buildings and sites in movies and the news that it was neat to see them in person. We also watched  some really well made movies about the space program.

The Center made a great family vacation. We all enjoyed every part of it and will definitely return. It will be interesting to see how it changes as the shuttle programs winds down.