We Have Lift-Off!

What we witnessed on February 23, 2011 made driving 2200 miles and 40 hours worth it.  We were able to see the space shuttle Discovery launch for her final mission (STS-133).  You probably read about our first attempt to see it last November in this blog post.  This time we did have our "experience of a lifetime."  Here is how February 24th unfolded for us...

We got up early that morning (earlier than the astronauts!) and piled in Mr. Hartley's truck.  With us, we had chairs, a cooler, some toys for Tate and high hopes.  We reached Titusville around 10:00 a.m. and started hunting for a viewing spot.  I wanted an unobstructed view of the launchpad so that I could see the plume from the firing of the engines.  I also wanted to have the shuttle in view from the ground to the sky and I wasn't going to stop until we found it (or until I was told to give it up by my family :). Thankfully, we didn't have to look long. We were able to find a spot in front of a vacant house on a (then) quiet neighborhood street along the river, directly across from the launchpad.  It was EXACTLY what I was hoping to find.  This is what our surroundings looked like...

Tate sporting his shuttle shirt.

Tailgating for Discovery.

I know you can't see it, but I promise the launchpad is in the center of this photograph.

Shortly after getting settled, we met our "neighbors."  They were extremely nice and I was relieved to find out they wouldn't be partying all day (this was important because we would spend ALL day with these strangers).  There were even some kids for Tate to play with.  When we got out on the dock,I was overwhelmed by what the Lord had provided; the weather was gorgeous, our surroundings were beautiful and we even saw some dolphins swim by.  I could tell it was going to be a good day.  :)

As the day progressed, it got busier and noisier, as expected.  We ate, visited with strangers, walked to a local restroom, sat around, ate some more, went back to the restroom, and witnessed several people falling in this huge hole by the dock (on some occasions funny, i.e. a snotty lady; and some not, i.e. Tate).  Thankfully, Tate did not get hurt, just scared.  Finally, it was nearing the launch time of 4:50 p.m.

The way we were. :)

More people gathering around. 

And more people...

Our family shot for the day just a minute before liftoff.

There were several glitches in the launch countdown (like a chipped tile that had to be fixed and range computers that had to be rebooted), and we were starting to lose hope that it would actually happen.  But they got the computers back up and working, and with only 2 SECONDS left in the launch window, Discovery lifted off at 4:53:24 EST!

Sorry for the grainy quality of this photo, but I had to zoom WAY in for you to see the shuttle.

We were so far away, but unless you had VIP tickets from NASA, this is pretty much as close as you could get (about 12 miles away).  We did have a few mishaps with technology that day. I forgot to zoom my "zoom lens" in all the way (dummy me!), meaning that I wouldn't be able to zoom the photos as much as I would like to in editing, and our camcorder stopped working just minutes before the launch with no explanation. So, we have no video to show you, but you can watch the launch here on YouTube.  Or you can watch this progression of my pictures in a slide show.

People have asked if it was what I expected.  To be completely honest, it wasn't.  I was hoping for a little ground shaking and LOUD noises, but there was no shaking and the rumble was no louder than a helicopter.  I did get chills, but I didn't cry like I thought I would.  Watching it online or on TV is much more emotional because you are able to see more and up close.  HOWEVER, I am VERY glad we went and would do it all over again if we lived closer.  It was unbelievable to witness what God has allowed  man to accomplish and I can now check that off my bucket list.  You wonder what Tate's reaction was?  He cried, as expected, but we think it was because we scared him into thinking it was going to be louder than it was.  We kept preparing him for the loud noise, so when it started rumbling, he thought it was going to get louder and immediately cried.  Like I said, no surprise there.  He only cried for a minute or two.  But now, because he knows we have it recorded on our DVR, Tate is constantly asking to see the shuttle.  I guess the comforts of his living room is a better place to view it.  Good thing, because that's where he'll be seeing the final two launches.  :)