OT: Space Shuttle - half way home

[Louis]

Well, that feels good.

The last few months I've been helping with some wind tunnel tests performed to measure part of the external tank's dynamic environment w/o some of the foam (which was removed to prevent it from damaging the shuttle during launch). More info here (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/pdf/150034main_Shuttle_ET-119_FS.pdf).

Looks like they made it up safely. Let's hope that they make it back as well.

Louis

[Elefantino]

Saw it out the backyard, sitting by the pool.

It is a happy 4th for the crew!

[Bill Bove]

I lived in Cocoa Beach for a few years, there is NOTHING like a shuttle launch. It is the coolest, I can only imagine how much better it was when they were shooting up the first Mercury's. If you are ever in Central Florida for any reason and there is a launch scheduled do whatever it takes to see it.

[gasman]

I sure hope there was no damage from liftoff ala Columbia.

My sister and brother-in-law have worked for NASA for 25 years and I have yet to make a launch. It is one of the experiences i want to have before i die. Better hurry as there is only a couple years left !

[J.Greene]

The cape is 30 miles due east of my back yard. It is quite a sight to see. We do miss the night launches though.

JG
Oviedo FL

[gasman]

Stop it ! You Floridians are killing me being so close to Kennedy Space Center.

[Too Tall]

You are a good man :)
Listening to NPR this am and they report foam did infact break off however it occured at high(er) altitude where the apparent mass is less a concern.

Everytime we launch I save a special thanks to Wernher von Braun. A pure scientist.

[guyintense]

Everytime we launch I save a special thanks to Wernher von Braun. A pure scientist.[/QUOTE]

And Wernher owes a special thanks to Robert H. Goddard. He wrote the book.

[MartyE]

I was at Univ of Miami back when one of the night launches
went off (apollo?), even a few hundred miles from the cape it
was the most impressive thing I'd ever seen.

Marty

[GregL]

I was vacationing north of Palm Beach in March 2001. One morning, heading north on A1A at the crack of dawn, I watched a white arrow pierce the sky to the north. It flew a beautiful arc to the east as I pedaled along the shore in the peaceful stillness of dawn. One of the most treasured moments I ever experienced on a bike.

Regards,
Greg

[MadRocketSci]

Everytime we launch I save a special thanks to Wernher von Braun. A pure scientist.

And Wernher owes a special thanks to Robert H. Goddard. He wrote the book.

and props to Konstantin Tsiolkovsky....

was lucky to have spent a summer internship at KSC, got to see two launches, one from the steps of the control center next to the VAB, and a landing...can't wait for them to retire that dump truck personally.