Cool video…
Postings have been scarce here for a few weeks, so I figured I’d toss something quick up while I try to reconcile my love of Christmas and my loathing of “the christmas season” in an attempt to post something about this holiday that’ll be enjoyable to read. In the mean time…
We all know how I feel about the space program, and the abundant fraternal pride I feel toward the army of fellow engineers who make it possible for us to put people in orbit. So, while I’m not exactly a space enthusiast – there are plenty of other things to be enthusiastic about – I do take an interest in those space- and aerospace-related things that float through my field of view.
I happened across this video montage during a brief perusal of YouTube tonight, and the first 30 seconds gave me goosebumps:
When I stand in front of a fuel cell engine at work, watching it motionlessly generating almost a hundred thousand watts, I get a chill down my spine if I stop long enough to think about just how much power that is. But watching those solid rocket boosters ignite is an entirely different level of thrill for me. It’s like watching someone press a button and effortlessly channel the force of a hundred tornadoes into a coffee cup. It’s as much an emotional triumph as a technical one…for onlookers like me, even more so.
So family and friends – if ever I’m in Florida when a shuttle is scheduled to launch, don’t be surprised if I hop a commuter jet to Orlando to watch it happen. Because if I had a list of things I wanted to witness before I die, that would be one of them.
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[...] the YouTube videos reminds me of one my friend Dave posted a couple years ago. As he put it, the first 30 seconds give you [...]
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I missed a launch last year by about 3 days while I was down in Jacksonville for work…. our pilot and myself were going to fly down in the Aztec and watch the launch but they ended up delaying the mission by few days due to some complication. Some day…..
I was thrilled to be camping in Titusville, FL, right across the river from the Kennedy Space Center launch pad on Dec. 9. I almost felt guilty on Dec. 7, the night the launch was originally scheduled to go off, hoping it would be delayed until I would be there in 2 days. I guess it was meant to be! There I was with UB, in the middle of a long dock over the river, actually seeing the rocket all light up on the pad and counting down the last 10 seconds. The night was black, and you just knew that something awesome was about to happen. Suddenly, a brilliant light lit the entire sky and night turned to day! The sound caused my insides to vibrate and the sight of that column of flame was spectacular! The thought of the brave, excited astronauts on board and their 4000+ payload was overwhelming! It was the first night launch since 2002, and I was blessed enough to be right there to see it. I have some photos that don’t really do it justice, and if I can figure out how to insert them with this comment, I will. Wait a minute, I have a brilliant engineer in the family who may be able to assist with that
Hey David, your room is waiting for you any time you and Kelly would like to see one up close!