Endeavor Launch

We got up and 3AM and drove about an hour to Haulover Canal which is as close as you can get to the launch pad. It is about 10 miles from the launch site. Even at that distance you could see the launch pad. The moon was a golden sliver in the scattered clouds. It went off without delay and was spectacular. It lit up the whole sky, and we could see it for a long time. Just as I heard a woman next to me say, “I thought it would make more noise”, we were hit with a roar that made it feel like the ground was shaking. It was all over so fast, and we headed home and slept for a few hours. Well worth the trip.

Right after lift off

You can see the shuttle just in front of the ball of fire at the top of the photo.

Separation of the booster rockets

Bummer

Last night we went to Buzz and Candy’s home in Edgewater and spent some of the night. We woke up at three and Buzz guided us through the canals and the crab traps to the intercoastal waterway to anchor for the shuttle launch. At T minus 2 minutes, I got word on my phone that the launch was cancelled. We came back to Edgewater, had a nice breakfast, drove home and went to bed for a few hours. Buzz has to work tomorrow, so we won’t be going back on the boat, but he encouraged us to drive to Haulover Canal, just north of the space center and watch the launch from there. Check back and see if we made it. Here’s a link for the countdown