Tuesday, April 12, 2011 will mark the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch. Sadly, Columbia is no longer with us, but Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen are both still around all these years later.

My hats off to both of them who bravely boarded that vehicle early that morn to be launched into orbit in a manned vehicle that had never been flown in full flight configuration...the first time we had ever committed humans on a 'first flight' of a new vehicle.

Though the shuttle program never realized some of it's key goals, mainly cheap and routine (i.e., weekly) access to space, I do believe history will record it to be, in John Young's words shortly after STS-1, "A truly remarkable flying machine".

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Heading down to FL end of April to watch the Endeavour launch. My mom got us some VIP passes.

Will take the whole family down the end of June to see the last launch of Atlantis.

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Scott D. Hansen
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

I've seen five launches there from the VIP sites at KSC over the years, the first being Hubble in April, 1990.

Family health issues have greatly curtailed my travels the past 6-7 years now, but on clear launch days (local weather) and night launches, one can see the shuttles here in Augusta, GA (right at about 400 miles north of KSC) beginnig about 1:15 after launch. Amazing how brilliant that SRB flame is even at 400 miles.

Attached is one timed exposure (about 60 seconds) from March, 2008.....STS-123 (I've photo'ed and taped several of the flights from here). The 'squiggly' lines on the far right are dead vines on the local airport fence, and the lights across the bottom of the image are runway lights. The smokey haze at right is from a local pulpwood plant a couple miles south of the airport.

The high inclination of the flights to the ISS (51 degrees) makes these launches much more visible this far north than the typical shuttle launch at around 28 degrees or so.

I would imagine the viewing crowds at these final two launches, especially around spring break and summer vacation time will be enormous. It will be, sadly, the end of an era.

Good viewing on your trips! Post some pics when you get back.

Earl

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__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

We could see the launches from my mom's condo in Fort Myers Beach as well.

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

The crowds will be immense. We looked into getting there for one of the last two launches about two months ago, not a hotel room available anywhere near KSC.

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www.wooshrocketry.org NAR Sec. 558
Look us up on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/guytogo75?feature=mhee
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The package my mom got gives us a condo to stay at overnight, VIP viewing passes and VIP parking.

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
Ye Olde Rocket Plans - OOP Rocket Plans From 38 Companies!
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

That's awesome, how big is you suitcase?

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www.wooshrocketry.org NAR Sec. 558
Look us up on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/guytogo75?feature=mhee
unstable by design

She actually has an extra ticket which she will probably put up for sale on eBay or craigslist. Possibly two for sale if my sister can't switch to get off that weekend with another pilot. (She flies for American.)

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Scott D. Hansen
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe - Your One Stop BAR Shoppe!
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WOOSH NAR Section #558

I've never seen a shuttle launch but I did get to the viewing area outside of Edwards AFB and watch the landing of Columbia from STS-1 on April 14, 1981.

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Bob
S.A.M. # 0014

When I lived in Florida,(moved back home last summer) I would sometimes watch a Shuttle launch from the Estero Blvd Bridge in FMB. Sometimes I watched it from my back deck, after wathcing it liftoff live on NASA TV. I would step out side a minute later and watch it come up from the horizon and fall back down a minute later. All in all, I watched a half dozen flights at the cape.