I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, but occasionally we are graced with an awe inspiring sound that few in this world are lucky enough to experience.
8 minutes ago I stood in my backyard and faced east in anticipation of the sight that would come before the sound. First I heard the dogs around the neighborhood start to bark, then I saw the bright light through the trees, racing up to the sky at a speed that cannot help but make you pause. When this flame in the sky had reached about halfway up in my view, a rumble started to come from its direction. It continued to get louder, vibrating the windows of my house and the blood in my veins. Today the air was clear enough and the wind just right to carry the sound to the point you could hear the flames of the Shuttle crackle. Soon the vibrating roar surrounded the air around me and my peacefully sleeping newborn. I watched with a feeling of pride for the good side of humanity as the flame got distant, then sparked as the booster rockets separated from the main part of the shuttle. As the image of the shuttle disappeared it left behind a large line of smoke, brightly illuminated by the sun. The rumble soon faded away, and I came inside the home to watch the shuttle Atlantis live on the television, to get a view of it entering space at over 4000 miles per hour.
I feel very privileged to live so close to something so amazing. It is by no accident that I do; when I was young we would come visit my grandparents here in Brevard county and I always felt I wanted to live here.
My shuttle experiences have not always been spectacular, as the first shuttle launch I witnessed was the tragic launch of the Challenger in January 1986. I remember it very well, stepping out to the patio of my grandfather's condo on that cold day to watch it go up. As it was going up in the air, my grandfather said something was wrong, that it should be going towards the moon, and as he pointed the direction it should be going a large puff of smoke filled the air. The shuttle was no longer making its journey upwards. I had not fully understood the gravity of the situation being that I was 5, but the feeling and images of that day have haunted my memories.
However, my memories are now filled with the many launches I have witnessed since moving to Florida in August of 2005. Each launch has been astounding, and have all been different in their own way. In my opinion nothing can top a night launch, when the shuttle lights up the sky like a sunrise. It is like the sun making a quick appearance in the east, just long enough to say hello, illuminating the blue in the sky. A fantastic sight.
We have only 6 more launches scheduled for our shuttle program. I think it is unfortunate it is being canceled before its replacement, the Ares rockets, are ready to begin. As it stands now, there will be at least a 3 year gap between the programs. I will miss seeing the shuttles go up in the sky, but I am very glad to have been lucky enough to be present during the launches I have seen.
Midnight Sun: Shuttle launch viewed from our backyard, August 27, 2009 at 11:59 pm
