Invited to a rocket launch in Florida

[msahr]

Week before last my family was invited (along with about 800 others) to a rocket launch in Florida. My older son, Eric, works for UofA in Tucson on the Osiris-Rex spacecraft as a systems engineer (instrumentation) which is flying to an asteroid to take a sample and bring it back to Earth. Thought there might be a few other space geeks around so I thought I'd share.

It was extremely cool to be a part of this. I've been a space geek since 1969... and to witness my first launch from Kennedy Space Center to be a spacecraft my son is involved in... awesome doesn't describe it. We had VIP seating about 5 miles away across the Banana river. Even though this is a small rocket by Apollo or Space Shuttle standards it still shook the ground and was very loud.

To Bennu and Back

We were in Florida for a week, took over 2100 pictures. Gotta love digital!

We saw 3 Tacomas, 2 FJ Cruisers, and one 80 series. That's it. And we were all over central Florida and drove to Key West and back. Didn't see any older Toyota 4x4s. I think the salt air is unkind to older Japanese steel...

I didn't take this one (no one did, it was a remote camera):

But I did take these:

Osiris-Rex, T-Plus 3 seconds.

About a second later...

Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis OV-104 on permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Center. Awesome. We spent about 2 hours here.

Some of the rest of the pics are below:

Osiris-Rex mission

 

[splitshot]

Been a Trekkie since the 70's as well.

 

[verruckt1]

Thanks for the link msahr! I have signed up for the newsletter and I will be watching this mission. I was out there in June for the Atlas-V launch and I agree, it is something unbelievable to witness and it really makes you proud to have been able to witness something as spectacular as a launch (that isn't being watched on youtube).

 

[murf]

that has to be very impressive in person!

 

[msahr]

that has to be very impressive in person!

It was. Once in a lifetime deal.

 

[re_guderian]

very cool!

 

[GWcruiser]

I've read the sound pressure approaches 150dB during launch; it must be impressive to be anywhere near one. Thanks for the field report!

 

[msahr]

I've read the sound pressure approaches 150dB during launch; it must be impressive to be anywhere near one. Thanks for the field report!

We were about 5 miles away across a river. It was quite loud and shook the aluminum bleachers we sat on. This particular rocket had a liquid-fuel first stage plus a asymmetrical strap-on solid rocket booster. So louder than your average Atlas V.