Day 3700

At 12:01 this morning I was packing up my camera gear 526 feet above Kennedy Space Center on the roof of the Vertical Assembly Building. I had just witnessed the launch of an Atlas 5 rocket that will carry the ESA Solar Orbiter toward a rendezvous with the sun. It was a beautiful night for a spectacular launch. I could hardly believe where I was standing. Only fifteen photographers were granted access to the VAB roof for this launch and I was one of them. To say this was a bucket list moment would be an understatement.

There aren't many people who routinely cover rocket launches. The photographers on the roof with me early this morning all knew each other long before this launch. Some had been covering space ever since the Apollo program. With such a small tight knit group, I was immediately recognized as a newcomer. I wasn't ostracized though. These guys couldn't have been nicer. They shared stories with me and gave me tips on how to get the best photos during a launch. I immediately felt welcomed.

Photographing rockets at night is more of an art than a science. It is dark and it is hard to check your camera settings. When the countdown reaches zero, things start to happen so fast that there are no second chances. You either get the shot or you don't. I was amazed that my photos came out as well as they did, because I didn't bring a tripod on this trip. Luckily, there was a heavy steel rail around the edge of the roof. I placed my camera on this rail and held it firmly in place. I'm glad I didn't drop it.

When I returned to Orlando this morning I was pretty sure that the airport would be on the rental car's  list of "recent destinations" in the GPS menu. Orlando International Airport was on the list, but it wasn't until I reached my destination that I realized that the person who rented this car earlier wasn't headed for the rental car return. I blindly followed the GPS and wound up at a Southwest Airlines maintenance facility in an obscure corner of the airport. When I tried to find my way back to the rental car return, I became hopelessly lost. Since I was off the beaten path, there were no signs to the rental car area. I found myself going round and round in circles with no place to stop and get my bearings. For a while I was afraid I would miss my flight, but I eventually stopped to ask someone for directions. I made the flight.

When I got on the plane I discovered that I was sitting next to someone who had also gone to the NASA Social event. This was really a strange coincidence. We both agreed that the launch was amazing  and were determined to come back to the Space Center again. I could easily become a launch rat. Going to these events can become addictive.

We had a new houseguest when I returned home. Dawn is settling in very well. I wasn't a bit surprised when Janet told me she was already sleeping on the bed. Dawn's injuries were serious but we think she will make a full recovery. The vet thinks they will be able to remove the drainage tube in her neck by Wednesday. I hope everything goes smoothly. Dawn is such a sweet dog.

Landry is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3697

It was an interesting and very busy day. We got to go inside the Vertical Assembly Building where all the Apollo and Space Shuttle missions were prepared for flight. It is still one of the largest and most impressive buildings in the world and will soon welcome the monster Artemis rockets that will take us back to the moon.

We visited ULA's Atlas Operations Center and got a surprise tour of the building by Tory Bruno, the CEO of Unitel Launch Alliance. We couldn't take pictures but we were able to go behind the scenes and see the Atlas 5 rocket that will take the first Starliner astronauts back to the Space Station. We also visited the astronaut crew quarters and everyone, including myself, wanted a picture coming out the same doors that Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins opened on their way to the van that would take them to the Apollo 11 capsule. You've probably seen these doors on TV. Same door, but I didn't have a space suit.

One of the most interesting things about these visits to the Space Center are the stories you hear from old timers that were working at the Cape during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs. Most of these guys are retired now and frequently volunteer as tour guides. I heard that the original Mercury 7 astronauts shared their spartan Hanger 11 quarters with a bunch of monkeys that were sent into space first. Many of the early space shuttle astronauts didn't realize the importance of exercise and were so weak when they returned to earth that they had to be carried out of the shuttle on stretchers. There are still parking spaces that say "Astronauts Only" but there are no Corvettes anymore. Instead, there are special parking places with chargers for astronauts who have electric cars.

I heard rumors that someone was trying to put together a go-cart race between Tory Bruno, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos. Will this ever happen? Who knows. Both Space X and Blue Origin are building massive new launch facilities though. These guys are all here to stay.

I'm apparently not the only person who enjoys watching rockets. The hotel is filled with people who  are here to watch the Solar Orbiter launch. The hotel manager says every launch is this way. There are groups who call themselves Launch Rats and Space Ambassadors who help people find the best places to view and photograph these events. Even the bars are filled with space folks. It's a whole subculture that I never knew existed before. People are interested in a lot of things in Dallas, but space isn't one of them.

Tomorrow, I'm going to get my press credentials and try to go to the launch pad. We'll see how that goes. Only a limited number of media folks will be allowed to observe the rollout at the pad. If I'm unable to get on the press bus tomorrow, there may be another opportunity on Sunday morning. Our social media group did get to see the launch support building where hundreds of engineers monitor every component on the rocket. It's amazingly complicated to get one of these things off the ground.

I learned that our furnace broke this morning. It's fixed now, but I felt bad that I wasn't there to take care of things. I'm usually in charge of fixing broken stuff around the house. I also learned that Dawn got injured badly at the kennel. She had surgery this morning. I think Janet and I are going to foster her while she is recovering. Basically, it looks like it's been a pretty eventful day everywhere.

Stortz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day