Day 4488

It was a beautiful day for a launch. The temperature was 70 degrees with clear skies and no mosquitos. You couldn't ask for more in Florida. It's amazing how routine Space X has managed to make these launches seem. There are rarely any delays or problems these days. Lift off occurred right on schedule. The Falcon 9 booster, which has already flown four time before, landed safely on the drone ship again and the Axiom-1 astronauts are on their way to the space station.

It felt good to be back at Kennedy Space Center. I reconnected with some of the other launch photographers and met a few new NASA media relations contacts. The guy who had his camera set up next to mine was shooting footage for an iMax movie. He had two assistants and $50,000 worth of equipment. My little camera and tripod looked pretty humble by comparison. I did manage to get some good pictures though. Launch photography is weird. You spend several hours setting up your equipment and making sure it all works correctly. Then the launch itself is over in just a few minutes. 

This was the first daytime launch I've seen in quite a while. Night launches are more dramatic. You can see the rockets exhaust a lot longer at night. Often you can see stage separation and watch the second stage ignite. Daytime launches have their advantages as well. One of the biggest advantages is that you can actually get some sleep after the launch.

I wish Southwest Airlines had more flights to and from Orlando. Even though the launch was over before noon, the first flight home didn't leave Orlando until 7:30 PM. That's a long time to wait for a plane. It's a long time to wear a mask as well. I wasn't in any hurry to leave the space center, so I went and had barbecue at the NASA cafeteria. The cafeteria was being remodeled, but they set up tables where you could eat outside. It was a perfect day to have a brisket sandwich at an outdoor table and watch the eagles fly around the Press Site. There was actually an eagle's nest with a young eaglet inside right next to where I parked my car. 

When I did get to the airport is was an absolute zoo. There was a huge line at the TSA checkpoint. For a little while I thought I might be late for my plane, even though I arrived with hours to spare. When I eventually got to my gate I discovered that my flight had been delayed. It wasn't just my flight either. I noticed that there were many delayed or canceled flights at the other gates as well. I think almost half of today's Southwest flights had some sort of delay.

With so much time to spare, it seemed like a good time to take a long walk. I walked up and down the concourse, stopping to read the menus at a variety of different restaurants. Eating is a good way to kill time, but I wasn't really hungry. The Sonny's barbecue I had for lunch really filled me up. I managed to get 20,000 steps today. I'm surprised that I didn't get more. When we were finally ready to board our delayed flight, there was an announcement that we would have to wait a little longer because the pilot hadn't arrived yet.

Dawn wasn't nearly as eager to see me when I returned home as she was to see Janet after her recent trip. I kind of expected this, but it would have been nice to see a wagging tail. I did finally get Dawn to take a cookie from me, but she still seems a little nervous. We're going to have to work on building trust again.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

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 3699

It's launch day. I got really close to the rocket this morning. I went out to Pad 41 with a group of photographers who were placing remote cameras near the launch pad. I was amazed at how close the United Launch Alliance people allowed the cameras to be placed. Some were less than the length of a football field from the rocket. The smart photographers stayed a little farther away. I heard all kinds of tales about remote cameras being destroyed during a launch. Almost everyone protected their cameras in some way. Many used plastic bags. Others created special containers from Tupperware. They would usually cut a round hole for their lens in the Tupperware lid. I saw some photographers set as many as six cameras, but most only left one of two near the launch pad.

The reason remote cameras are so popular is that this is the only to get a close up view of the rocket during lift off. There is always such a danger of explosions and hazardous fumes that people are kept at least 2-3 miles away during a launch. Remote cameras can get closer, but a lot of them have been destroyed over the years. Wind and rain get some, but the real danger is rocket fuel. The fumes from the solid rocker boosters are extremely toxic and can eat the coating off the front of your lens or fuse the segments of your tripod together. Everyone hopes that the wind is blowing away from their camera. Several people have been become badly burned just by touching equipment that had become coated with rocket fuel when they return to pick up their cameras. Needless to say, I didn't attempt to leave a remote camera at the pad this trip. I just don't have any cameras I can afford to lose.

I could afford to lose a few pounds. I've been having barbecue and fried foods ever since I arrived in Florida. I had some exceptionally delicious barbecue this afternoon, which will serve as both lunch and dinner. It's a good thing I don't travel much. It's hard to eat healthy when you're on the road. Right now I'm so full that I don't feel like eating again until I return to Dallas. I'll probably have heartburn for the next month.

I was wondering why the traffic was so light today and then remembered it was Sunday. I've totally lost track of time. I haven't turned on a TV or even listened to the radio since I left Dallas. It's kind of nice not hearing about impeachment or the coronavirus. I end up talking to a lot of people at these launch events and nobody ever talks about politics. Democrats and Republicans actually get along with each other. People will talk about their family or their dog, but mostly they just talk about rockets. It's a time to forget about the world and learn an enormous amount about space travel.

It was interesting meeting the other photographers this morning. Some of these guys seemed to be permanent road warriors. They were always traveling somewhere and most had been everywhere. Surprisingly, there were very few young guys. A lot of the photographers seemed even older than I was. Many of them had little interest in social media. I think the magazine guys realized that they were the last of their kind. Maybe that's why NASA is making such an effort to recruit social media influencers. Social Media is how younger people get their news these days. I'm glad newspapers and magazines still exist, but I have to admit that even I learn about most things on Facebook now.

I'm going to take a little nap before I head back to Kennedy Space Center for tonight's launch. It's going to be a long evening. Liftoff is supposed to take place around 11 PM. I've been told to dress warmly, but you have to take what Florida people tell you with a grain of salt. It's not that cold here. I hope the launch doesn't get scrubbed. It's been a great week, but I'm ready to go home and meet our new houseguest. Janet says that Dawn is doing great.

Jazz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day