Man must rise above the Earth —
to the top of the clouds and beyond —
for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.
Socrates (470-399 B.C.)

tbeck enjoying an early morning breakfast with STS-41G pilot and astronaut Jon A. McBride. Photo by- jerry.beck

Just returned from Florida were we watched the very last night time launch of the Space Shuttle. In a word, AMAZING! That word, nor any words, photos, or videos can fully describe how incredible the experience really was.

Good fortune and timing worked out for my Brother, a friend and I, Monday, November 16th, 2009 when we witnessed Space Shuttle Atlantis launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Once again, fortune was on our side when I won a lotto ticket draw for NASA causeway tickets to view the very last night time Space Shuttle launch in our nations space program history. I also was able to purchase tickets to “dine with an astronaut.” I did all this without having asked anyone if they wanted to go. Frankly I didn’t think our schedules could ever work out again.

Space Shuttle Challenger STS-41G, pilot Jon A. McBride. Photo by- jerry.beck

Much to my surprise and delight, my brother said, “Heck YES I’ll go!”

There is always a risk of serious delays when it comes to the Space Shuttle. Often these delays happen in the last minutes before launch so it is a risk you take. But with a risk comes a great reward. Thankfully many of the typical factors which can cause delays were non-existent for STS-130. No technical issues were being tracked and the range weather was looking fantastic! We were a go for the long drive to Florida.

While we ready for the drive, the weather for the drive down had an entirely different plan. Two low pressure weather systems were combining along the east coast forcing major closures. But we had no choice. We planned to start our drive around midnight on Saturday, the day before a 4:39am launch. We needed to arrive at Kennedy Space Center by 10:30am per our ticket package.

Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-130 on launch pad 39-A. Crew access gantry and beanie cap still in place. Photo by- tbeck

By midnight, a winter weather warning had been issued for nearly the entire state of Ohio. Winds were expected to be around 25 to 30 mph! I had a 2 foot snow drift in front of my house and road conditions were absolutely awful and getting even worse by the minute. We made it to the expressway which wasn’t all that bad, yet. We continued our drive and conditions continued to worsen. It was so stressful that after just a few hours we needed a break.

We pulled off at a rest area and nearly became stuck in over 1 foot of snow and drifts even higher. The rest area had not been plowed and a semi had pulled into the car area and became stuck in a 2 to 3 foot snow drift! Now we were stuck too, waiting for him to get out. Winds were probably hitting over 35 mph and the snow was really coming down now. We quickly began to wonder if we would even make it out of the rest area, let alone make it to Florida for the launch.

Over the period of an hour the semi got free of one snow drift, only to get stopped by a semi stuck on the ramp entering the expressway.

Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-130, launch sequence initiated and ignition! Photo by- tbeck

After finally getting out of the rest area and back on the road we saw no less than 3 major traffic tie ups in the north bound lane. The odds were way against us not encountering the same fate. Thankfully the southbound lane was free from accidents. The roads didn’t really clear up until Tennessee.

We finally made it to Kennedy Space Center around 9:30pm. The crowds were unbelievable. We were in line for the security check for almost an hour.

Our dinner with the astronaut started at about 12:45am Sunday morning before the first scheduled launch. The guest astronaut was Jon C. McBride. He spoke of his experience with the space program and then took some questions from the crowd. One interesting question was the recent news of the apparent cancellation of the constellation program by the President. He responded as most in the room likely felt by saying that he hopes Congress will overturn the decision and continue to fund our space program.

After a very tasty breakfast we boarded our bus to the NASA causeway. The causeway is the best public location to view a launch. It is just about 6.5 miles away from the pad. The view is amazing! The launch pad it completely visible from across a body of water. The pad is completely lighted by some of the worlds most power xenon light bulbs.

Solid rocket booster ignition and liftoff of Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-130!. Photo by- tbeck

The live broadcast from NASA television was being played over a loudspeaker system, however it nearly impossible to understand what they were saying. As the launch director polled the various control managers, there was a problem with the weather and the first launch attempt was scrubbed.

The next launch attempt would be the next day at 4:14am. Our mission was to find a hotel with a room which would let us check in at an extremely odd time of day. You see, we were leaving the Space Center just after 6:00am. We had almost no sleep on the road and were exhausted. All hotels in Titusville were completely full because of the delay. The same was true for the Cocoa Beach area. We continued to drive south all the way to Satellite Beach, near Melbourne. A very accommodating manager said we could call back around noon and he might have a room ready. We killed some time on the beach and walking around a Lowe’s checking out the cool nursery. Yes, they actually have palm trees for sale at Lowe’s! haha.

We finally checked in before noon, unloaded the car, set alarms and passed out for about 9 hours! I think I fell asleep in about 2 minutes tops. The alarm went off and we got up and going. The Super Bowl was just finishing up (congrats Saints!) and we headed off to the Space Center again.

STS-130 Solid Rocket Booster ignition and lift-off from Kennedy Space Center. Photo by- tbeck

We arrived back at Kennedy Space Center to a much smaller crowd, possibly as much as 50% of the people had not come back. I’m guessing the fact that it was a work night and the morning after Super Bowl had a lot to do with it. Because of the crowd, or lack thereof, we decided to take in an Imax movie. Magnificent Desolation is an amazing film which recounts the moon missions of the 60s and 70s, and explores the future of space exploration. There can be no doubt the film’s significance is even more true today than it was just a week ago after the Presidents announcement of the cancellation of the constellation program.

After the movie it was time to board the bus again, and for the last time for us. Our schedules dictated that we would have to return home immediately after the attempt whether or not it launched.

The weather was looking better and there were still no technical issues. Countdown was going very smooth. There were noticeable fewer clouds and the stars were out very bright. The view of the shuttle even looked even clearer than the night before. Then the polling of the launch management team started again. We kept hearing, “Go! … Go! … Go!” And finally we heard range weather give a go! The launch director confirmed “No constraints to launch.” The crowd gave a loud cheer. It was officially go time. Goosebumps then, and goosebumps now as I write this.

STS-130 lifts off from pad 39-A from Kennedy Space Center, lighting up the sky, February 8th, 2010 in an amazing night time launch. Photo by- tbeck

Everyone turned their focus to the pad. We could clearly see the “beanie cap” was retracted, a clear sign the launch was eminent. Over the loudspeaker we heard “20 seconds……. …. … 10, 9.” And just about a 9 seconds we could see main engine ignition on the pad, then a huge cloud of water vapor and bright light. Seconds later, it was if the sun was coming up in a matter of seconds as the entire sky was illuminated and an enormous cloud appeared around the pad.

We have liftoff! The entire area was illuminated as if it was daylight. The light was incredibly intense. Moments later we could see the tip of the Space Shuttle clearing the launch pad and huge clouds it produces. As the Shuttle cleared the clouds the light only grew in intensity. It is a sight that is frankly impossible to express in words sufficiently.

The crowd, which had been rather quiet all night just trying to stay warm, began to cheer, willing the crew onto a successful and safe launch into space. I personally had to laugh because I heard a lot of “Oh my God!” and “Holy *beep*“. It seems that others have an uncontrollable need to express the amazing sight too.

STS-130 Solid Rocket Booster seperation. Photo by- tbeck

As the Space Shuttle climbed into the sky, the sound finally started to make it to our position. A low growl at first, then an ever growing rumble which continued to increase in intensity. Eventually we began to hear the telltale sound of crackling which is so noticeable of a Shuttle launch.

The huge flame from the Shuttle which was a deep orange kept getting smaller and smaller in the sky. Then you could notice the color shift from orange to a brilliant white. It actually reminded me of an LED flashlight. The color shift was a result of Solid Rocket Booster separation and the beginning of the second stage, a liquid propellant stage. It also seems that it was around this stage when we stopped panning the cameras up, and began to point them slowly back down as the trajectory carried the astronauts away from our position.

For a brief moment after booster seperation, the orbiter was blocked by a thin layer of clouds. However it was clear they would emerge from the other side. Sure enough, in less than 30 seconds, the orbiter was again viewable. Still moving away and still very bright. Brighter than any star in the sky!

As we continued to watch the orbiter, people were surprised at just how clear it was. I began to wonder if it was even possible to see the orbiter all the way to Main Engine Cut Off (MECO). MECO happens approximately 8 minutes after launch. At that point the Shuttle is traveling over 17,500 MPH, is in space and I didn’t even know if it would possible to see that far away. Sure enough, as the minutes ticked away, the orbiter, though a little dimmer, was still clearly visible. About 8.5 minutes in we could hear “MECO” across the broadcast system on the causeway. Seconds after the announcement, the light from the 3 liquid fueled engines on Endeavour cutoff and it disappeared into space.

At the point of MECO, the Space Shuttle is traveling at 17,552 MPG, or Mach 24.6. It is about 795 statute miles from Kennedy Space Center and is about 64.6 statute miles above the surface of the earth. To give you an idea of how fast that is, as we were leaving the Space Center about 1 hour and 15 minutes later, the Space Shuttle had nearly traveled around the earth once already! They were almost around the earth and we had not even made it out of KSC!

jbeck and tbeck pictured here with the Ford EVB banner. Photo by- jbeck

Before the launch my Brother and I posed for a photo with the famous EVB banner from Ford. The Banner has traveled the world with the whole EVB team and has been pictured with many famous landmarks. It was an honor to hold the Banner with my Brother at the Kennedy Space Center causeway with the Space Shuttle in the distance. I am really pulling for Ford to become the premier automobile manufacture not only in the states, but around the world. I know they are on the right track because I didn’t have to bail them out last year!

The whole experience was simply amazing. In fact, I remember thinking on the drive home; I would do this again in a heart beat! It is a long drive, especially given how it started out, but I think the excitement carried us all the way home.

I have said this before to many people, but I will say it again. If you ever have a chance to see a Space Shuttle launch, you have to try to see it! You will not be disappointed if it launches, and it is something you can never forget.

You can check out all the photos in Atch’s Gallery.