
6:25 PM Talking to Steve on Instant Messenger. He informs me that it will be storming like a *&#%$@* down my way in about 45 minutes.
7:13 PM The rain just started.
7:20 PM The lights flicker, luckily I'm watching the weather and its sunny in Florida.
7:25 PM No constraints to launch
7:26 PM I can hear the hiss of something starting to engage, no rumble yet though.
7:29 PM T - 9 minutes and counting
7:38 PM We have liftoff
Im sitting here watching NASA tv on my laptop. Watching the Space Shuttle Atlantis liftoff into space for STS-117. Now im not sure what the top speed is but at one point they said it was traveling at 8000 mph.
I remember when I was little and how big of an event a shuttle launch was. It would always make major news, now most of the time its barely mentioned. I was home sick from school on January 28, 1986. I remember sitting there watching the Space Shuttle Challenger take off that day. I was watching live as it blew apart 73 seconds after launch.
I still like watching it go up. Some day I want to go to Florida and watch a launch live. That would be an awesome display. Usually what I do now is go to the web site Heavens Above and check the times that it goes over. If you enter in your location the web site will tell you what times and where you can watch the space shuttle, the ISS, and other satellites go over. If you check it out definitely look up the Iridium Flares. Its interesting to be able to go out in your back yard and look up and watch something like that going over. At least it always fascinates me, but I'm simple like that :)
P.S. if the STS-117 doesn't show a viewing during the next week just look for the ISS. They will be docked for most of the mission. It should be very bright.
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