During my stay at the NASA Kennedy Space Center I got to see two launches. Although I've seen many launches on streams, nothing compares to seeing them up close. Especially when you're treated to watch them from the closest terrace at the launch-site itself!
The two launches we got to see were of one Atlas V rocket and one Delta IV Heavy. They serve slightly different purposes in terms of what payloads they carry and what orbits they reach. This particular launch was of a Delta IV Heavy, the rocket with the highest launch capacity in the world. As can be seen in the image to the right, it has two external booster engines both operating at full thrust together with the central engine during liftoff.
The launch was very early in the morning. I remember getting up 04:00 to get everything ready, and seeing a lot of sleepy faces as we got on the shuttle buses and made our way over to the launch complex. In the end, however, it was all worth it! Not only because the launch was so exciting, but it was truly amazing to be standing on the terrace early enough to watch the sun rise over the most historic launch complex in the world. I managed to capture the following panorama picture with my tablet of the site just as the sun rose over the horizon. The image is still my all-time favourite of the many photos I've taken witnessing space-related events. It brings back a lot of memories.
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Panorama picture I took of a sunrise at the NASA Kennedy Space Center before the launch of a Delta VI Heavy in 2012
On the left-hand-side, you can see the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) where NASA assembles and prepares rockets before launches. The VAB is one of the largest buildings in the world with a volume of more than 3 600 000 cubic meters. The stripes on the American flag on the upper left corner of the building are as wide as roads. The door is just above 110 meters tall, allowing rockets to be transported in and out standing upright. In the centre, you see the sunrise over the launch complex. Giving it a neat red colour and lighting up the ground. To the right-hand side, you can see the launch pad and the rocket ready for launch (this might be hard with this resolution, but it's there!). Quite an atmosphere to experience while acciously awaiting your first ever live launch!
Myself together with one of my team mates from our Team project in the launch conference room
Before going out on the terrace we got to use the room which typically hosts commercial companies whose payload (usually a satellite) is onboard the rocket. Because this launch was for the military nobody, including the NASA employees we knew, knew the details of what was onboard the rocket. here, the launch countdown was displayed in red letters at the top of the wall while 3 screens covered different angles of the launch pad. In the hour before the launch, we could hear mission control go through and confirm the readiness of different systems of the launch vehicles. The fact that at an anomaly or change in weather condition could occur at any time, resulting in a cancellation and rescheduling of the launch, added a lot to the excitement.
I remember very well the experience of listening to the countdown of the 10 last seconds, followed by the silent lifting of the rocket. It took the sound roughly 30 seconds to travel from the launch pad and to the terrace where we were watching. At that point, the rocket was already well up in the air. It is fascinating to witness such a mismatch between what your senses are telling you. Your eyes clearly see the fire and smoke beneath the rocket, and your mind knows how forceful it is, yet you do not hear a thing. However, as soon as the sound does reach you, it hits you like a truck! The Delta IV Heavy weighs 733,000 kg (1,616,000 lb), so you can imagine the force necessary to lift it vertically off the ground. For about a minute, the rumbling sound is all you can hear. Even after the rocket has disappeared from view, it still lingers well in the ear.
It doesn't matter how long you’ve been working in the space industry, seeing launches are always exciting, if not for the same reasons. Today, the excitement I get from watching stems mostly from my passion for space. All of us in the industry are hopeful of progress in launch capabilities and costs. We look forward to being able to do even more ambitious missions to new places in the solar system and to advance our space-faring capabilities. Few things cause more severe setbacks than failed launch attempts. When a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket exploded on the launchpad on September 1, 2016, it marked the end of all launches for SpaceX that year. Image to the right shows an exploding SpaceX Falcon 9 Explosion at a NASA Kennedy Space Center Launchpad, image credit Florida Today.
Group photo of the participants at the International Space University. I'm standing in the back on the left-hand-side
After a successful launch, we took a group photo in front of the VAB. We then got to go inside the building to see the mission control rooms currently used, as well as those kept preserved from the Apollo era. Finally, we got to see the two last Space Shuttles as they were rolled out one last time before going to the museum. Talk about good timing to be there! That, however, will have to wait for another post, so stay tuned! ;)
I can understand how much excited you would have been while launching the rocket. While our science projects, we made some cool stuff like this and when we were about to display them to the jury, the feeling and excitement was beyond the explanation. You are working with the future of the space and technology which is still a dream for many of us.
Awesome post. The experience sounds out of this world!
Thanks a lot @opheliafu !
It really is an awesome experience and a very nice treat you get from working in the space sector :)
It ranks very highly on my list of my best memories, perhaps only beaten by launching my own student rocket from the launch pad used for Apollo 11 at the same complex a few weeks after this day :)
Anyways, I'm very happy to have all of these memories and being able to share them on steemit. I'm very glad to see that you appreciate them!
It definitely sounds like the experience of a lifetime- something to always treasure.
Hi friend, very good !!!!!
You would help me with a vote in my Blog., Thanks !!! ; @viphh2017
So jealous right now!
Did you study at ISU? I am sure it is a great experience, it is encouraging to see that a lot of space entrepreneurs have attended to their courses
Yes, I went to the 25th Space Studies Program in 2012. Which involved a 9 week stay in Florida, partially at Florida Institute of Technology and partially at NASA Kennedy Space Center which we got to use for various activities :)
Highly recommend it both to students and young professionals, but also to seniors looking for an amazing summer and an opportunity to build their network. The average age was 31 years old, so not at all limited to young people.
Thanks for the recommendation. I have always been curious about it and I think stopping working during a summer (the master is probably too much time) to start thinking about space from other perspective could be amazing and an open door to new perspectives and projects. Well, I have to wait at least one more year but I want to see rockets too :)
Keep an eye out for where the upcoming SSPs will be hosted :)
Most places won't have launches. But the networking and value of learning more about the full width of space-related subjects is always as good.
Wowwww how cool is that?!?
Very cool! Second only to launching my own rocket at the same launch complex ;)
Yeah... that must be pretty cool 😎 😎 😎
That is awesome! I would love to witness a launch in person. I watched the delta IV heavy launch that tested the orion capsule and I hope to go to Florida and watch when they launch the new SLS launch system with a crewed orion capsule. And of course to photograph it as that's my thing ;)
So envious!
I look very much forward to seeing the SLS era, as well as the Falcon Heavy :)
Me too. Very exciting times ahead with the new exploration initiatives!
Really cool, I especially like the part about getting to see the old shuttles and the preserved apollo launch rooms. The power of all those old computers In the sixties control room may fit into the computer I'm holding today! Don't know if that's true but wouldn't be surprised.
I'll try and do a post on both of those experiences later this week :)
That wasn't just any launch. If I'm not mistaken the force is approximately 2 millions pounds of force. So 8.9 MegaNewtons! Damn, that's a big toy.
It sure is a beast!
Man I really wish I could experience a rocket launch one day! I really envy you.
Maybe you will one day! Commercial space is growing at an impressive pace, so it's not as rare an event as it used to be :)
I really hope so!
Just once in my life time, its all I needed, i wish to be there for spaceX program if the chance comes!!
Oh yeah! SpaceX did their first ever launch of a Falcon 9 carrying a resupply mission to the International Space Stations only weeks before I arrived. Wish I could have seen that too ^^
But I'm sure I will get the chance again one day. Launches are becoming more common after all :)
Amazing story, I wish I could have such and amazing opportunity!
Thank you! I hope you'll get the opportunity one day :)
This is awesome!! How do I get a ticket to the next launch?!
Happy that you enjoyed reading it!
Money can't buy you an entrance to that terrace from my pictures, but you can go to the Kenney Space Center Visitor's Complex a few miles out :)
Cool! I plan on doing that someday soon!
You had a great opportunity! Bravo!!
I'm so jealous! Why you do this? :p
I'm stuck here watching streams
sighsJokes aside, thanks for posting this!
I got to be there when I went to the International Space University :) Was the 9 best weeks of my life, easily!
The streams are still interesting though ;) never missing a SpaceX launch!
Glad you liked it!
Sure, streams are fun, but being right there must be a whole other experience!
I hate you!! Not really, but I do envy you :p
If I were there, it would be fun, hahaaha
What would you do? ^^
Fly with the rocket 😂
Nice post
Hi friend, very good !!!!!
You would help me with a vote in my Blog., Thanks !!! ;)
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STOPNasa refined German technologies in making such rockets for space exploration.
It Is Impossible for rocket propulsion to work In the vacuum of the fictional construct of outer space.
Wrong. Propulsion based rocket engines produce more thrust in vacuum than in the atmosphere due to lack of atmospheric pressure.
Am I right if I say that the reason you don't think a propulsion-based system would work in vacuum is because you think it needs to push against the particles in the air in order to move? If so you've misunderstood. Propulsion engines simply work by continuously generating a force in the opposite direction of it's intended movement, which in accordance with Newton's laws results in an equal reaction the other way. That force can be released regardless of the presence of air or atmospheric particles.
I know you won't accept Truth because you have to defend your position as a disinformation troll who worked for NASA.
There are two reasons why no rocket will work In a vacuum, the first Is you can't burn anything In the vacuum of outer space because there Is no oxygen, also the oxidizer explanation doesn't work, you need vast amounts of oxygen to keep the process going, the second Is there Is nothing to push against, period.