posted 02-25-2011 11:11 PM               

I'll start:

In 2005, I tried to attend the launch of Discovery on STS-114 after getting an invite from a friend online (he had an extra causeway ticket). Alas, we were defeated by the infamous ECO sensor failure in the ET which caused them to scrub for the next two weeks.

Fast forward to 2006 as I tried to get causeway tickets again for STS-121 as I didn't want to be denied my chance to see a shuttle flight as I knew another foam loss on the tank might kill the program. I was at work and my dad tried to make the purchase. He didn't get the tickets I wanted and ended up getting the visitors center ticket instead. I wanted more though and through some very lucky breaks, I was able to secure a press pass (I gave my visitors center ticket to somebody else who came to see the launch. I gave it to him for no money as I wanted him to have a good memory of it).

I was there to do a serious job, but enjoyed every minute of it. I also met Robert for the first time (we knew each of each other online for a while from our postings in a space modelers forum) and also met Ben (before he was a NASA photographer). It also gave me quite an education about the goings on at the press site. The photos I took of Discovery at the RSS rollback were majestic. Granted none got published as so many better photographers took better pictures of the stack, but at least I got some decent ones.

Also thanks to Robert, after a couple launch scrubs, I got my first news scoop as I came to the press site on Monday when I heard that the ET foam had developed a crack and another piece had fallen off. He had both pictures up on screen from two different news agencies, I looked at them and concluded they were photos of the same piece. So for about 25 minutes, we were the center of attention in the press room as others kept saying "What did you find?!" Of course, the press conference about an hour later confirmed it.

I sat in on the press conference that day and asked my first question. Todd Halvorsen of Florida Today paid me a great compliment after I asked my question as I asked him if it was too goofy. He said "No, it sounded like you knew what the **** you were talking about."

The foam was not an issue though and Discovery roared off the pad on July 4, 2006. My life changed forever at that point.I couldn't have scripted a better climax to that day as the colors, the sounds, the whole experience was so vibrant.

My next shuttle launch was STS-131, which became Discovery's last night launch. I was there covering the event for my book and for Nebraska as Clay Anderson was making a return trip to space. The press site was much the same as it was for 121, although the crowd was slightly thinner since it wasn't a return to flight mission. Plus I had been there for Ares I-X as well about six months earlier. I made a couple new friends on that trip, and reinforced old ones. I also got an invite to attend Easter dinner with a friend of mine who went to high school with Guenter Wendt's daughter (and yes, Guenter Wendt was there. Hard to believe he wasn't going to be around in a month as he was just as talkative as ever that day).

When it came time for launch, I had been up about 24 hours as I attended outdoor Catholic Easter sunrise mass the day before (and saw the ISS cruise overhead), went to shoot photos of RSS rollback, went to Easter dinner (which involved a two hour drive both up and back). I got to the press site early as I wanted a good seat. I could have slept in a couple hours first as not many people were there yet. But I got to see the crew walkout (bring a step ladder next time) and said goodbye to Mr. Clay. I also got some good settings to try on my Nikon for the launch as shooting pictures of a night launch can be very difficult for a novice.

And so Discovery launched on-time to a pre-dawn spectacular. It may be the last night launch of a shuttle unless another program delay makes it occur again. She lit up the sky and I got my pictures of it. The coolest thing though was after SRB seperation when the shuttle was high in the atmosphere, sunlight reflecting off the particulates from the SSMEs created a really bright halo effect. It was incredible! A YouTube poster shot some nice video of it from a beach north of KSC and his angle makes it look like a comet almost.

posted 02-27-2011 07:07 AM               

It's a long story, but in 2008 I was commissioned to do a project on behalf of the transportation office at KSC. As a thank-you I was invited down for the STS-124 launch and got the VIP treatment, and viewed 124's launch from the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

Thankfully, Discovery got off the pad right on schedule. We didn't get the full-on wall of launch noise I'd heard about, but I did get some really neat pictures. Later, though, I wished I'd spent more watching instead of getting pictures, because it was over with so quickly -- television does not give you an adequate impression of just how fast the Shuttle leaves the ground. Still, two things that I'll never forget: the applause from the crowd when the SRBs separated, and more applause after the "negative return" call.

posted 02-27-2011 12:07 PM               

This was a few weeks before STS-114 and during the tour, we were going to one of the places (it was raining a bit) and the tour guide said "if you look to you left you can see Collins and Drew. We would give them a ride, but we can't because of quarantine issues."

When we went to the NBL, I got to see one of the crew doing some simulations in the pool. He was doing something that involved "making 18 turns to the left" It was a very cool experience for me.

posted 03-06-2011 08:03 PM               

As an additional benefit to the airline perks, we made our way out to Edwards AFB for the landing a week later. That was really cool...seeing the same ship we saw leave from Florida returning to the famous test flight center. Unfortunately, we were all set up to see it land on the lakebed, but winds forced a change to the concrete runway shortly before landing. The view wasn't the best, but NASA made up for it.

A few hours after landing, the entire crew came out to the viewing site to talk to everyone, and the ground crew towed Discovery right by us on the way to the mate/demate device for the ride home. One of these days I'll get those old slides converted to digital format

I was lucky enough to see Discovery fly three more times. I was on the causeway for STS-31 and the launch of the Hubble telescope, in Titusville for the night launch of STS-56, and back up close again for STS-91 to Mir.

Of course, most will remember Discovery getting a rocky start in the space trucking business, with the last-second pad abort on STS-41D. I will never forget the speed with which the crew exited the vehicle once the hatch was opened! Years later, Hank Hartsfield commented that had they not sat tight and waited for the closeout crew, there was a good chance of injury due to the invisible fire that was burning alongside the left side of the orbiter.

I hope the plan to have her displayed at NASM comes through. I live nearby and will spare no expense to be there the day she is delivered on the SCA.

posted 03-06-2011 08:13 PM               

As I stood on a little grassy hill behind the student center, I scanned the horizon for any sign of the two vehicles. Sure enough, right at 5:35, at bright spot appeared, passing the moon as it trailed across the sky. Following behind was a somewhat fainter point of light; Discovery. I followed it until it passed over the eastern horizon into the rising sun.

posted 03-06-2011 08:31 PM               

In 2005 I was at KSC to watch the landing attempts in August. I remember getting up very early in the morning and making the drive to KSC and getting disappointed when she landed in California but very happy that she returned safely.

Now as far as STS-133 launch I had a VIP pass to watch the launch from the Saturn V center viewing area back in November 2010 and how really disappointed I was that launch attempt was scrubbed. I was not able to make it last month, unfortunately.

So every time I have been at KSC to either see Discovery launch or land she (Discovery) out smarts me and I walk away without seeing a launch or landing. I guess I could write a book about being disappointed at KSC but please know that I am very proud of NASA/KSC team for keeping Discovery in excellent condition and keeping her and her sister orbiters safe.

posted 03-07-2011 12:16 AM               

I organised my flight roster so that I had a 54-hour layover in Los Angeles on a working trip to the States. On arrival in Los Angeles I went with my crew to our Long Beach hotel, made sure they were properly registered and all was okay, had a quick shower and changed in my room, packed a small case with clothes and toiletries and then caught a shuttle back to LAX. I jumped on board a Delta flight direct to Orlando and on arrival (no hire cars were avialable due to the launch) caught a cab to the motel I'd booked for the night. There were many other adventures associated with this, but suffice it to say that when Discovery took to the skies the next afternoon I was there.

As I'd arrived at the KSC gates by cab I suddenly had a big problem - how to get back to Orlando Airport. No cabs, no buses, no means of transport. Fortunately I began talking with a fellow whose friend happened to have a small payload on the flight, and they offered me a lift back to the airport in their hire car. They could not believe that I'd flown over from Australia just to see the launch, and would fly back home the next day. Anyway, we got to the airport (took four hours!) in time for me to catch a direct flight back to LAX. I arrived there late evening, and the next afternoon my crew and I were driven out to LAX and we operated home to Sydney.

I was exhausted, had hardly slept for two days, but it was (and remains) my only shuttle launch, and it is certainly an experience I will never, ever forget.

posted 03-07-2011 02:18 AM            

I was planning a trip to stay with friends in Whistler, British Columbia, and knew I'd be passing through the west coast in the first few days of February. I had time to dart across to the east coast to catch the launch, but figured it the chances of an on-time launch were slim and that launch would be delayed so it would be a wasted effort (I knew I couldn't stay in Fla. longer than about 36 hrs, in order to preserve my schedule).

So I decided not to go, and headed straight up the west coast LAX to Seattle, Vancouver to meet my friends. Of course, Discovery launched on time on 3 Feb., so I could have made the launch after all!

posted 03-07-2011 05:37 PM               

STS-82 was a night launch, so I checked into my hotel by the water in Titusville, turned on NASA tv, and dozed off. By some fluke I did not call for a 'wake-up' or set an alarm clock, just woke up by happenstance five minutes from launch; put on my 'lucky' vintage KSC hat, and walked to the waters' edge. It was a truly spectacular launch, making night into day; it reminded me of film of the Apollo 17 liftoff.

posted 03-09-2011 05:15 AM               

We took the bus and went out to one of the viewing points to which I took as many photos as possible and when we returned home I watched the launch on television but nevertheless I had traveled to what I consider my own Mecca and found sat waiting for me this fantastic machine.

posted 03-09-2011 10:20 AM               

Last evening, on its final visible night passage over the east coast, I observed it once again. This time it was accompanied by the ISS, in earth orbit.

posted 03-29-2011 01:38 PM               

While Atlantis will always be my bird, Discovery is the first orbiter I saw up close, so I certainly feel a connection with her!

After her return to Earth for STS-128 (EDW landing), she began her journey home atop the SCA on September 20, 2009. We received word the night before the her first refueling top would be Amarillo, TX, which is just two hours north of where I live.

We knew it would take about three hours for her to reach Amarillo after taking off from Edwards Air Force Base, so I jumped in my truck at 8 am (the same time Discovery took off) and headed north. The extra hour would give me time to make sure I had the best viewing location possible. The one I picked was only 600 yards from the refueling location, which sounds like a long way, but anyone who has been that close to the shuttle knows it isn't!

I got there at 10 am and she followed an hour later. No words can describe the overwhelming feeling of seeing a space shuttle orbiter up close for the first time, but the fact that there were a few tears in my eyes as she rolled to a stop in front of us should give you an idea of what it's like.

She sat on the end of the runway for over two hours as an air-show-sized crowd gathered to see her. Many people showed up in church-attire since it was a Sunday.

Hundreds had professional camera equipment set up to document the occasion (knowing it could be the last chance they have to see an operational orbiter).

Even a local TV news station had sent a reporter/cameraman to to talk to some people about it and my fast-talking, excitement-filled interview was on the shuttle segment that evening! I would have been annoyed at the reporter for not crediting me with the facts I gave him but it was such an awesome day I honestly couldn't have cared less.

We watched her roll passed after the fueling was complete and taxi to the end of the runway, after which she took off right in front of us and headed to her next destination.

posted 04-28-2011 05:44 AM               

Like many of cS members I was a "space-case" growing up. I couldn't get enough. In 1972 for my 16th birthday my parents paid for my Dad and I to fly to Florida to see the launch of Apollo 17. Our US Senator had arranged for Dad and I to be invited. I was always indebted to them for that sacrifice as money was always tight.

Fast forward to 1994. My family and I had moved to Titusville in 1991. My parents had retired to Bradenton in 1989. My Dad was on dialysis 3 days a week. In 1992 we helped them move to Titusville so we could be close. We saw launches from Space View Park or our driveway but I always wanted Mom and Dad to feel it up close.