Crewed rocket launch at NASA
In the previous blog we drove to Cape Canaveral where we tried to watch the Falcon 9 rocket launch but unfortunately this got cancelled due to weather.
In this adventure we have a new experience visiting (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) NASA and watch a rocket launch!
Our first day at NASA, we woke up early, excited for the two coming days in which we would learn all about space. Our bags were packed full of snacks, water and sunscreen. From our night accommodation in Titusville, we drove 20 minutes to the Kennedy Space Center, we parked the car and walked through the entrance. At the entrance there was a big screen that makes things look 3D it was pretty cool to look at. The gates opened earlier than advertised, we think it was due to there being a crewed rocket launch scheduled (the same one that didn’t go ahead yesterday).
As we were walking in, we admired the ‘rocket garden’. The garden features real and replica rockets from many of NASA’s programs. We watched a bit of the pre-launch rocket commentary which they were doing on the screen. We learned that the Falcon 9 rocket is 63 metres tall, and on this specific day it was taking Crew 11 to the International Space Station. As they were preparing for the launch, they showed the astronauts standing at the bottom of the rocket they were going to fly in. The astronauts, waved at the enormous construction then went up in the lift and got strapped into their seats ready for take-off.
Now before I continue telling you about the launch, lets dive into what we experienced at NASA. There were several things I thought NASA did very well in their Visitor Center. I really loved how NASA kept the memories of astronauts alive that were lost in tragedies as humankind is exploring the moon and space. All through the park there where all sorts of places that their memories and bravery where highlighted. Another thing I really liked was that they were able to create a sense of inspiration full of aww and wonder. NASA as a whole is a demonstration of the amazing things that humans have and are currently are doing. It also shows that when a society is doing well aka no wars, dictators and struggle for most people in society they can turn their attention to truly inspiring human quests.
They made sure to emphasise that it’s about the human innovation into space flight not a specific country. I was quite surprised to learn how many people work behind the scenes to make it possible to send people into space. When I used to see videos of rocket launches with astronauts on board I just thought about the astronauts. I never thought about the hundreds and thousands of people that work on every element of the rocket. Not to mention the amazing feat it is when all the hundreds of highly researched and engineered parts work together. I guess the NASA experience gave me a bigger appreciation and understanding of the work that is required for putting people and rockets into space.
After we watched the astronauts climb aboard their Falcon 9 rocket, there were still several hours to go before launch time. We decided the first place we should visit Was the Gateway Building. We ended up doing a virtual reality experience in the Blue Origin rocket. This is the same one that is made by Jeff Bezos’ company and the one that Katy Perry flew in recently.
Another thing we got to do was go on a ride where we got to explore Uncharted Worlds and the ride was called Spaceport. It was a fun immersive experience because you were flying through the galaxy. To make it feel realistic the seats moved, they blasted us with air generating the feeling we were flying. I think the coolest part of the experience was flying through an asteroid belt, I could feel rocks in my seat and on my legs.
Once we completed the ride, we (SQAD) split up and started to explore the building on our own. We walked around and just let everything wash over us.
After spending a bit of time viewing the Gateway Building it was time to go outside and get ready for launch as well as have a picnic lunch. Similarly to the previous day, another storm had formed near the rocket, and it got down to a minute as they gave it a 40% chance to reach the “go” for launch status but even though the chances were lower this day, the launch went ahead, and the crew made it into space.
It was an incredible sight-seeing this enormous rocket launch into space, knowing that there where humans onboard helping push our knowledge about all sorts of things into the future. During the day I learned about the research that they do in space helps our understanding of many areas including scientific advancements like, breakthroughs in treating osteoporosis, muscle atrophy, and even cancer. This is not even mentioning the enormous impact space flight has had on technological advancements. Some of these inventions include memory foam, scratch-resistant lenses, water purification systems, and even the camera sensors.
Once the rocket was so high that we could not see it any more we jumped into the Space Shuttle Atlantis building for some aircon and to learn about the shuttle program. In this building I learned about some of the tragedies and successes of the space shuttle program. I have a dedicated future blog coming up which is all about the Space Shuttle program.
Then at around 3pm when we decided to go to the IMAX movie theatre where we got to see the premier of a documentary about the Blue Angels. The Blue Angels are the official flight demonstration team of the United States Navy. They are known for performing precision aerobatics with multiple aircrafts. Six aircraft are typically used for demonstration flights during an air show. The movie was initiated by a previous Blue Angel pilot who wanted to do something to make American’s proud of themselves again. As this was the first ever screening of this documentary, the former leader of the Blue Angels delivered and introduction to the film’s audience in person and received a big cheer from the crowd.
After we finished the documentary, we went for a break at one of the Starbucks and decided to go home as it was getting late.
In the next blog we spend another day at the Kennedy Space Center, get to tour the actual launch pads and the Vehicle Assembly Building; we get to meet an astronaut, and see an actual Saturn V moon rocket right up close!
Before I go, I’d just like to acknowledge, how lucky I feel to be able to experience all this cool stuff and see it connect over time across countries and continents. A few months ago, in a totally different location on the globe, I got to see telescopes in the Atacama Desert that look at far away celestial objects and help us understand more about the universe. Now I’m getting to see the rockets and people who fly into space.
