Waiting on Discovery

[Harryb]

Hi y'all,

Living on Florida's Space Coast its almost mandatory that you show some interest in the space program. Whenever there's a shuttle launch folks trek out to various spots on the river to watch the shuttle launch. They get there hours before the launch to get a good spot and they also get to bake in the sun.

http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123773-L.jpg

some kill the time by fishing
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123778-L.jpg

they almost never catch a fish
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123774-L.jpg

some find more mundane ways to kill the time
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123775-L.jpg

I hang out with the drinkers
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123776-L.jpg

while we bake, fish, drink, watch TV, etc Discovery sits on the pad
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123779-L.jpg

folks prepare to get "The Shot" with very tiny cameras
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123781-L.jpg

invariably the word comes down on the first day "Cancelled"
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123780-L.jpg

This was the only airborne sight
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123777-L.jpg

Now everybody hops in their cars and wait a long time for the traffic to move so they can go home. I head for a restaurant on the river where I can take a few pics and have a few more Coronas.
http://behret.smugmug.com/photos/83123772-L.jpg

Discovery naturally launched on its third try when I couldn't be there. I will try again when the next launch gets scheduled because its a fine excuse to drink a bunch of Coronas.

[THE TOUCH]

What a cool opportunity - I've always wanted to see a launch. Thanks for the pics, sorry you didn't get to see it.

So how often to they do a mission these days? When I was a kid, it was such a BIG DEAL! Now, you just don't hear about them anymore. Of coarse, it would probably help if I watched the news!:D

[allensphoto]

Hi y'all,

Discovery naturally launched on its third try when I couldn't be there. I will try again when the next launch gets scheduled because its a fine excuse to drink a bunch of Coronas.
Great stuff Harry,
i always look forward to your shots.. i never could get the taste of the coronas but i dang sure knock down a few buds. :1drink

[Harryb]

What a cool opportunity - I've always wanted to see a launch. Thanks for the pics, sorry you didn't get to see it.

So how often to they do a mission these days? When I was a kid, it was such a BIG DEAL! Now, you just don't hear about them anymore. Of coarse, it would probably help if I watched the news!:D

Thanks for stopping by Kevin. I think they are planning a couple of more flights now that the last one was so successful. The next one is tentatively scheduled for next March. That would be great because the temps will be much lower.

[gus]

About time harry...i was wondering when we were going to see some shuttle photos. You built me up & then slapped me with a cancellation !!

[Harryb]

Great stuff Harry,
i always look forward to your shots.. i never could get the taste of the coronas but i dang sure knock down a few buds. :1drink

Thanks for the very kind words Curtis. As hot as it was out there that day any brand of suds would have done the job. :beer

[Harryb]

About time harry...i was wondering when we were going to see some shuttle photos. You built me up & then slapped me with a cancellation !!

I am so sorry to have disappointed you Gus. However let me point out to you that I had to fight the traffic going there and coming back; I had to sit out there in some heavy duty heat for hours; I had to keep my 11 year old granddaughter entertained for those hours; I had to pay $10 to park so I could sit around in the heat; I had to put up with an unending stream of rugrats who wanted to look at Discovery through my 500mm lens (I should have charge dthe buggers for a peek, then I would had been able to afford a few more Coronas at the inflated price they were selling them for). I put up with all of that and then they cancelled the frigging launch.

Now on top of all of that I have to live with the knowledge that I "slapped you with a cancellation". I just don't get no breaks. :cry

Here's a link to a pic from a friend who was able to go out there when the launch went off.

http://www.nikoncafe.com/vforums/showthread.php?t=79665

[pathfinder]

Great story and great series of photos to go along with the story.

Sorry that there was no launch that day. March sounds like a funner time for the watchers though, lots cooler!!

A launch is a good excuse for a Corona, but then no one really needs an excuse for another Corona:thumb

[ehughes]

Very cool Harry, I'd love to watch a space shuttle take off.

[ChrisJ]

Great shots and story, Harry. I know almost exactly how it is... I was lucky enough to be there for the last (probably very last) night launch of the shuttle. It was scrubbed the first night because of rain in Spain (on the plain), so we trekked back the next night and managed to get lucky. Beautiful sight, and much cooler than daytime launches!

For this launch (maybe the same day?), we were in Epcot and looking in toward the coast when we heard it was scrubbed. It was stormy every afternoon that week...

[mushy]

Great series Harry and good story to go with, you may have missed the launch but I'm still very jealous that you get the opportunity to be there and I'm sure there will be more launches. How about landings, is there ever an opportunity to shoot these as well?

[Harryb]

Great story and great series of photos to go along with the story.

Sorry that there was no launch that day. March sounds like a funner time for the watchers though, lots cooler!!

A launch is a good excuse for a Corona, but then no one really needs an excuse for another Corona:thumb

Hey PF :wave

I'm looking forward to the March launch and hoping that I will finally get a shot of a shuttle launch. With luck it will take 3-4 tries giving me 3-4 days on the river drinking Coronas. Not a bad way to spend a few days.

[Harryb]

Very cool Harry, I'd love to watch a space shuttle take off.

Thanks Ed. If you want to see a shuttle launch come on down next March. Just make sure you can spare a few days because I have yet to see one go off on the first try.

[Harryb]

Great shots and story, Harry. I know almost exactly how it is... I was lucky enough to be there for the last (probably very last) night launch of the shuttle. It was scrubbed the first night because of rain in Spain (on the plain), so we trekked back the next night and managed to get lucky. Beautiful sight, and much cooler than daytime launches!

For this launch (maybe the same day?), we were in Epcot and looking in toward the coast when we heard it was scrubbed. It was stormy every afternoon that week...

Thanks Chris and I envy you seeing a night launch. They have stopped launching at night so that's a sight that we won't see again.

[Harryb]

Great series Harry and good story to go with, you may have missed the launch but I'm still very jealous that you get the opportunity to be there and I'm sure there will be more launches. How about landings, is there ever an opportunity to shoot these as well?

Hey Mushy,

Thanks for the kind words. I am hoping to do better with the March launch. They usually don't land at the KSC so its usually not possible to get a shot in my area. When they do land close by security is so tight you couldn't get a decent shot.

[BigAl]

Nice story and pics Harry. Wise of you to avoid the rush the way you did :D

[Harryb]

Nice story and pics Harry. Wise of you to avoid the rush the way you did :D

Thanks Al and to be honest I would have stopped at the restaurant and had some brews :slurpeven it there had been no rush. :rofl

[Seefutlung]

Too bad Harry. The can and cancelled were my fav.

Haven't been to a launch, but seen plenty of landings.
Columbia, on the first landing from space of the shuttle program.
13974

God bless them.

[Harryb]

Too bad Harry. The can and cancelled were my fav.

Haven't been to a launch, but seen plenty of landings.
Columbia, on the first landing from space of the shuttle program.
13974

God bless them.

Thanks, those were my two favorite shots too. I just heard that there's supposed to be a launch next month so I should have another crack at it.

[Angelo]

Harry I love each of these shots :thumb :clap

But where's the photo of the Corona? Or was the bottle moving too fast to capture? :rofl

[Harryb]

Harry I love each of these shots :thumb :clap

But where's the photo of the Corona? Or was the bottle moving too fast to capture? :rofl

Thanks Angelo. When it was full I was too busy with the Corona to take a shot and when it was empty it was just too sad a sight to shoot. :D

[Angelo]

Thanks Angelo. When it was full I was too busy with the Corona to take a shot and when it was empty it was just too sad a sight to shoot. :D

:lol3

[SpeshulEd]

If I were there, I'd join you in drinking those coronas. Hopefully someone brought limes! :):

[jerrykr]

Nice set of shots Harry. Despite the heat and long wait, it appears that you had a good day. Any day you can cap off with a few Coronas has to be good. :):

-=- Jerry -=-
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[tuggnet]

I'm told the only thing more spectacular than a shuttle launch was a Saturn V launch.

I was standing at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) during the last night shuttle launch (11/23/2002).

It went from night time to daylight in about 5 seconds!

Here is a shot of Endeavour as she clears the tower:

http://tuggnet.smugmug.com/photos/94924528-M.jpg

And one about 50NM downrange:

http://tuggnet.smugmug.com/photos/94924532-M.jpg

[wxwax]

Harry, is the shot of the shuttle a crop?

[tuggnet]

Harry, is the shot of the shuttle a crop?
I didn't mean to hijack Harry's thread. Neither shot is a crop. Both were taken with a Canon G2 and I swear I was shaking like a leaf from the vibration caused by the launch.

-et

[Harryb]

Harry, is the shot of the shuttle a crop?

I cropped it a tad, not more than 10%

[Harryb]

I didn't mean to hijack Harry's thread. Neither shot is a crop. Both were taken with a Canon G2 and I swear I was shaking like a leaf from the vibration caused by the launch.

-et

No problem both shots were on subject.