Launch.......Abort

Mims, Florida
Crystal Lake RV Park

It was an early morning departure for us today as we were going to Kennedy Space Center.  We pulled into the parking lot around 9 am when they opened.  Everything I researched about it was that it would take the whole day to tour.

When we paid for our tickets we found out that there was a Falcon 9 scheduled for launch today.  The nice lady at the ticket both said that once there were three thousand people at the Saturn center, they wouldn't take any more people there.

We decided to take the bus tour and go to the Saturn Center.  Because launch pad 39 had the Falcon 9 on the pad we couldn't drive as close as normal.  

Just a hint if you ever visit the space center, sit on the right side of the bus.  Here's a poor photo of the VAB--vehicle assembly building.  I wish I could remember all the facts and figures.  It's the largest one story building.  The doors were over 400 feet tall.  There's a flag on the side of the building that covers the equivalent of 21 floors.

Here's the Falcon 9 at launch pad 39A that is ready to be launched.  

I can not describe the size of this Saturn--it's huge.  One thing I do remember is that there are over two million parts.




Outside the Saturn Center were the bleachers where astronauts would bring their families to watch the launches.  First ladies also watched the launch from the bleachers.  This is where the 3,000 people were allowed to watch the launch.  While this is 3.9 miles from the launch pad, it is the closest that anyone can safely be.

We decided to have lunch and since we had a table with an umbrella, wait until the 4:12 launch.  We shared the table with another couple and the time flew by.  Finally, they announced that the launch was postponed until 5:47.  At that point we knew we'd missed some other exhibits so took the bus back to the Space Center.  

The Atlantis was in this building.  It was fun watching the kids crawl through some of the displays.




When we left that building we went to the bleachers beside the Atlantis building to wait for the launch.  There was a huge screen  to watch the launch.  We watched the clock count down.  We were told what was happening the last ten minutes.  Less than a minute to go and everyone has their cameras ready.  Well, most everyone.  I had two camera batteries and now both were exhausted.  I grabbed my camera and had it ready.  When the clock got down to 58 seconds, it stopped.  We then heard that it aborted but they still could launch.  The clock went back to 15 minutes but didn't move.  They said it could launch in a window up until 6:21.  At 6:05 they said it was scrubbed until tomorrow.  

I'm charging camera batteries now.

Turtle Safely........