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As I write this, I'm watching my taped landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery. I didn't mention why I'd forgotten to set my alarm Sunday night. I'd tried to stay up to watch Discovery land. This is the last Shuttle flight ever. I wanted to see it land safely. At about 1:10AM I realized they'd switched from giving deadlines in Eastern time to Central time, I gave up, started the VCR recording and went to bed.
I was so tired yesterday that I didn't even try to stay up last night. The tape in the VCR was rewound and started recording again. There are people gathered in the visitor center at NASA. I didn't know it was an open door to any interested parties to watch launches and landings. Of course, one major detriment is that they seem to do these things in the wee hours of the morning. If I weren't working, I'd be there. But I have to work, so I have to sleep.
Eric and I were discussing how important they say visibility is to landing. Why then, we wonderered, do they land before the sun comes up? Anywhere near a coast will be foggy, won't it? Wouldn't visibility be better in daylight when the sun has a chance to burn off excess moisture in the air? I notice on the tape that it's just before dawn at Edwards Air Force Base, so there is the gloom of morning. Edwards AFB is also in the desert so that pesky fog isn't a problem.
I think I'm going to research that question. One thing that Eric thought is if anything happens, most people won't be up to see it. That made me wonder if anything happened, maybe they'd be able to track the white-hot debris better if it was dark. Gruesome thought, isn't it? A bonus to that is with everyone still in bed at home, there would be less people out and about to be hit by or mess with debris
Thankfully, oh so thankfully, no debris tracking was neccessary this time around! I have to admit that was one big reason I'd have trouble being at NASA for the landing. If something bad happened, my own emotions would be hard enough to deal with and adding the group emotions would make it all worse. Of course on the opposite side of it, the group emotions with the safe landing would have been terrific to share!
OK. I can take my green STS-114 wristband off now. It says on it: "EXPLORE DISCOVER UNDERSTAND Return to Flight" with the NASA logo after the word "Flight"
Hmm... I should probably buy a breast cancer wristband. Thursday is surgery day for my mom. I think I'll hunt down a local chapter to buy one. We all know she's going to be fine. Maybe it's all of your thoughts and prayers helping us! Thanks my dear friends!
One of my sister's online friends makes porcelin breast cancer pins and sent one as a surprise. She got it a day before Bruce's birthday party and showed it to everyone. It's so pretty. Maybe I should ask Sherrie where her friend sells them.
I was so tired yesterday that I didn't even try to stay up last night. The tape in the VCR was rewound and started recording again. There are people gathered in the visitor center at NASA. I didn't know it was an open door to any interested parties to watch launches and landings. Of course, one major detriment is that they seem to do these things in the wee hours of the morning. If I weren't working, I'd be there. But I have to work, so I have to sleep.
Eric and I were discussing how important they say visibility is to landing. Why then, we wonderered, do they land before the sun comes up? Anywhere near a coast will be foggy, won't it? Wouldn't visibility be better in daylight when the sun has a chance to burn off excess moisture in the air? I notice on the tape that it's just before dawn at Edwards Air Force Base, so there is the gloom of morning. Edwards AFB is also in the desert so that pesky fog isn't a problem.
I think I'm going to research that question. One thing that Eric thought is if anything happens, most people won't be up to see it. That made me wonder if anything happened, maybe they'd be able to track the white-hot debris better if it was dark. Gruesome thought, isn't it? A bonus to that is with everyone still in bed at home, there would be less people out and about to be hit by or mess with debris
Thankfully, oh so thankfully, no debris tracking was neccessary this time around! I have to admit that was one big reason I'd have trouble being at NASA for the landing. If something bad happened, my own emotions would be hard enough to deal with and adding the group emotions would make it all worse. Of course on the opposite side of it, the group emotions with the safe landing would have been terrific to share!
OK. I can take my green STS-114 wristband off now. It says on it: "EXPLORE DISCOVER UNDERSTAND Return to Flight" with the NASA logo after the word "Flight"
Hmm... I should probably buy a breast cancer wristband. Thursday is surgery day for my mom. I think I'll hunt down a local chapter to buy one. We all know she's going to be fine. Maybe it's all of your thoughts and prayers helping us! Thanks my dear friends!
One of my sister's online friends makes porcelin breast cancer pins and sent one as a surprise. She got it a day before Bruce's birthday party and showed it to everyone. It's so pretty. Maybe I should ask Sherrie where her friend sells them.
