Friday, February 24, 2012

And we are go for launch

One of the perks of living on Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is that NASA shoots up rockets in your backyard. Tonight I went out and watched the launching of the Atlas V Mobile User Objective System 1 satellite. The MUOS 1 is a military satellite, which will "improve ground communications for U.S. forces on the move" ( from the Kennedy Space Center website).

It's a pretty spectacular sight, and I managed to get a video. I apologize for the shakiness, I'm not very good at holding still.

If you listen closely you can hear the countdown on the radio. There is an AM station that follows the launches and talks directly to the Air Force and NASA people involved with the launch. It's very interesting to hear what they do to prepare, and to know what's going on, especially if there is a weather delay, as there was last time I went to watch a launch.

The large building is the Vehicle Assembly Building of the Kennedy Space Center.



Here are some pictures before and after the launch






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2 comments:

  1. AnonymousFebruary 24, 2012 at 9:56 PM

    Cool! When I lived in Georgia we could see the shuttle launches on the horizon if we stood on the beach and looked south, which was fun.

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  2. UnknownFebruary 26, 2012 at 3:04 PM

    I'm jealous! I wish I had been around this area to see shuttle launches before they stopped them. We sell a shirt here at the Visitor Center that with a picture of the shuttle and of a Dusky Seaside Sparrow, and says "Extinct Species."

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