I was in Florida last week for the inaugural Falcon Heavy launch, and though I wish I could do a mind meld and share the memories directly with you, the technology doesn’t yet exist.
Here’s the next best thing:
Destin is right. The sights are awesome, but it’s the sound that really makes the experience. Be sure to watch through to the point where the boosters come home to roost.
(Note for the impatient: Ignition happens around 3:20 into the video.)
Destin doesn’t mention this, but of course you don’t hear the sound immediately when the rocket ignites. The pad is about three miles from the Vehicle Assembly Building, so the sound arrives about fifteen seconds after the sight.
I always enjoy those first few seconds of the rocket rising gracefully and silently, knowing what’s to come.
Note to southern California readers:
Set your alarms early for Sunday morning. A Falcon 9 is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg AFB at 6:16 AM, about a half hour before sunrise. Dawn and dusk launches are the best, because the rocket’s exhaust plume is illuminated by the sun while viewers below are in the earth’s shadow. The results can be spectacular.
Here’s what the last dusk launch looked like from Disneyland, which is about 150 miles southeast of the launch pad:
SoCal readers: Tomorrow morning’s Falcon 9 launch has been scrubbed.
The good news is that it’s been rescheduled for Wednesday at roughly the same time (6:17 AM), so the potential for a gorgeous illuminated exhaust plume is still there.
I never heard of the falcon. it was cool to hear it and it looks different then other things they have shot up that I saw on youtube.
I cheered. The landings were even better!
Rich:
Between the total eclipse, a bunch of rocket launches, two meteor showers and the EAA fly-in at Oshkosh, it’s been a good year for cheering at things in the sky! 🙂
keiths,
I saw the full solar eclipse whilst mining sapphires & rubies in North Carolina.
Rich:
Cool! Near Franklin? My brother lives in Hendersonville and I’ve heard about the sapphire mines.
I was in Grand Teton National Park.
keiths,
Yeah – This one: http://cherokeerubymine.com/
Pleased I saw it – funny thing was I was waiting for the moon to come galloping in but it was hidden by being so close to the sun.
SoCal readers — as of 4 pm PST, the Falcon 9 is still go for a 6:17 am launch tomorrow.
Set your alarms!
Falcon 9 launch scrubbed due to high-level winds. Rescheduled for 6:17 am tomorrow.
Yesterday’s launch went off without a hitch, and the fairing half they’d planned to recover still ended up in the drink, but apparently undamaged, floating like a cork.