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Night launches are so cool.

Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:34 am
Posted by Gator515151
orlando, fl
Member since Oct 2009
121 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:34 am
LINK

Last nights falcon 9 launch. I'm pissed because I didn't even know there was a launch last night until the sky lit up. Falcon 9 don't light it up like the Shuttle used to but still cool. Haven't seen a Falcon Heavy launch yet but I bet it will be much like the Shuttle.
Posted by JPinLondon
not in London (currently NW Ohio)
Member since Nov 2006
7855 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:42 am to
Of the ~11 space shuttle launches I made it to, one was a night launch and one was just pre-dawn.

Indescribably epic, especially from the VAB (three miles).

To paraphase a Southwest Airlines employee I took to the countdown clock for the 2nd to last launch, in 2011...

JP, in my business we manage passengers, luggage, flight loads, fuel, and a bit of lift, thrust, and fight gravity and drag.

You guys sit there, for all mankind, and push a button that says to all... frick GRAVITY!


This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 6:49 am
Posted by auggie
Opelika, Alabama
Member since Aug 2013
28936 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:42 am to
I have never been to a launch, but I went to a test at Marshall, that ended up being delayed,( I'm guessing on purpose, it was a beautiful night) until after dark.
I was a quarter mile away from the stand, and it was bad as frick. Earth quaking, ear aching, feel it in your chest, volcano eruption bad arse.
That was a rocket that Boeing had purchased from Russia, and it was being tested at Marshall for some reason.
It was only brought up to 60% power, can't imagine what full power would be like at night.
This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 7:17 am
Posted by Gator515151
orlando, fl
Member since Oct 2009
121 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:51 am to
I grew up in Cocoa Beach. Until the movie the Right Stuff came out I never realized Alan Shepard, John Glenn & the boys were famous. Cocoa Beach was a very small town in the 60s and to us they were just neighbors.
Posted by JPinLondon
not in London (currently NW Ohio)
Member since Nov 2006
7855 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 6:59 am to
Cute story, and WOW on that experience. But I gotta tell ya... if you went from the earyl-1960s to early 1980s not realizing that the dudes who flew in space, walked on the moon, and got ticker-tape parades on Broadway "weren't famous".. well, pick up a magazine, my friend!

Also, did they ALL own corvettes, or just some?
This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 7:00 am
Posted by Themole
Palatka Florida
Member since Feb 2013
5557 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 7:10 am to
quote:

Also, did they ALL own corvettes, or just some?


Some owned GT 350s and 289 Cobras. Ray Hunt Ford,in Daytona, was the southern distributor for Shelby American.
Posted by 10MTNTiger
Banks of the Guadalupe
Member since Sep 2012
4139 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 7:39 am to
quote:

Also, did they all own corvettes, or just some?


The a grand tour guys did an AWESOME piece on the astronaut cars, here you go (it’s only a piece of it):

LINK
This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 7:43 am
Posted by Gator515151
orlando, fl
Member since Oct 2009
121 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 7:45 am to
quote:

Cute story, and WOW on that experience. But I gotta tell ya... if you went from the earyl-1960s to early 1980s not realizing that the dudes who flew in space, walked on the moon, and got ticker-tape parades on Broadway "weren't famous".. well, pick up a magazine, my friend!
We knew they were famous but not how famous. John Glenn & Scott Carpenter spoke at our boy scout troop. Some of them spoke at our school. I think the Satelite Hotel was the only restaurant on the island at the time, we would see a bunch of astronauts eating Sunday dinner there all the time. They were basically neighbors for all we knew.
This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 7:48 am
Posted by Rex Feral
Member since Jan 2014
12840 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 7:50 am to
quote:

I grew up in Cocoa Beach. Until the movie the Right Stuff came out I never realized Alan Shepard, John Glenn & the boys were famous. Cocoa Beach was a very small town in the 60s and to us they were just neighbor


Now that's an awesome story.

I saw a night shuttle launch from New Smyrna Beach once and it was unbelievable. My cousins were jumping up and down cheering.

I heard the sonic boom once with a shuttle landed, too. It's right up there with an F15 flyover at a ballgame.

This post was edited on 3/7/20 at 7:52 am
Posted by DawgCountry
Great State of GA
Member since Sep 2012
30861 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 8:07 am to
The stage 1 return to the pad amazes me every time. So cool
Posted by HubbaBubba
North of DFW, TX
Member since Oct 2010
47049 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 8:57 am to
quote:

Also, did they ALL own corvettes, or just some?
I had dinner with Walt Cunningham, Apollo 7 astronaut, in 2018. 83 years old and when we left the restaurant what does the valet pull up in for him to drive?

A C7 Z06 Corvette, of course. Dude is gonna bad arse to the very end.
Posted by Tesla
the Laurentian Abyss
Member since Dec 2011
8670 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 9:28 am to
Watching it from my driveway in Vero, the separation made a curly cloud and I must admit, I held my breath for a second.
Posted by unclejhim
Folsom, La.
Member since Nov 2011
3703 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 9:36 am to
quote:

The a grand tour guys did an AWESOME piece on the astronaut cars, here you go (it’s only a piece of it):

LINK



That was cool...
Posted by roadGator
Member since Feb 2009
145277 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 10:11 am to
At the end of the video, the ship was over 26k miles an hour. Wow
Posted by Gator515151
orlando, fl
Member since Oct 2009
121 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 11:56 am to
Just in case anybody is ever on Florida's east coast on a launch day the best place to view a launch in my opinion is Titusville. From Orlando you head east on Hwy50 until it dead ends at US1. Turn left and go about 1/2 mile. You can park along the highway in several locations. Straight across the Indian River you can see the launch pad. At night it is lit up and easy to spot.

We used to watch the Shuttle launches from there. You are about 2 or 3 miles from the pad and the river is all that is in your way. When they light up the engines at night it is like instant daylight. About 3 seconds later you see the shock wave coming across the river and the ground starts to shake. A second or two later you start to hear the rumble of the rocket engines. Next to wild kinky sex it is about the greatest feeling known to man.
Posted by roadkill
East Coast, FL
Member since Oct 2008
1954 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 12:15 pm to
Yep, watched it from my balcony.

As someone else noted, the 1st stage separation looked odd for about 5 seconds, almost as though the vehicle exploded.

And the double sonic boom when the booster landed back at the Cape was one of the loudest yet - atmospheric acoustics must have been optimal - it set off car alarms in ours and neighboring condo complexes.


SpaceX will attempt a manned launch in May - that will be a great day for the USA. :usa: :usa:
Posted by SeeeeK
some where
Member since Sep 2012
28877 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 12:19 pm to
quote:

Last nights falcon 9 launch. I'm pissed because I didn't even know there was a launch last night until the sky lit up. Falcon 9 don't light it up like the Shuttle used to but still cool. Haven't seen a Falcon Heavy launch yet but I bet it will be much like the Shuttle.


Was able to see 2 night launches while living in Florida. We would grab a 6'er of natty ice/Miller, then head to Satellite beach, relax on the beach and enjoy the shite beer and the launch.
Posted by SeeeeK
some where
Member since Sep 2012
28877 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 12:31 pm to
quote:

Just in case anybody is ever on Florida's east coast on a launch day the best place to view a launch in my opinion is Titusville


Satellite beach is a good spot.
Posted by Saint Alfonzo
Member since Jan 2019
23820 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 3:32 pm to
We watched a night launch from our cruise ship this past December. Pretty cool.
Posted by Dale51
Member since Oct 2016
32378 posts
Posted on 3/7/20 at 4:23 pm to
quote:

Some owned GT 350s and 289 Cobras. Ray Hunt Ford,in Daytona, was the southern distributor for Shelby American.


Daaamn..those were the days! I see Candy Apple Red in my mind!
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