No superlatives can capture the awesomeness of what we just witnessed. Well done. HOOAH!!!
Craftsman X, I did enjoy a great view of Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter early this morning. Mars at 200x using red filter shows some surface features, gibbous shape, and south polar cap very visible. Jupiter is approaching opposition on 14-July. Jupiter and its moons are something to see now in the telescope views. Enjoyable morning out 0400-0530 EDT. Saturn, rings with Cassini division distinct and Titan moon. Cloud bands on Saturn, especially noticeable using my red filter. I used my 90-mm refractor. By 0445 EDT, the sky was brightening in the east and continued as sunrise approached near 0543 this morning so I decided to come back in shortly after 0530. I watched NASA TV on the web when I came back in, viewed the Dragon dock with ISS and the astronauts enter. Very nice, yesterday seeing the Dragon launch, this morning observing Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter with my telescope and then watching the Dragon and our astronauts approach ISS for docking and astronaut entry later. An enjoyable time in space - from my location on Earth --RodCool Rod, have a good viewing!
Sounds fantastic Rod...Craftsman X, I did enjoy a great view of Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter early this morning. Mars at 200x using red filter shows some surface features, gibbous shape, and south polar cap very visible. Jupiter is approaching opposition on 14-July. Jupiter and its moons are something to see now in the telescope views. Enjoyable morning out 0400-0530 EDT. Saturn, rings with Cassini division distinct and Titan moon. Cloud bands on Saturn, especially noticeable using my red filter. I used my 90-mm refractor. By 0445 EDT, the sky was brightening in the east and continued as sunrise approached near 0543 this morning so I decided to come back in shortly after 0530. I watched NASA TV on the web when I came back in, viewed the Dragon dock with ISS and the astronauts enter. Very nice, yesterday seeing the Dragon launch, this morning observing Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter with my telescope and then watching the Dragon and our astronauts approach ISS for docking and astronaut entry later. An enjoyable time in space - from my location on Earth --Rod
After some struggle,, it looks like we're getting closer to finally seeing SpaceX's first astronaut mission. So, what are you most excited about? Frankly, I will forever be fascinated by the engineering and know-how it takes to get a gargantuan piece of machinery into space.
Oh, and don't forget to head on over back to this thread to give us your live reactions and thoughts as the launch commences. For now, we're scheduled for tomorrow at 3:22 PM EDT.
C'mon Florida weather, help us out!
I could have shown you a better, more powerful way of doing it without the possibility of explosion. My tech takes absolutely no fuel. My only problem is I don't know how to build the correct circuit board. You what to beat Russia to Mars, not an rocket or nuclear power you won't. I tried and tried to get through to someone but hey good luck with spending all that money that doesn't need to be spent just for fuel alone, especially Mars.It's such an incredible feat to witness every single time. It's amazing what the brilliant and brave can accomplish.
I wasn't around for the early US missile tests. I wasn't around for the NASA Mercury and Gemini projects. I was too young to remember the Apollo missions or the initial moon landing, and beyond that, there wasn't enough fanfare for my parents to make any other landing a memorable affair for me.
I remember Skylab falling back to Earth on my birthday in 1979. I remember the Enterprise liftoff from a 747 and landing. I remember Columbia's first launch....
I remember waking up in my college dorm room on January 28th, 1986. I only had afternoon classes on Tuesdays. I didn't make it to any of them that day.
I remember exactly where I was when Discovery lifted off on the 29th of Sept, 1988. I had joined the Air Force a year earlier. I was in my office with most of my entire squadron gathered around a 6" portable TV screen, watching the launch. My heart was racing as Discovery lifted off and it all but stopped when I heard the five scariest words I've ever heard: "Discovery. Go with throttle up." 30 seconds later, my eyes were full of tears and I had a fist raised in triumph.
Sadly, I was also watching on the 1st of February, 2003 and I heard the second scariest sentence I ever heard, "TC Flight: Lock the doors".
Unfortunately, I have a busy schedule this Saturday and may not be able to watch the launch live, but I know I will have the full gamut of emotions running that day. I'll post again, after tomorrow's events.
-Wolf sends
I wasn't around for the early US missile tests. I wasn't around for the NASA Mercury and Gemini projects. I was too young to remember the Apollo missions or the initial moon landing, and beyond that, there wasn't enough fanfare for my parents to make any other landing a memorable affair for me.
I remember Skylab falling back to Earth on my birthday in 1979. I remember the Enterprise liftoff from a 747 and landing. I remember Columbia's first launch....
I remember waking up in my college dorm room on January 28th, 1986. I only had afternoon classes on Tuesdays. I didn't make it to any of them that day.
I remember exactly where I was when Discovery lifted off on the 29th of Sept, 1988. I had joined the Air Force a year earlier. I was in my office with most of my entire squadron gathered around a 6" portable TV screen, watching the launch. My heart was racing as Discovery lifted off and it all but stopped when I heard the five scariest words I've ever heard: "Discovery. Go with throttle up." 30 seconds later, my eyes were full of tears and I had a fist raised in triumph.
Sadly, I was also watching on the 1st of February, 2003 and I heard the second scariest sentence I ever heard, "TC Flight: Lock the doors".
Unfortunately, I have a busy schedule this Saturday and may not be able to watch the launch live, but I know I will have the full gamut of emotions running that day. I'll post again, after tomorrow's events.
-Wolf sends