Up close with space shuttle Discovery. Image: Nancy Atkinson

“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases, it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams ….
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth…”
—John Keats

I love that poem by John Keats, but if he had been able to see a space shuttle launch, he might have changed those last couple of lines to something like, “Every day, we labor so that humanity can soar out into the Cosmos.”

And that is what the technicians and specialists who work with the space shuttles at Kennedy Space Center do. Every day.

Last week, I had the chance to go ON launchpad 39A and see space shuttle Discovery up close, so close that I didn’t have to use full zoom on my camera to get the shot, above, of the orbiter’s cockpit area. Other journalists told me the press hadn’t been allowed that close to a shuttle on the pad for years, and so I feel particularly lucky to have had that opportunity. We weren’t told just how close the KSC PAO folks were going to take us, so as we drove closer and closer, we didn’t say a word — we just looked at each other with wide eyes and kept our mouths shut, hoping beyond hope that we’d get as far up on the pad as we did. Here are some more shots from that day:

Nancy on pad 39A with Discovery. Credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)

The shuttles truly are things of beauty, and having the opportunity to see two of the fleet up close — I saw Endeavour from just behind the fence in February and recently being directly on the pad with Discovery, their splendor is now imprinted indelibly on my mind. These orbiters have been a part of human spaceflight for nearly 30 years, and they will never “pass into nothingness,” — their history and stories will always be a major chapter in the legacy of our travels to space.

While everyone else is taking pictures, Nancy just stares in wonder. Image: Ken Kremer

It’s almost hard to believe that there are only four, possibly five shuttle flights remaining. Here on the Space Coast there have been lots of conversations about possible extensions to the shuttle program. I used to think it was time to move on to other vehicles and other destinations, and but now I’m not so sure. I don’t know if my thinking has changed because of the current uncertainty of the future of human spaceflight with Constellation potentially being canceled, or if just seeing a launch, viewing these magnificent orbiters up close and meeting some of the people who work daily with the shuttles has actually shifted my views.

There I said it. Deep down, I really want the space shuttles to keep flying. It just seems like they have a lot more life left in them.

Discovery, with the payload for STS-131 secured in the Rotating Service Structure. Image: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)

Thanks to Alan Walters and Ken Kremer for sharing their pictures

I’ve received a few emails from people wondering why I haven’t written anything on my personal blog lately. And honestly, I was surprised to look and see the last post was a month ago. I usually use Saturday mornings for catching up with things I’ve been meaning to do — like post something on this blog — but this is the first Saturday in 4 weeks that I haven’t either been attending media events at Kennedy Space Center, hosting visitors here in Florida, or traveling hither and yon. More about the hither and yon part later. But since the initial goal of having this blog was to share my experiences of being on the Space Coast of Florida for two months, I had better bring things up to date, as my time here is quickly counting down. So what have I been doing the past month?

ENDEAVOUR LANDS on Feb 21, 2010:

Endeavour lands at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility. Credit: NASA

A beautiful end to the STS-130 mission — Endeavour appeared like a phantom out of the night sky, but not before announcing her arrival with two gargantuan sonic booms. Seeing the landing live and in person was wonderfully thrilling — although I have to admit, we probably would have seen more watching it on NASA TV, as — since it was a night landing we couldn’t see it until right before touchdown — and it rolled past our location quite quickly as the shuttle is traveling well over 200 mph (320 kph) when it hits the runway. Hearing the twin sonic booms is something I’ll never forget.

MY NEW JOB???

Does NASA TV have a new commentator?

Nah. Fellow writer Ken Kremer and I just “practiced” sitting behind the dais in the KSC press auditorium, just in case they ever need any help at NASA TV, or if I ever get lucky enough to be the one launching on a rocket. Fun photo-op.

SEEING CLOSEOUT OF LEONARDO MODULE, Feb 18, 2010:

At the Space Station Processing Facility.

Another great experience was going to the Space Station Processing Facility at KSC and getting to walk the floor inside the giant clean room where the different modules and components are readied for their flight to the International Space Station. Technicians were just finishing packing the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module that is heading up to the ISS on the STS-131 mission, bringing supplies and new components for the station.

Below, one of the technicians showed us the boxes where the US food is stored on the ISS. If you can’t read the label it says: “MEATS IN POUCHES AND CANS. ZERO-G USE ONLY.” I wonder what happens if you use it in 1-G?

Payload Day in the SSPF at KSC.

BEHIND THE SCENES AT NASA TV:

In the control room at NASA TV at KSC.

Since I probably will never work on camera at NASA TV, I decided to interview the people who work behind the scenes at KSC TV. You can listen to (or read) my interviews on Universe Today. It was very fun to talk with these great folks — and I also got to talk with George Diller, who I consider the voice of launches at KSC.

GOES-P LAUNCH ON A DELTA IV ROCKET on March 4, 2010

GOES P goes UP! Image credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)

Another launch, another launch vehicle! I was duly impressed by the thunderous launch of the Delta IV rocket carrying the GOES-P satellite to space. Launch occurred just after sundown from launch pad 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. We got to be on the NASA Causeway, only about 2 miles from the launchpad. The rocket soared and roared into a crisp and clear night sky, and could be seen for several minutes after launch, and booster separation was clearly visible to us on the ground. With more oomph than the Atlas (plus we were closer) this is a rocket you can feel!

With me was photographer Alan Walters, who is now taking pictures for Universe Today. He has a couple of different cameras, and he used his big gun, but let me use his slightly smaller camera — which is much bigger and more powerful than my Fuji Finepix (which is leaps ahead of my former camera). Alan’s shot of the launch — which I love — is above, and here’s mine below:

GOES -P launch by Nancy with Alan's camera.

Yeah, I know, I’m off center! Alan told me I have that tendency. So what does that say about me?

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-P, or GOES-P, is the latest in a series of meteorological satellites designed to watch for storm development and weather conditions on Earth as well as detect hazards with its emergency beacon support and Search and Rescue Transponder.

ROLLOUT OF DISCOVERY MARCH 4, 2010

Discovery in the palm of my hand. Image credit: Alan Walters (awaltersphoto.com)

I’m going to talk more about watching the rollout of Discovery in another post because I captured something very unique, but here’s a fun picture that Alan took of me after the shuttle reached pad 39A.

STS-131 crew at the launchpad. And I was there, too!

After the rollout, we had the chance for a photo-op and to interview the crew of the STS-131 mission, which hopefully will launch on April 5 (which unfortunately will be after I have to leave Florida.) Pictured here are: Commander Alan Poindexter, Jim Dutton, Rick Mastrachio, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, Stephanie Wilson, Naoko Yamazaki, and Clay Anderson.

It was extremely cold and windy out behind the launchpad that morning, and if you watch the video of the event, you can see me wincing and shivering while I talked with the crew. Behind the crew you can see the flame trench where the exhaust of the the SRB’s whooshes through at ignition, and I think we all could have used a little flame that morning. Brrrr!

There’s more I could post, but this is getting long enough. Suffice to say I’ve been doing interviews, writing and podcasting almost non-stop since my arrival. Its been one of the most amazing times of my life.

And here’s the hither and yon picture:

Tucson, Arizona resort.

I took an unexpected side trip to Tucson, Arizona. Since it wasn’t warm enough in Florida, I thought I’d try Arizona! I met up with my wonderful husband to attend a conference with him, and had the opportunity to stay at a marvelous and beautiful new resort. Most fun was doing a very challenging 14-mile mountain bike ride. Had to traverse single track trails with big rocks, deep gullies, unexpected sand traps, — all the while watching out for cactus! It was exhilarating!

Animation of SDO launch. Images: Nancy Atkinson

Two rocket launches in one week! It doesn’t get any better than this! The launch of the Atlas V rocket with the Solar Dynamics Observatory on Feb. 11 was incredible! (Have I used that word before here?!) Above is an animation of the images I took of the launch, and below is a video taken by another journalist that was near where I was at the Kennedy Space Center press site. The Atlas launch was not as loud and engulfing as the shuttle launch, but still it is breathtaking. Where the shuttle guns it off the pad, Atlas rises slowly and gradually picks up velocity.

What I felt most privileged about was that I was standing about 100 ft. from the SDO scientist, so could witness their excitement at seeing what was likely years of their work heading off to space. And then, I walked back to the press building alongside them, and got their initial reactions. Since I was one of the few journalists there (seemingly there were more photographers than writers) and there was no official press conference after the launch, I got quotes from them that no one else has in their articles! (w00t for exclusivity!)

There was this awesome moment during the launch, and I describe it in my Universe Today article where the rocket was soaring up into the sky and there was a sundog, or rainbow-like effect on the clouds. Then when the rocket experiences the maximum dynamic pressure in its atmospheric flight (Max-Q) it gave off a shock wave which was visible to us on the ground, and it dissipated the sundog! The best video which shows exactly what we saw is posted on Spaceweather.com, and was taken by a 13-year-old girl at the launch. (follow that link — I highly recommend it!) There’s another video that I’ve put in below that shows a different look (the sundog isn’t visible, but the shockwave is –and they replay it) and includes a shadow from the rocket that I didn’t see from the ground.

So, first video:

Second video:

SDO is going to is going be sending back hi-res video of the sun at a constant stream. The amount of data it will provide (equivalent to half a million song downloads every day!) will revolutionize our understanding of the Sun, how it affects us here on Earth, and how scientists might be able to predict solar storms.

The launch of space shuttle Endeavour early this morning was just absolutely amazing. I tried to express what the experience was like on my post on Universe Today, but quickly ran out of superlatives. People can tell you that a shuttle launch is going to be loud and that a night launch will be amazingly bright, but nothing can prepare you for what the experience is really like.

And video and pictures really don’t capture what the experience is like, either. However, there are a couple of videos of the launch which are really great! Above, a group of Space Tweeps were here for the launch and @NoisyAstronomer, a.k.a. Nicolle Gugliucci (who I met on Sunday!) took this awesome video from the Causeway. It captures the excitement of the launch when you witness it with friends!

Below is a video that was taken from almost right where I was standing, and it kind of captures the brightness of booster ignition and the crackling and popping of the rockets burning, but when you’re there, the brightness, noise and sound waves just absolutely overwhelm you. You don’t only hear and see a space shuttle launch, you *feel* it! I heard an astronaut (who is on this shuttle mission) describe it as “it seems the air just isn’t big enough for the sound.” That sums it up pretty well.

So what’s next? No rest for the sleep deprived. Early Tuesday morning I head back to KSC to watch the rollout to the launchpad of the Atlas 5 rocket that is carrying the Solar Dynamics Observatory. I’m hoping to see my new BFF Camilla the rubber chicken tomorrow morning, too.

It seems fitting that for my first launch, I saw Endeavour blast off. Endeavour was the name of the 1/3-actual-sized inflatable space shuttle that I carted around to schools when I worked at the Science Museum of Minnesota. As I related yesterday to a a budding young astronaut yesterday who was interviewing people about how and why they were involved with space, my experience at the museum was really why I started writing. One of the activities for the “Space Discovery” program I lead was to teach children about the International Space Station and show them how they could see the ISS in the night sky from their own backyards. I sent home a letter to parents, explaining how they could help their child see the ISS. Several different times, when the parents would come to school the day we set up the space shuttle in the school gym, parents would come up and say how great it was to see the ISS, especially since they didn’t even know that there was a space station in orbit! That made me want to get the word out on all the wonderful things going on in space exploration, and so I started writing.

And now, here I am, able to have this amazing experience at Kennedy Space Center because I’m now a full-time journalist.

I’m having the time of my life. This is so. much. fun!

It was a little eerie and not quite what I was expecting. Nobody was there.

I went to the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday for my first visit as a member of the media. Driving there, I was in space-nerd heaven, with butterflies in my stomach. As I came onto the property the thing that struck me most is that everything there is big. First, when you turn onto the NASA Causeway, you drive by the Astronaut Hall of Fame with an actual-size shuttle replica out front. It’s big. Then you drive, … and drive, passing through the open expanse of the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Finally you pass by the KSC visitor’s center which is huge; outside is another big shuttle replica, and actual-huge-sized shuttle fuel tank and SRB replicas, along with other rockets (big and small) standing guard.

Then the folks at the badging center sent me on a bit of a wild goose chase so I got to drive some more and see just how big the property is; and I’m sure I didn’t see the half of it. And most of it is big, wide open space, with lots of Florida brush and wildlife.

Finally, I made it, official badge in hand, through the official gate, drove some more and approached the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) which is the largest one-story building in the world, the largest building in the US outside of an urban area, and the fourth largest building overall in the world. Yep. It’s big.

The VAB.

KSC Press Auditorium

Afterwards, I walked out and realized where I was. If I walked just a little bit farther, I would be in the place I have always dreamed of being, and especially so since last fall when I decided come to cover a launch: the press launch viewing area.

It wasn’t big, pompous and grand. It was just there. No one else was around, and I walked out all by myself. It was so, so quiet. It was a moment I won’t forget.

I was expecting the first time I would be there the place would be alive with action; but with arriving several days before launch, not a lot was going on. The countdown clock wasn’t even ticking yet. I kept thinking, ‘maybe I shouldn’t really be here.’ But the buzzards atop the big digital clock were the only ones who gave me a second look.

If I squinted hard, I could see space shuttle Endeavour sitting on launchpad 39A, three miles away, and barely visible because the Rotating Service Structure was enshrouding it. But wow, there it was.

To the left was 39B, newly configured for the Ares rocket that may never fly again.

Launchpad 39B.

It was a big day. And it was only the first day!

More to come….

A couple of days ago I posted on Universe Today some new Mars flyover videos created by Doug Ellison from UnmannedSpaceflight.com. He now has rendered a few more, and this one is my favorite: Bahram Vallis. Hang on to your hat when you approach the cliffs! Doug is able to create these amazing 3-D flyover videos from data from the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Using DEM (Digital Elevation Model)– (also known as DTM Digital Terrain Model) files provided by the HiRISE team. Since he is using actual high-resolution data from HiRISE, Doug says the terrain seen in the movies has accurate vertical scaling and is not exaggerated. You can see more on Doug’s You Tube channel, or see my post on Universe Today.