On August 23 my dad and I left on our flight to Florida. Soon after we landed, my dad picked up our rental car and we drove to our hotel. This is where the excitement started. Immediately on entering there was a model of a rocket that must have been at least 10 feet tall. When we got to reception, we noticed there was a screen off to the left. In most hotels this would show events and things like that, but here it showed live footage of whatever rocket launch was currently going on, plus a schedule showing what was launching next. It was surreal seeing our launch on it. On top of that, as we were checking in an astronaut walked past us, heading up to his room.
After my dad and I dropped our stuff off in our room, we drove out to dinner with all the other students participating in the launch. It was so nice to finally meet many of the other people in person. Upon getting back to the hotel, I normally would have gone to sleep. My dad did, but I decided to stay up as the launch was at 2:45 in the morning. After sitting in my room for around an hour, I decided to head up to the roof. The view was amazing! We could see many of the rockets at the museum, and even the launchpad far in the distance.
Once the time came, me and my dad got in our car and started the drive over. Driving over the bridge on the way to the space center was so cool since all we could see was our headlights and the car in front of us. There were no lights or anything. Once everyone arrived, we walked past the outside displays at the museum and got on a bus to take us to the launch. We drove past by the Vehicle assembly building and a crawler which both looked huge! The size of the Vehicle Assembly Building was so astonishing it made the crawler look small compared to it.
On arriving at the watch area, the Banana Creek Launch viewing, the same place where Ms. Michelle, the Ceo of higher orbits and our advisor watched her first launch, we watched the countdown on a screen, and saw the rocket in front of us. It was so much closer than I ever could have imagined! Around 30 seconds before the launch Ms. Michelle suggested we put our phones away so we could really capture the moment.
The first thing we saw was a bright light coming from the launch pad, making it look like day time despite it being the middle of the night. After a few seconds I heard the sound coming towards us (which I didn’t think was possible), then I really heard it. It was incredibly loud and I didn’t expect it at all. It sounded nothing like rockets do in the movies. Instead of a smooth roar there it was a loud, inconsistent cracking sound that was way cooler. It was crazy how quickly it became nothing more than a dot in the sky. Despite what Ms. Michell said I had to take a photo to show my family just how bright it was.
It wasn't just about seeing a rocket launch. It was about experiencing that raw, incredible power and sharing the moment with everyone who had worked on it. From the model rocket in the lobby to the incredible launch from the Banana Creek viewing area, this trip provided a perspective and an energy I'll never forget. I can now say I've seen the sheer scale of space travel up close, and it was way cooler than I ever could have imagined!
Written By Stellar Student Asher Greene
