I don’t have many lifelong goals or a ‘must do before I die’ list. Upon learning that NASA‘s shuttle program would be coming to an end, though, I had decided seeing a launch would be something I’d really like to see. If it could work out. Unfortunately there were no launches scheduled for the time we knew we’d be in Florida.
Fortunately those launch dates change and get pushed back frequently. This good fortune pushed the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-131 right into our vacation– and what a great way to start off the week!

Having read numerous sites on viewing, I followed the advice of one in particular on Launch Photography that had great information on locations and taking photos of the launch. With their advice, we ended up leaving the house at 2am to drive just over an hour out to Titusville. Arriving about 3 hours before launch, there were plenty of people already set up. We checked out Space View Park, but found it to be even more crowded. After (standing in line for 20-30 minutes and) using the facilities, we decided to walk South along the road and river to see where we could find a place to set up. We didn’t have to go too far: we were able to find a reasonably clear view behind a hotel just down the road. There was a tent set up and some beach chairs on the slope down to the water, but sitting on our blanket a few feet behind them we were able to see Launch Pad 39 just fine.

Other folks were coming in and setting up back in this nice grassy area as well. Everyone seemed to be leaving a comfortable 3ft or so between groups. Except the family that decided to post themselves in an ‘L’ shape to the left and behind us. Suddenly our little group of 2, laying on a blanket and looking at the stars seemed to be a group of 11, complete with 2 kids who were not dressed warm enough for a 4am Florida morning in April. They did a reasonable job of keeping the kids from infringing on our personal space, although it would have been much easier had they just set up a little away from us- there was still plenty of room available and it wasn’t clear why they had decided to surround us.

My mom had sent me a note that she’d seen on SpaceWeather.com that the ISS would be passing over the launch pad 15 minutes before launch. It would be passing by the moon, which made it easy to find. I pointed it out to J and to the rest of ‘our’ group and, after explaining what it was in more detail than I would expect necessary when one is there to see a shuttle launch, was able to capture this photo of it passing over the launch pad. I was actually amazed when I finally got to process it on my computer because from the camera’s display, I didn’t think I had been able to capture it in the sky. It just proves one point from a photography seminar I attended: don’t delete too often based on the camera’s display; it’s not nearly as fine a resolution as you will see on your computer.  Incidentally, if you cannot see the streak in the upper left of the photo (right), click on it to go to Flickr and see the Large or Original sizes where you may get a clearer picture.

A few minutes later, dawn was lighting the sky, but not nearly as much as what was to come! It was absolutely amazing how brilliantly the launch lit up the sky: it was like watching a life-size timelapse of Sunrise.

The shot below left has had the amber tones cut back. Those on the right above and below are more true to the actual colors seen at the launch.

After all was over, the clouds (contrails?) left from the rocket boosters that had been jettisoned made an interesting pattern in the sky that was enhanced by the rising sun’s rays: a pink heart.

You can check out the few other photos posted over at Flickr, I believe there may be a hidden Mickey, compliments of lens flare, on one of them.

Given a second chance to see a launch (not likely as there are only 3 left now, the next is coming up in less than a month!), I would be sure to have a filter on my camera to take some of the initial brightness down a notch. I’d also have a better idea of where in the sky everything would end up, so would set my video camera up accordingly (it’s just a little pocket camera, so I couldn’t adjust the zoom once it was started and had to pan several times and did not allow enough room where the gorillapod was attached for it to pan properly).

It may not have been a ‘must see before I die’ type of goal, but I am so glad I fulfilled it. This was one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen.