For me, it was a once in a life time experience and I wasn’t going to miss it.
Many, many years ago, we were visiting were relatives in Ormond Beach Fla. Being the geek that I am, I had checked the NASA website for Space Shuttle launches. Yes, they were still launching them at that time. Anyway, it so happened there was a scheduled launch during our visit.
It would be an understatement to say that I was excited. As most of you probably know, I am a geek. I love science, especially astronomy. When I was growing up, every time a launch was televised, I was sitting in front of the TV. Now here was my chance to watch a one in person.
Tim and Sara were all for going to the launch until they realized they would have to get up at 4:30 in the morning. Why so early? For one, it was going to take us over an hour to drive there. Plus, we had to stop and eat and get a good place to park at Jetty Park. That is where we were told we could watch it.
At that time, we still had our dog Little John and we had taken him with us on vacation. We also took him with us to watch the launch. You see, we didn’t want to leave him back the room by himself and in a crate for hours. Well, when we reached the entrance gate to Jetty Park, there was a sign that read: “NO dogs allowed.”
“Now what are we going to do?” Tim asked. I answered, “We have come too far and I am not missing my chance to see a launch. Cover him up with blankets and pray he doesn’t make a sound.” That’s what we did and Little John was perfectly still and quiet.
When it was close to time for the launch, Sara and I walked up to where other people had gathered. Tim stayed back at the truck with Little John. From where Sara and I were standing, we could see the Vehicle Assembly Building across the bay from us. Unfortunately, a small low cloud bank moved in just as the Space Shuttle launched. Sara and I didn’t see the Shuttle until it punched through. But were Tim was sitting in the truck, he could see it before it hit the cloud. If Sara and I had stayed with him, we may have had a better view.
Once we saw it, the first thing I noticed was not the Shuttle. It was the flames coming out of the booster tanks. I had never ever seen anything like that. The Shuttle was miniscule in size compared to the flames. Except for the sun, the tremendous glow from them was one of the brightest things I had ever seen. It was eerie and beautiful at the same time.
The Shuttle was traveling so fast that we saw it before the sound and shock waves reached us. To me, that was the best part. The shock waves still exerted a force on us when it hit us in the face. I loved it. As for the sound, there wasn’t a “roar” as I had expected. Instead, we heard “crackling” sounds. Have you ever listened to the crackle of a fire? If so, imagine that intensified so much that it is almost deafening. No exaggeration. Sara was standing next to me, and when the sound waves reached us, we had to scream at the top of our lungs to barely even hear each other. How cool was that?!
“Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD has wrought this?” Job 12:8-9 (KJV)
After the launch was over, people were talking about the awesome feat of engineering that man had accomplished. Yes, that is very true indeed, but nobody mentioned the tremendous feat of engineering The Lord has accomplished when He created everything out of literally nothingness. He created the atoms used in the Space Shuttle. He created the brains that had designed and launched it. He created the laws of physics that enabled the Space Shuttle to be able to even reach orbit. And that same Creator died on the cross for my sins. Now, that is an accomplishment to talk about.
Even if you’re not a geek, you can still enjoy the Kennedy Space Center. Tim and Sara had a better time than they thought they would. The Saturn 5 Center is awesome. In it a real Saturn 5 rocket was displayed in all its glory. Plus, there were other space capsules and equipment displayed as well. The Lunar Theater is a must see. But my favorite was the Atlantis Pavilion. It is built around the Atlantis Space Shuttle that is displayed at a tilt with the cargo bay doors open. You can walk beneath it or you can look down on it from the balcony, but you can’t touch it. To be close that close to something had been in space was good enough for me.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.