• Got the Contributing Memberships stuff finally worked out and made up a thread as a sort of "How-To" to help people figure out how to participate. So if you need help figuring it out, here's the thread you need to take a look at -> http://www.corvetteflorida.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3581 Thank you, everyone! Rich Z.

Last Shuttle Lift Off

THOR

THOR

New member
We joined the million folks to watch the last lift off of the Shulltle program Friday morning. Even though it was a hazy day, the feeling of that shuttle lifting off into the clouds is beyond words. We were about 9 miles or so away and so the pictures aren't anything to brag about. The skies behind us were clear but overcast over the KSC.
I really feel for the NASA folks who have worked long countless hours and now are faced with layoffs because the space program lacks funds and direction. Yes, there is an Orion program in the works to return to the moon and eventually to Mars. We might be lucky to see that in the next 10 years!!!
My idea would be to have the Corvette folks talk to the space rocket folks and come up with an inexpensive reusable rocket-plane to replace the shuttle! American all the way Baby. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
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This video isn't of the same launch, but it's very impressive, nonetheless...

 
Thanks for the photos, that last one where it disappears into the cloud cover is something. I find it hard to believe the program is over. I'll miss watching the shuttle take off from here,so many miles away, but we could see it if the skies were clear.
 
I agree 2Vettes. It is a bittersweet event. Hard to beleive we have to rely on the Russians to shuttle our astronauts from now on. Who would ever think after decades of the COLD WAR, we would be using Russian hardware now. :shrug01:
 
THOR said:
I agree 2Vettes. It is a bittersweet event. Hard to beleive we have to rely on the Russians to shuttle our astronauts from now on. Who would ever think after decades of the COLD WAR, we would be using Russian hardware now. :shrug01:
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And what did WE give in return for this service?
 
That's awesome that you made it to the launch. We went to the last night launch that was postponed. Man did that suck. Took over 6 hours to get back to Tampa, can't imagine the traffic for this last one. Watch it on TV, and was fantastic. Was a nail bitter for me if they were a go or no go, must have been crazy for you waiting in that crowd and not knowing.
 
Yeah, we were in 2 hour jam on Bee Line Toll road and got to Eckler's about 1.5 hours before lift off. We walked a couple blocks past Eckler's to the small marina and had a decent view even though it was hazy. Lift off was a go all morning and glad it went smooth. Funny thing though is that the sky behind us was almost cloudless and it was all hazy and cloudy over the launch site.
We then got into another traffic jam going to Satellite Beach to eat at Da Kine Diego's Burrito place. Took about 2 hours to go 30 miles!! Then we got into another 2 hour jam returning to Orlando. All in all about 100 miles of travel took over 6 hours that day. Now we know what it feels like with a million folks on the road!!!
 
Yeah, that's pretty crazy. We parked at Eckler's too when we went. Really wish it would have launched that morning. I don't think the massive amount of traffic would have felt as bad.
 
THOR said:
We then got into another traffic jam going to Satellite Beach to eat at Da Kine Diego's Burrito place. Took about 2 hours to go 30 miles!! Then we got into another 2 hour jam returning to Orlando. All in all about 100 miles of travel took over 6 hours that day. Now we know what it feels like with a million folks on the road!!!
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Sounds like a typical weekday commute into Boston from my perspective.
Glad I don't have to make the trip into Boston on a daily basis. Man, I've seen
people shaving, reading the paper, reading a paperback, putting on lipstick,
putting on makeup, brushing/combing their hair. holding a drink in one hand and
a breakfast sandwich in the other, talking/texting on the phone, changing a blouse,
exercising with those 5 pound hand weights, and on and on and on......... !
Did I say that I'm glad I don't have to make that commute on a daily basis?
Andy Anderson :wavey:
 
navy2kcoupe said:
Sounds like a typical weekday commute into Boston from my perspective.
Glad I don't have to make the trip into Boston on a daily basis. Man, I've seen
people shaving, reading the paper, reading a paperback, putting on lipstick,
putting on makeup, brushing/combing their hair. holding a drink in one hand and
a breakfast sandwich in the other, talking/texting on the phone, changing a blouse,
exercising with those 5 pound hand weights, and on and on and on......... !
Did I say that I'm glad I don't have to make that commute on a daily basis?
Andy Anderson :wavey:
Click to expand...

Hopefully the folks applying lipstick were wom:lmao::lmao:en!!
 
LOL, and it's that kind of stuff that REALLY make me want to put train...yes train...horns on all my vehicles, and that includes the vette and my wife's little ass hyundai!
 
Years ago I attended a class in Marina del Rey near Los Angeles for a month. You haven't seen anything till you have seen traffic there. I talked with people in the company who said they had a three hour commute each way each and every day. Bumper to bumper and normally no more than 10 mph the entire way. One guy said he gets a lot of reading done that way.

I had grand plans of getting out of school each day and driving out into the mountains and seeing the scenery. Truth of the matter was that I could not get ANYWHERE in the traffic before the sun set. I NEVER want to go back there again....
 
Rich Z said:
I had grand plans of getting out of school each day and driving out into the mountains and seeing the scenery. Truth of the matter was that I could not get ANYWHERE in the traffic before the sun set. I NEVER want to go back there again....
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That's my form of HELL. There is NO WAY, I could commute in that everyday. I'd rather ride a bicycle than put my car through that kind of strain. It's just not right. :banghead: Of course neither of my cars could pass their emission testing. :lmao:
 
That's way cool!

And just think, the computer in that dude has less power than most phones these days...although I haven't seen when the last major overhaul was on any of the Shuttles.
 
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