Mission Accomplished!

Mission Accomplished! was Originally Posted on March 9, 2011 by lavarock

Having been to the first and third shuttle launches, this last mission of Discovery is a happy yet sad event.

NASA wanted shuttle launches and space travel to be just like a bus ride; dependable and mundane. They did that. Unless there was a problem, missions just happened. I lost count but I think 138 missions for the shuttles and at least 2 launches to go.

I hope that some of you have been able to be at the launch site for a launch, however I got be in the press area and at two times, closer than a mile to the shuttle (while it was fueled on the pad).

I asked a question during the TV press conference.

While taking still photos from the area of the countdown clock, we set up our tripods, adjusted our shots and then walked away, leaving much valuable equipment hundreds to thousands of feet out of our view.

Camera manufacturers had trailers set up and offered free camera adjustments and free loans of telescopic lenses and so on, all to make sure that their brand would be involved in the photos of the launch.

There were a number of dignitaries the two times I was there and it was a very exciting time.

I can only imagine what the actual ride is like!