GOES-P/Delta IV Liftoff

We've seen a number of liftoffs here in Cocoa Beach, including the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour on April 19, 2001. The launch window for tonight's flight of the GOES-P/Delta IV was 6:17 - 7:17, so we were down on the beach by 6 PM, until we heard of the first delay and waited on the sidelines for 20 minutes or so.

There was quite a crowd on the beach, and I enjoyed hearing the many accents, both US and international, as people chatted to pass the time. Our fellow Minnesotan was easy to identify: he was the only other idiot wearing shorts, besides Bob and me.

It was almost a surprise to see the huge orange ball of fire begin to climb in the sky over Cape Canaveral. I had decided that it was too dark for my camera to record the event, but finally I tried anyway. We watched the ball fly above us, leaving a trail of smoke floating in the sky. Looking much like a very bright star, it finally disappeared into the clouds, and we walked slowly over the sand to the walkway leading to the hotel. After standing for so long, my knees were both tired and wobbly. It was an exhilarating end to a busy day.