The glory of the Space Shuttle

Well, I've left that last post at the head of my blog long enough. Amazing how talking about sex makes my hits go through the roof (not that that was the intention, but it sure worked out that way). :)

Anyhow, I've been among those who has said it's time for the Space Shuttle to be retired. I've mentioned to friends and colleagues that NASA needs to hang it up. Frankly, I think they may be falling behind commercial ventures that aren't burdened by NASA's bureaucracy and commitment to continuing to line the pockets of government contractors.

What I remembered today was that there was another time, when the Space Shuttle was a dream, when we first started hearing about this spaceship that could glide and land like a plane. It would fly to orbit on the back of huge rockets, returning to earth, able to go up again.

We watched in amazement as its ability to fly was tested. Strapped to the back of a 747, it was released and glided in to a beautiful landing. We even saw it fly over our house on that 747, as NASA sent it around the country...



This first shuttle, a testbed, never meant to go to orbit, was named Enterprise. It was so named, in honor of the fictional ship that fueled the dreams of space flight for so many.

We read the news stories and watched reports on TV. Then the day came. Whatever faith we had in the space program, we knew this was a dangerous business, even in the days before the two shuttle disasters.

We watched as the moment of ignition approached. We leaned forward and our eyes grew wide as the main engines fired, followed a few seconds later by the solid rocket boosters igniting, and then it was off...



The shuttle rose into the sky, slowly at first, then faster and faster. We were ecstatic. I don't remember the exact words, but they were something along the lines of "go, baby, go!" We were so proud of our country. Look what we've done!

Then, after spending time in orbit, the shuttle and its brave crew came back into the atmosphere, heating the bottom of it white-hot. As it made its way to the landing strip, the TV coverage caught the sound of twin sonic booms.

We watched it approach the runway. If you've never watched a shuttle land, you should. It's more exciting than a regular airplane. For one thing, it is a giant glider at that point. Without any forward thrust, if the pilot screws up the landing, it's over. No going around for another try. For another, they only drop the landing gear at the last possible moment.

We knew that the gear wasn't supposed to come down until the last possible moment. So we watched, collectively holding our breath as it came closer and closer to earth. Then, just as it hovered over the runway threshold, when it almost seemed too late, down came the gear, and it touched down in a burst of tire smoke...



...followed by a parachute being deployed from its tail as it slowly rolled to a stop.

From start to finish, it was glorious. It was a proud moment to be an American, and the whole world watched what we'd done. So proud were those moments that the time spent with my family, watching it all unfold, is etched in my memory forever. May we see such proud moments of accomplishment again!