Greetings from (partly) sunny Space Coast, Florida
Well, it’s been quite the series of events leading up to this Monday’s planned Europa Clipper launch.* That tropical depression I talked about in my previous post really threw a wrench in all our plans. As I’m sure you know, that tropical depression became hurricane Milton. It unleashed its fury on the Gulf side of Florida and battered much of Central Florida, too.
As we were scrambling to make last-minute arrangements for me to attend NASA Social (I told you I wasn’t missing it again), Christy let out a chuckle and said, “Just think. Someday, you’ll write a book about this whole experience.” And she may be right.
But not today.
That book will have to wait in line behind the three other books I need to finish writing first. So before we start discussing books, subsequent movie deals,^ the inevitable binge-worthy streaming docuseries, and a graphic novel or two about all of the unforeseen obstacles to participating in a NASA Social event, let’s just go ahead and tap the brakes a bit.
It was quite the roller coaster, though. Let me tell you.
But I’m here on Florida’s Space Coast. And I’m ready to geek out over the spacecraft that bears my name.
Oh, it’s still called Europa Clipper. That hasn’t changed. They simply added 2.6 million names to it. NASA called it a Message in a Bottle, inviting the world to sign their name to the poem written by US Poet Laureate Ada Limón called In Praise of Mystery: A Poem for Europa.
The poem is engraved onto the spacecraft. An accompanying microchip has my name on it – along with 2.6 million other names. I’m probably more excited about watching a rocked launch a spaceship that has my name on it somewhere. But, let’s get real here. This this the closest I’ll ever get to going into space. Unless, of course, I meet a robot named Jinx while I’m here and he decides we are friends forever.
A whirlwind of a first day
I flew out of Indy at 5:15 a.m. Landed in Orlando at sunrise.
Rented a car and drove to the Space Coast. I spent the day trying to find a good shot of the Europa Clipper at Launch Complex 39A. I’m not sure if I actually did get a picture of it, but you can find it here (I did say you should follow my Facebook page). So I settled for a photo of the Vehicle Assembly Building in the distant background.
Sunday’s a day full of behind-the-scenes activities at Kennedy Space Center.
Monday? We light this candle. Hopefully.*
endnotes
*Yes the Europa Clipper launch is scheduled for Monday (October 14), after a delay caused by jerk-face Milton. Monday isn’t set in stone, though. As the NASA Social team keeps reminding me in their emails, launching into space is a very complex business. Many different factors can cause a scheduled launch date to change numerous times. It ain’t like dusting crops, you know.
^Hey, who do you think would play me in said movie? I probably don’t want to know.
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- Recapping the NASA Social Europa Clipper launch event - October 18, 2024
- Greetings from (partly) sunny Space Coast, Florida - October 12, 2024
