Reported by Greg Pallone and Margaret Kavanagh
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER -- Weather cleared up over the Space Coast just in time for shuttle Endeavour to blast off on a 13-day mission to expand the International Space Station.
After a nearly 24-hour delay, the space shuttle rocketed into the darkness at 4:14:08 a.m. Monday.
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Just the day before, the launch got down to the last 9 minutes before NASA scrubbed the first attempt. The culprit: Low clouds near the pad.
This time, however, the clouds were thinner, and the orbiter punched right through them during an 8-minute long liftoff that glowed in the night sky.
“You could really see the vehicle for a long time,” said Mike Moses, NASA’s shuttle program manager. “We had some folks who still had eyes on it at [7 minutes, 10 seconds into the launch], and when you consider main engines are cutting off at about 8:30, that’s a pretty good view.”
“It lit up the Kennedy Space Center,” said shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach. “I was looking out the windows of the control center, and looking down on the ground to see how bright it gets, and it’s a special view. Then it disappeared behind some clouds, but it broke out of those clouds, and I was able to see it all the way out to 7 minutes in flight.”
Mission managers said they spotted some foam loss from the external tank during launch, but they did not suspect any damage to the shuttle.
“The experts will take a look at it over the days, and we may see some more things, but when you see the images, you’ll see these areas were missed,” said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations.
The tank was manufactured at NASA’s assembly facility in New Orleans, home of the new Super Bowl champions. Some employees had to miss The Big Game Sunday night to work the second launch attempt.
“We were loading the external tank, which was built in New Orleans, at the time the Super Bowl was going on,” Moses said during a post-launch news conference. “While I was getting evil glares for having made them come in, I don’t know why it was my fault, but they were at least happy with the results of the game.”
Endeavour is expected to rendezvous with the International Space Station Wednesday to begin installation of the Tranquilty Node and the Cupola module, a six-window addition that will provide a 360-degree view of Earth.
If all goes well, it’s possible the crew will be able to check out the new windows firsthand before they return to Earth Feb. 20.
Launch Timeline In Brief
- 7:34 p.m. (Sunday) -- Fueling began.
- 12:24 a.m. -- Astronauts departed for shuttle.
- 2:09 a.m. -- Hatch closed.
- 4:14:08 a.m. -- Liftoff!
Breathtaking View For Shuttle Spectators
TITUSVILLE -- Shuttle-watchers from Central Florida and tourists from out of state got a fantastic view from Space View Park as Endeavour rocketed through the clouds and into the dark morning sky.
The close proximity, about 15 miles from the launch pad, draws a big crowd for every launch.
The crowd of excited shuttle spectators Monday was not as big as Sunday’s crowd, partially because of the start of the workweek and a Sunday night Super Bowl.
Still, plenty of people braved the chilly temperatures, bundled up with blankets, scarves and hats, anxiously awaiting the big moment.
Those who came to watch the launch said they were happy to watch it take off, and it was worth sacrificing some sleep to see history in the making.
“I’m so glad to see this, and so sad they cut the budget,” said James Colsmelth of Wisconsin.
“I’ve been watching the space program basically since the Gemini days,” said Gary Edberg, who has been traveling around the country in a recreational vehicle. “Basically, to see a launch has been a lifetime dream.”
“You feel some pride of what we’ve accomplished, and just awe at how beautiful it is,” said Erin Whitman, who witnessed her first live launch.
Dogs barked as the boom hit, and the crowd cheered as Endeavour blasted off for the space station.
Space View Park is known as one of the best spots to watch launches from the Kennedy Space Center.
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