Such is the nature of rocket launches and real fans are not to be deterred. We stood by and kept track of updates by NASA and Orbital Sciences. Sleeping in an hour late on the morning of the launch, I did not get word of another delay due to solar radiation levels until I was getting dressed and ended up switching gears and being late for work (word of advice: follow both @NASA_Wallops and @OrbitalSciences , along with a number of social media reporters, on Twitter and keep check on the Wallops website; sometimes the latest news takes time to make the rounds).
Finally the day came and we were rolling on to WFF for another field trip (the term Thaddeus used to use for all vacations and road trips). The three hour ride to Wallops was rather uneventful, except for the fact that we got hungry as we approached the Visitor Center (there is nothing beyond a vending machine there) and the unwelcome surprise that the return trip discount on the CBBT now only applies to EZ PASS (note to self - get one).
They say that the Visitor Center may not allow entry beyond T minus 1 hour, and though that did not turn out to be the case this time (as it was for the night launch), it was still nice to get there early and explore the exhibits and grounds.
We found exhibits of scientific and historical nature inside, from the balloon missions *** shown here, to sounding rockets...
...from models of the ISS, Shuttle and Navy ships...
...to a glass globe ("Magic Planet") that switches from the moon...
...to the Earth...
...to Mars...
...to Saturn...
...and "Science on a Sphere" movies projected onto a six foot globe in a darkened room...
... as well as a letter from President George H. W. Bush when he was stationed there, satellite imagery and demonstrations and more.
And of course, a gift shop featuring patches, magnets, astronaut ice cream and fashion accessories, like this stylish hat.
We met up with reporters, school groups and other science nerds and after perusing the inside exhibits, made our way to the rooftop observation deck. Though there are trees between the observation deck and launch pad, keeping this from being a good vantage point for the main attraction, there is still much to see. Located in a wetlands environment a few miles north (or maybe north-north-west) of the actual launch pad...
...the Visitor Center is directly across from a NOAA facility and the Flight Facilities' runways, where carrier landing practice takes place...
...including the E-2 Hawkeyes that the Navy just announced practice operations at Wallops for.
Once we were done with the main building, we decided to go check out the designated launch observation area.
Along the way, we discovered several rockets on display, scattered about the grounds, that we could get up close and personal with. As much as it was a let down that they seemed so ordinary up close, it was also cool to think that something so ordinary could perform at such less-than-ordinary tasks.
We also discovered that science nerds and grammar geeks do not necessarily overlap. (One of my friends did suggest that this might not be a grammatical error if they didn't really mean to be polite).
Straight back from the main building toward the marsh and Chincoteague Island beyond is the observation area. To get a sense of the layout of the area, when facing Chincoteague with the building behind you, turn right a little less than 90 degrees to face the launch site (rocket shown in center of picture, just to the left of the water tower). The causeway, where we viewed the Minotaur in November would be about 45 degrees to the left when facing away from the Visitor Center.
Outside of the few of us amateurs with our cell phone cameras, this lady had about the smallest camera out there. Some had lenses that looked like scavenged rocket nozzles with microphones resembling small cats mounted atop them. The crowd was a good mix of those seeing their first launches, veterans of multiple launches, news crews and wanna-be reporters. There were also several foreign accents, leading me to endless disappointment in my fellow Americans, who allow Lithuanians and Mexicans to show the dedication required to travel great distances to see the big event, while coming out in relatively small numbers themselves (not so small as to cost us seats at the top of the grandstand when we dallied too long before coming out).
Killing time, we noted airplanes playing tic-tac-toe in the sky. Either the first move was so clever as to force his opponent to quit right away or an "O" is just too difficult to execute, as we saw no more of the game.
There was a lady there handing out special glasses to view sunspots. This picture does not do justice to how clearly you could see the sun (much sharper than using the filter on a camera phone; you could actually see a sunspot).
As we awaited the launch, the crowd outside of the grandstand spread further out in a line, most taking care not to block the view of someone there ahead of them. But in the seconds leading up to ignition, a few moved ahead toward the edge of the field and started a chain reaction migration. There were a few shouts to move out of the way and most either stepped aside or stepped down the bank to ease their guilt. My view was not greatly inhibited, but they can be seen in the foreground and we decided to either scout a better site or start off where they ended up (unless we could get the top row of the grandstand). Again, I make a promise to eventually post the longer video, but I pay by the GB here, so the 15s version, along with a couple of captures will have to suffice for now.
"...High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace..."*
"...The high, untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God."*
(This picture is some minutes after launch, showing the rocket contrails disrupted by wind in the background. It may be where the first stage disengaged. I was taken by the perspective, with nature, represented by the wind-blown stalks, in the foreground and man, represented by evidence of some of his greatest technological accomplishments showing through).
Hungry and wired on adrenaline, we headed off across the causeway for lunch. Full of good eats and things to do in the warmer months, our top choices were all closed for the season and we ended up having pizza and subs, which, other than being far too heavy on the oregano, were decent enough (I leave the name off because I hate to criticize a business that has friendly people and is accessible when others are closed). Thankfully, Island Creamery stays open year round and proves that if you are dependable in providing people with a good product and good service, location, timing and all the rest are much less important (selling ice cream on a day when the creeks are frozen and the wind is howling in a resort community during the offseason is not the easiest of tasks, but they had a steady flow of business; visit during the warmer nights of summer and you will see a line out to the street, despite the efficiency with which they move that line). I do not hesitate to name and recommend them for any who like homemade ice cream; just be forewarned that the more indulgent flavors (e.g., Birthday Cake) may be too much for even the sweetest of teeth.
The nice part of midday launches is that, even after lunch and the obligatory visit to the Island Creamery, there is plenty of time to explore. In addition to the advertised attractions (and Assateague is definitely worth a ride through to see the wild horses and light house; there is also a very nice beach there), there is quite a bit of scenery to take in (if, like me, you like exploring the back roads and seeing the things most people miss). This boat is near the southern end of the island, adjacent to a trailer park. Most of the island is barely above sea level and what passes for "yards" in some places might be more correctly called "moats".
Upon leaving the island, we decided to scout out other vantage points. I will not disclose all we found (may have more after the next launch), but will share a few sights.
Near the community of Atlantic, Virginia, this church has probably seen plenty of history, though the cemetery seems to get most of the attention now. Most of the inhabitants of the area were black and I wonder how far back the church went, who it served and what kinds of interesting things went on there. As much work has been done preserving history in more noteworthy places, there is only so much that can be done and I do mourn for the lost stories.
This building is across the street from the old church and cemetery. I assume that it is where the congregation moved later, but could be wrong. In any event, it, too, appears to be unused now and there are no other structures around besides a few homes.
Head further south from Atlantic and hang a left at the split and you eventually come to this obstruction to getting any closer.
Backing down the road a little and looking off slightly to the right of the gate, I could see this water tower. This is likely the closest I got to the launch pad.
Here I prove that my finger got as close as the rest of me.
This may have been the media tent I was not invited to. Could also have been the site of a small family reunion in an unusual setting.
Last picture I have to share. I had to work hard to filter my comments on FB for this one out of respect for a community that probably catches a lot of flack over their name (and one that sounds far more inappropriate than Scranton) and will withhold all comments here. Just enjoy where your mind takes you with it.
*- Continuing the theme from the last post, "Slipping those surly bonds" (a title that was paraphrased from the verbatim, "slipped the surly bonds of earth"), these lines are from "High Flight" by John Magee. Check the previous post for more (though I did not identify the title in that one).
** - We all know that space is cold, but not all know that cooling is still one of the major obstacles to life in space. A vacuum is the best insulator, since heat must transfer through matter. If an object (or person) produces heat and has no matter surrounding them to transfer it to, that heat builds up. This should make sense to any who have driven at high altitudes and seen coolant temperatures and brake heat go up despite bitter cold temperatures outside. For the rest, either trust me or do some of your own research to understand.
*** - Well known for rockets, shuttles and satellites, NASA also has some pretty impressive balloon operations. I had the pleasure of seeing one of their giant, transparent, pumpkin-like balloons inflated in our hanger at work (TCOM, LP - a Lighter Than Air balloon manufacturer). Beyond terrestrial operations, there have been proposed missions of LTA vehicles on other planets (Venus, in particular, is a great candidate, with it's ultra-high atmospheric pressure favoring such operations, while making traditional landers impractical); unfortunately, I have not been involved in anything quite so cool and would likely be only on the periphery if we did work on it.
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