Remaining Space Shuttle Launches

Nasa Shuttle Launch Schedule

Only three launches remain before they scrap the Space Shuttle program. Though I've lived here in Florida throughout the programs flight history, and in spite of three trips to witness the very first launch, I have never seen one of these babies go up from anywhere closer than Naples, Fl., some 240 miles southwest of Cape Canaveral.

Thanks to my ex-brother-in-law Don French I did see the vehicle sitting on its launch pad awaiting the first attempt to launch. A friend of a friend of Donnie's got us onto the Air Force base, some seven miles away but in full view of everything, and I still have slides of the vehicle and the vehicle assembly building, (If I ever get them converted to digital I will post them here.) and the countdown got to within minutes of ignition before it was scrubbed. Safety first, and it was a brand new system. The second time we went to a nearby park on the beach and again it was scrubbed. My third trip to view the launch I was the victim of Donnie's birthday celebration the night before and when it launched we were still sleeping and arose only because his home in Melbourne was shaking like crazy. We, incorrectly, decided we were too far away to see it from his yard and instead of going out into the bright morning light we watched it on television. I need to make up for that error in judgment.

I have heard the double sonic booms as the shuttle returns. I have watched it go up several times as viewed from here in Naples, including the Challenger explosion which was easily seen from here with its large cloud of gases from the explosion itself and the trails of the twin rocket boosters continuing on after the force of the blast freed them from the vehicle and the fuel cell. That was clearly one of the worst sights I have ever seen.

The schedule shows the three planned dates as May 14th, July 29th, and September 16th. I want to be there for at least one of those launches.