Lift Off!

YEAH! Finally Discovery is in space. It was an exciting launch, but then how could it be anything but? Watching as the shuttle very quickly increased speed, 1 1/2 minutes out, 400 miles an hour, then at about 2+ minutes over a thousand miles an hour. Incomprehensible.

I try to picture the jubilation, fear, wonder of the astronauts sitting in the shuttle as it streaks towards the upper atmosphere and space. Are they as excited as I would be? They have to be.

I tried to view the launch from NASA's website but can't open their silly .ram format. CBS has a nice little video on their website of the launch and also of the separation of the boosters from the cam on the shuttle itself. Amazing.

I can't wait to see it again, and to continue to watch the ongoing videos as they become available.

If I could start over again as a teenager in high school, trying to figure out what to do with my life, I think I would do whatever it took to become an astronaut. As it is, thank goodness there are people who still love to explore and discover!

~ciao~