Countdown
Have no doubt, I am a child of the Space Age, in a way that my own children will never be. From the earliest reports of Sputnik, explained by my youngest uncle, through the Mercury years, to Gemini, to Apollo, “To Infinity and beyond”. Buzz Lightyear would be a close personal friend, if I was five again.
Tonight, I “tuned in” to NASA TV, where the countdown was carried in multi-camera splendor. Their website explained the little mysteries, but the good parts were there in the Media Player. The reality of the gangway swinging clear. The finality of the cap lifting clear. The on-screen tests of the gimbals for those huge motors, provided just for my benefit. After all, the gang down in Florida has probably already tested them a few dozen times before tonight.
Then, the last few seconds, with ignition sequences reported by the team at Capcom. The possibility, however slight, of the bomb doing its own thing; out of control and live to the world. The roar, shock and awe as the liftoff is underway. The ability to reach speeds that can’t be imagined in a few short minutes.
As I said, my own children have no idea how far we’ve come (and gone) in my lifetime. The closest I’ve come to “real space stuff!” is the used Gemini capsule found at the Ontario Science Centre, but I did build all the available kits from Revell, back in the ’60s. I never had the fantasy of being an astronaut, but I do like to think that they’ve done something more important than test pens that would write upside down in insufficient gravity. Or supply the Tang used for far too many parties.
So, let’s try it all by ourselves: 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1
The solid rocket boosers have ignited, and we have LIFTOFF!!!
There now, didn’t that feel good?
