Artemis 1 29AUG@Cape Canaveral

+ 1

 

Poor bastards, you'd think they'd let them come back to earth.

 

They have to coordinate the Netflix Docuseries.

 

Yes it is my pen cursor. I did not know how to reduce the file size except to take a screen shot of the picture.

 

I used to be anti NASA just thinking it's a complete waste of US tax dollars money for a bunch of video game nerds to waste time. Like the antigravity pen instead of using a pencil. But 20 years later realize that the governments greatest talant is to waste money. Usually going to wars, relief funds, and foreign governments. At least NASA provides American jobs and research

 

NASA is a bunch of super smart do good-ers. Almost every single NASA engineer could go work somewhere else for more coin, but they are committed to working for the people for less pay.

I have always been impressed with NASA. It's a big source of pride to me at being an American

 

Due to the pilot shortage, the company bean counters have determined that they can just make our days much longer- this requires lots of scheduled 1AM (or later) landings and 0430 Take offs. Those are the flights you get on the $59 fare sales, of course.

Maybe they'll start recruiting FedEx pilots for the Astronaut program, so they are already used to 1am launches.

 

I got a great long-exposure shot of the back of my lens cap... Wife got some good shots, we were on the shore in Titusville.

 

oops, maybe they'll have the 1st launch again

those are nice shots!!

 

That's because we haven't. The "moon landings" in the 60s and 70's were shot in a Hollywood like studio built in area 51. The reason it's taken so long to go back is because the government has had to secretly launch and place all the supposed stuff left behind from the Apollo landings. Now that that's up there they can go back with humans and really land.

It's obvious they were behind schedule on landing the fake Apollo stuff as there is no other reason Artemis I is so far behind schedule. I mean they are literally using leftover items from previous programs. Solid boosters, rocket engines etc.

Sheesh some people are so gullible.

 

Meh. It's not like the main core did a U turn and landed back on solid surface to be reused again. I'm waiting for the real fun in Boca Chica. And now that NASA has finally launched, SpaceX is allowed to launch theirs. When SpaceX agreed to that fine print in all their NASA contracts, they didn't think it would take NASA this long to launch a rocket made from the spare parts bin. SpaceX even had to fake a spin prime "anomaly" to not make it obvious they had to wait for NASA.

 

I did similar. Set phone on tripod and hit video record, then watched (not throufh the phone but with my peepers). After the fact saw that I did not hit record firmly enough. Not one picture of the launch.

 

That's like the wife's "video" of my Daytona 200 pit stop. Which turned out to be a picture. I almost did the race a second time just to get a decent pit stop video.

 

I've been watching Pennyworth on HBOMax (decent show).

Husband: "Did you see the Americans are sending a man to the moon?"
Wife: "Why? What did he do to make them want to send him to the moon? It must have been awful."

 

The obligatory couple of launch pics that came out "okay". Old news now, but I was slow to get them out of the camera and sorted out...

 

What is the antenna array for on the launch pad? I see SpaceX has them as well.

 

I believe they are lightning rods.

 

Barrister's got it.
They are formally known as "Lightning Protection Masts." Intended to protect launch vehicles from...wait for it...lightning strikes, which can wreak havoc on flight control electronics.

My previous employer contracted to build of the LP Masts at Pad 39B;
During fabrication, I performed dozens of hours of in-process inspections & fit-checks on the FRP body structure, helical wind vanes, and the upper and lower weldments.
My fingerprints are all over one of those things (I forget which specific one, and it's impossible to pick it out from long-distance imagery/video).

As someone who grew up in the Apollo era, it very much felt like an honor to have worked on equipment at Cape Kennedy.
Definitely one of the highlights from an otherwise mundane career. A little lump in my throat every time I see a vehicle staged at 39B.

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Cool! Were you actually involved in installation? If so, I think that would qualify you as a "Pad Rat", which is a proud designation.

Here is a picture in operation...