Space…The Final Frontier

I think space travel is fascinating. It’s a feat that only a few people have accomplished during their lifetime. Whether it’s orbiting in space, visiting the ISS, or walking on the moon, it’s all very cool. Each time I watch the space shuttle launch on TV, I imagine how incredible it must be to witness it “live and in person” as it rises into the sky. Now, I have the unique opportunity to be there in person for the next shuttle launch, and I probably don’t have to tell you how excited I am!

Space shuttle Discovery is scheduled to begin a 13-day flight to the International Space Station with a launch at 6:21 a.m. EDT on April 5 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and I’ll be there to watch it! I’ll be joining a small group on a private chartered flight to Florida, and Neil Armstrong will be going along with us for the ride. What an amazing opportunity! The only thing better would be hitching a ride along with the astronauts, but I don’t think they will let me.

We plan to watch the launch from the VIP viewing area, eat lunch with an astronaut, tour through the space center, and be back home by the end of the day. It’ll be a quick trip, but well worth the time and effort, especially considering that the shuttle program will be retired by the end of 2010. Unless there’s an extension, there will be only four more opportunities to see a shuttle launch before it’s all over.

I expect that this will be an experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life. I’ll take as many pictures as possible and will share them with you in next week’s blog post. Until then, I’ll be eagerly anticipating my adventure.