By Burt Dicht
NSS Managing Director of Membership
Picture: SpaceX ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 evening launch on 11 December 2022. Photograph by Burt Dicht.
Family and friends have usually reported that after they can’t sleep they learn a guide, hearken to music, and seek for reruns of Seinfeld or the traditional The Invaders TV sequence. I used to be confronted with what to do early Sunday morning (11 Dec) as sleep was simply not taking place. Then at about 1:15 am I obtained a Fb alert that the upcoming SpaceX Falcon 9 launch was scheduled for two:38 am EST. I had not deliberate on staying as much as watch the launch on the web. However being awake created what I assumed was a loopy thought in my thoughts.
Why not go see the launch in individual? There was nonetheless loads of time to make it to Cape Canaveral from my residence. I weighed the professionals and cons. The very first thing I checked was the climate and there was a 90% likelihood for favorable circumstances at launch. After all, there was at all times an opportunity for a technical delay. So, what was the worst that would occur? I am going on the market and I don’t see a launch. The choice was to take a seat at residence and never sleep and I made a decision to go for it.
I rapidly assembled all the things I wanted together with my digicam and I used to be on the highway at 1:40 am. There was little or no visitors on I-95 and SR 528 as I headed towards Cape Canaveral. My vacation spot was the Rocket Launch Viewpoint simply earlier than the doorway to the Cape Canaveral House Power Station (see map).
This location has bleachers arrange and it sits throughout SR 401 from the Sands House Historical past Heart and SpaceX’s Launch Management Heart. I by no means considered a launch from this location, however I heard it was a great spot due to direct line of sight with the pad at SLC-40.
Approaching the viewing web site, I used to be stopped by a police officer who directed me to a makeshift car parking zone on the grass. I didn’t know what to anticipate when it comes to a crowd at that early hour however primarily based on the police presence they have been prepared and had issues managed very effectively.
I parked and made my method to the bleachers and took a seat at round 2:15 am, simply 23 minutes earlier than launch. I estimate about 200 individuals have been there.
As I settled in I turned on the SpaceX Launch feed to listen to the preparations because the countdown proceeded. The SpaceX Falcon 9 can be carrying ispace’s HAKUTO-R Mission 1 and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s Lunar Flashlight to a lunar switch orbit. The mission had been delayed a number of occasions over the previous few weeks, however all the things was nominal as T-0 approached. The Hakuto Mission 1 is a privately led Japanese mission to land their Collection 1 lander on the Moon (see diagram). The Mission 1 Lunar Lander is small and light-weight and designed to carry out a smooth touchdown on the Moon to check the idea. The touchdown is scheduled for March 2023 after a number of months of operational testing in lunar orbit. A profitable touchdown would mark the primary profitable industrial supply of payloads to the Moon.
JPL’s Lunar Flashlight (see picture beneath) is a really small satellite tv for pc that can use infrared lasers and an onboard spectrometer to map ice close to the Moon’s south pole. It was thrilling to know that these payloads have been headed to the Moon. Quite a few individuals have been listening to the feed because the commentator introduced the payload, and when she talked about the Lunar Flashlight a bunch of individuals close to me began cheering.
A number of have been sporting NASA branded shirts and sweatshirts, so I made a decision to strike up a dialog and I requested in the event that they have been related to the Lunar Flashlight mission. Just a few responded in unison that they have been a part of the JPL mission workforce they usually have been there to see the launch. It was nice to talk to them and it actually added to my very own expertise by connecting with individuals who have been a part of the mission.
In addition they requested me a number of questions concerning the launch and what to anticipate. I cautioned them the feed is usually 20 to 40 seconds behind actual time and when the countdown reaches T-1 minute to observe the pad, not their telephones. It’s straightforward to overlook the launch for those who don’t lookup till the countdown hits zero. And it was a phenomenal launch as the sunshine produced by the 9 Merlin engines illuminated the entire pad.
We adopted the rocket’s trajectory and since it was so clear we may see the sky ballet (see picture beneath) carried out by the primary stage because it separated and commenced its descent and the second stage because it continued to house. It was tough to know precisely the place the primary stage was because it descended, however sometimes it fired its engines to decelerate which gave a good suggestion of its respectable path.
Stage separation “sky ballet” picture by Burt Dicht.
It got here down quick after which lastly it fired its engines to make a smooth touchdown. We may see it clearly after which it went behind a treeline (see picture beneath) that blocked our view of the touchdown itself. It was at that time I stated, “we needs to be listening to the sonic booms any second.” It was good timing as 1 second later we heard the crackling sonic booms.
First stage touchdown picture by Burt Dicht.
There was loads of cheering and hand clapping as we began to collect our issues and disperse. I congratulated the Lunar Flashlight workforce and wished them nice success with the mission. After I made it to my automotive and took a second to replicate on what I had seen and I felt so good. Rocket launches (and landings) won’t ever get previous. I made it residence by about 3:30 am, lower than two hours after I left. A rocket launch isn’t a remedy for insomnia, as I used to be awake. However it positive beats watching reruns on TV.
