Guess what I just saw!

**guest002** · 10-24-2008, 10:54 PM

I accidentally got to see the rocket launch tonight with my ds! I was watching tv and saw a bright light in the sky and realized it was 7:30 PM and that was the launch window.

I yelled for ds to come and hurry to the back yard and we got to watch it go up into space until we couldn't see it any longer. It only took 2 min. from time of launch until we couldn't see it anymore in the night sky. So cool!

They were launching some sort of weather satellite. http://www.telespazio.it/cosmo.html

I looked it up on the launch schedule and this is what was launched:
http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/...ta2/delta2.htm

**AmyBoz** · 10-24-2008, 10:55 PM

What a cool thing to be able to see! That's some good timing!

**guest002** · 10-24-2008, 11:27 PM

[media]http://a52.g.akamaitech.net/f/52/827/1d/www.space.com/images/081024-cosmoskymed-02.jpg[/media]

http://www.space.com/missionlaunches...countdown.html

0231 GMT (10:31 p.m. EDT; 7:31 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 3 minutes. The vehicle is 34 miles in altitude, 43 miles downrange from the launch pad and traveling at 4,100 mph.

0230 GMT (10:30 p.m. EDT; 7:30 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 2 minutes, 35 seconds. Now 22 miles in altitude. The first stage main engine continues to burn normally. [We can't see it anymore ]

0230 GMT (10:30 p.m. EDT; 7:30 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 35 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is 15 miles in altitude and traveling over 1,300 mph.

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 30 seconds. The ground-lit boosters have jettisoned from the first stage. They remained attached until the rocket cleared off-shore oil rigs. <---We saw this!

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 1 minute, 5 seconds. All four ground-start solid rocket boosters have burned out. The Delta 2's first stage RS-27A main engine is providing the sole thrust for the next few minutes.

0229 GMT (10:29 p.m. EDT; 7:29 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 50 seconds. The rocket has flown through the area of maximum aerodynamic pressure in the lower atmosphere. The vehicle is riding the power of its first stage main engine and the four strap-on boosters.

0228 GMT (10:28 p.m. EDT; 7:28 p.m. PDT)

T+plus 15 seconds. The Delta 2 rocket is maneuvering onto the correct course for proper placement of the satellite into the COSMO constellation.

0228:25 GMT (10:28:25 p.m. EDT; 7:28:25 p.m. PDT)

LIFTOFF! Liftoff of the third COSMO-SkyMed spacecraft for Italy's civil and security Earth-observing system.

**cmdarlin** · 10-25-2008, 09:05 AM

That is so cool!

Debbie

**Darlene** · 10-25-2008, 09:14 AM

Lucky you! Science is awesome!

**fernykins** · 10-25-2008, 09:22 AM

Thats neat to watch
Fern

**rainbowgc** · 10-25-2008, 12:38 PM

That is just so cool. I'd love to see that.

**Luv2BeFrugal** · 10-25-2008, 06:42 PM

That is SO cool!!! I would love to be able to see something like that!!!

**kittykatstrong** · 10-25-2008, 10:06 PM

Lucky Ducky!!

**jas** · 10-25-2008, 10:14 PM

They are such a neat thing to see. It is still exciting to run outside and see the shuttle go off knowing there are people on it after these years living near the space center.

**StaceyS** · 10-26-2008, 11:03 AM

I love little surprises like that!

**Goodwin17** · 10-26-2008, 09:57 PM

That's really cool. I would love to see something like that!

**Ilovesewing** · 10-27-2008, 12:10 AM

That is so very cool! Getting out to Florida to watch a space shuttle launch is very high on my bucket list

**HSODave** · 10-27-2008, 02:14 AM

Ditto on the shuttle with the bucket list Ilove! Awesome that you got to see the post... how far are you from the launch site? I have a friend that lives in Merritt Island that has been keeping a catalog of every launch she knows about for like 20something years... very cool to go through!