Many years ago, I saw a shuttle take off from afar, and ever since then, a friend of mine, whose brother works for NASA, has always said to me, “If you want to see a launch up close, just let me know.” As the program was winding down, I told my friend that this would be the last chance for either of us to see a part of history; so, after many attempts and schedule shufflings, we made it down to the Kennedy Space Center on April 29, 2011. That day, however, turned out to be a dry run for us, for just moments after the bus left for the Banana Creek viewing site, my friend got a message from his brother, saying that the launch was scrubbed. So, into the car we went for the several-hour journey through traffic back to Orlando, to fly out and hope that the schedules would come together for a second attempt.
When the next attempt date was finally fixed as May 16, 2011, I was the only one able to make the second trip to the KSC to give it another go. After the first run, I packed a little differently in view of the things we learned during the first attempt, and off I went. There are good words of wisdom given for viewers of the launch – put the camera down and take in the experience. You can grab all you need for photo memories from the web afterwards. For the most part I agree with this comment, but, for myself, my memories come from being behind the camera. You might see a GoPro attached to my head, thanks to Tim Ferriss, or otherwise in my hands as I do my best to capture the feelings as they happen. Rarely, however, is one sitting on a tripod, so for me this was going to be an unusual challenge.
To make matters more interesting, I wanted video and stills and to see the faces of the people at the same time. For the one man band I was, this was a job for a GorillaPod and Gaffer’s Tape. While the Gorilla Pod helped with the GoPro, the Gaffer’s Tape helped secure a Canon HFM400 onto the end of a EF100–400mm f/4.5–5.6L IS USM attached to a 7D. I would not do it that way again, but I can mention two things that this rig brought to me: the first is the fact that Gaffer’s Tape is your best friend when trying to make crazy things happen (two other people borrowed my roll for ideas of their own that they had after seeing my setup while waiting for the launch); and second, you will never find a better solution without diving in and trying something – anything – that has a chance of working to begin with.
My 7D, GoPro, and Camcorder Setup
Was this thing going to work? The bus got to the viewing site four hours ahead of the scheduled launch, and that was the quickest four hours I think I have ever experienced! I fiddled as much as I could, I did not have the best tripod to pan up with, and I had no idea at all about what I was going to see happen before my eyes. I did, however, discover another note of wisdom for if there is a next time for whatever the successor to the shuttle might be – yes, it was worth being nearly first in line and getting on the second bus out to the site. If you are going to be behind a camera, then stake a claim at the fence line – and you need to be early to do this.
If the four hours went quickly, then the last ten minutes went like ten seconds. I fired everything up and stood my ground. The results? A long way short of perfect, but with that said, far better than expected! The video worked well, and the stills brought home the memories, too.
STS-134 Endeavour
Enough of the technical stuff! If anyone wants to know anything else about that part of the experience, ask away in the comments. As for what it was like – that is where words start to fail. I have seen things come together when people have pushed technology and machine to the limits, where one is amazed at how far human ability can meld with equipment. This experience, however, was in a league of its own. From the failed attempt through to the final success of this launch, being there, you do actually get at least some small sense of how many people have come together to make one goal happen. From the people who are actually in the shuttle, through all of the ground support (in Florida and elsewhere) and all of the security, to all of the effort it took to build the shuttle and get it to the pad – the vastness of the combined endeavour is something I have felt in no other place. Then, to see this effort and creation leave our small marble, if even for only a relatively short journey, takes all of those bonds to another level: a level where we are all looking for something much bigger than all of ourselves put together.
Yes, it is the sound of all our hearts beating together. When Endeavour first leaves the pad, that is the only sound you can hear. Then slowly, at some moment that creeps into your body, you start to realize there is a bigger sound. As the craft pokes through the cloud cover and out of view, that new sound grows into a thunder that is as much felt with your body as heard with your ears. It truly is the sound of something bigger than all of us put together, and I hope it is a sound that returns soon after the fleet of shuttles goes quiet.
Related articles
- “Shuttle Endeavour By The Numbers: NASA’s 19-Year-Old Space Baby (SPACE.com)” and related posts (rocketnews.com)
- NASA’s Shuttle Endeavour Heads to Space Station on Its Final Mission (spacefellowship.com)
- Videos: Space Shuttle Endeavour Blasts Off at Kennedy Space Center (newsfeed.time.com)
