Shuttle Discovery Set To Launch After Long Wait

[Henry]

Somehow, little is thought of this by most people now.  I remember in the early days when I was working we would have announcements and updates over the PA System as to just what was happening and even have the countdown, after which there was usually a loud cheer.

Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., to the international space station \(7:43 p.m. ET\). Watch WPTZ for complete space shuttle coverage.

MORE DETAILS: http://www.wptz.com/tu/5FiSZ4YtD.html

[dearon]

Hi Henry,
7:43: Just watched it take off, (yes I am still in Florida), it was amazing.  We watched from our front yard in Melbourne, I will get some photos over to you.  After the launch there was a bright long glow at it was climbing, then when it was quite high you could see two items falling off (probably the fuel tanks?) There was a loud sonic boom a few seconds after the launch.  It looked light a bright star after it was all the way up. Absolutely amazing!!

I wondered why all the beaches on the ocean were packed today! I guess they had been lining up since morning. 

[Henry]

I was watching Fox 44 tonight and she said if we looked towards the South around 7:43 tonight we might see it - Somehow I doubt that.  I remember a number of years ago I was down at my brother-in-law's in Winterhaven when the shuttle took off and I saw it.  I can imagine you were quite excited to see it so close up.  I know back then I was.

Unbelievable how we take things so much for granted now.  We were extremely excited at IBM as we were a part of building parts for the computer system at this little old Essex Plant back when these launches first started.

[katrinaantonovich]

We watched it on the NASA channel tonight - Jacob loves to watch it "blast off" -  He wants to know when he can take his turn on the space shuttle....