I checked off an item on my bucket list…I traveled to Kennedy Space Center to see a Space Shuttle launch. And it wasn’t just any launch – it was STS-135, the very last mission of the shuttle program. Ellen drove me to the airport at 0430 on the 7th for a flight to Orlando. I was very lucky to get a ticket for the launch…they were in great demand.

The weather forecast was marginal, and our tickets were only good for one launch attempt. If the launch scrubbed, I’d be likely be watching the next attempt from the hotel. I arrived at the bus boarding location at 2330 the evening before the launch, and we left for KSC at 0100. The bus dropped us at the KSC Visitor Center to wait until the buses could take us out to the NASA Causeway viewing area. While at the Visitor Center, I took a short tour ride out to the Apollo V center where we had a phenomenal view of LC 39A illuminated for the event…

At about 0430 we re-boarded the buses and drove to the Causeway. We were told that the launch probability was only about 50 percent due to low ceilings, but the weather held and we were extremely fortunate to see the launch.

The lowest cloud layer was at around 12,000 feet so we didn’t see the shuttle for long before it disappeared into the clouds.

The launch was both awesome and sad at the same time. I fear that it marks the end of this nation as a leader in space exploration for a long time to come, and I’m disgusted with the Administration’s lack of leadership with regard to the space program.