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Atlantis Is a Go

Raise your hand if you know the Space Shuttle Atlantis is planned to launch tonight. Keep it raised if you know what time and on what television network you can watch live coverage of it. Keep it raised if you actually plan on watching it. I’m willing to bet there aren’t too many raised hands out there except for the true (pardon the term) “space geeks.”

It’s sad if you think about it. This country used to be enamored with space and space travel. Whenever there was an accident the whole country went into mourning. Think Apollo I, Challenger, and Columbia. Kids used to look up to astronauts as heroes, and wanted to grow up to be one themselves. People would travel to Cape Canaveral just to see the Shuttle launch as a vacation. I lived in Florida and we would go to the Cape for the launches quite frequently. If you have never seen one live it is quite a show, lemme tell ya. And now? Nary a peep.

I’m not a “space geek.” I’m far from it actually. I think that it is important that we continue space exploration, but I admit I’m one of the uninformed on the goings on in the space program. Luckily I have a good friend who works in the industry, so I get all my space news and tidbits from him. Including the notification that he will be busy tonight, “because we are launching.” When he told me this last night, I had to ask him to make sure. “You mean a shuttle is being launched tomorrow?” That’s how informed I am. And I’m guessing the rest of you as well. It’s just not out in the public anymore unless something tragic happens and lives are lost. Then it becomes the argument of why are we even doing it in the first place.

So I wish all in NASA and those involved with this mission good luck and Godspeed. May everything run without a glitch and you get everything accomplished.

Edit (7:00pm CST): Launch was a success. I had a friend of mine see it live and he sent me this picture.