Last Shuttle Lauch

Hard to believe this was the final launch!

Ponce Inlet was a popular spot to view the final launch of the space shuttle Discovery on the afternoon of February 24^th, 2011. I was on the dock with some friends when I realized there were at least 75 other onlookers.  It was amazing to see the many reactions and feel the excitement in the air when Discovery became visible just over the yachts in the marina.

It’s hard to believe this was our last launch!  I grew up with space program as it improved and made historical firsts.  I never aspired to be an astronaut, but I knew many young people who had it on their list of things they wanted to be when they grew up…-Doctor, Lawyer, Astronaut.   Few have made that dream a reality. Most of us have only lived space travel through the big screen.  Apollo 13 and The Right Stuff were among my favorite space movies.

Personally I don’t even want to imagine this flight as the last.  There is so much more to learn and so many young people that still want to become part of our history in space. If we continued with what we know today, can you imagine what a flight in fifty years would be like?    That would be 2061…meeting up with aliens of a different kind? Hmmm, makes you wonder if there could  be life out there.

As we watched the shuttle disappear from view, we all agreed to remember where we were at 4:53p.m., Thursday, February 24, 2011.

-Deb Smith, Publisher