Merritt Island-Where Dreams Are Launched

I've lived on Merritt Island for about 10 years now. It's where Kennedy Space Center is, and where NASA, as well as the Air Force, launches rockets and the Space Shuttles. The Space Shuttle Program has retired, but it's a huge part of my childhood and my life. Growing up watching all of the launches and having a Dad as a pilot, I fell in love with space and flying. I hope to become a pilot and then pursue a career as an astronaut. And, at the same time I've fallen in love with living on the island. It has many downfalls, yes....but, it being my new home, it grew on me. Especially because the launches gave me a thrill.This blog is dedicated to my home, Merritt Island, and the little things about it that I love, as well as to space exploration, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, and flying. It's also dedicated to all lost astronauts and pilots.~Challenger-Colombia~ My more personal and random blog, if you're curious, is circlinginmyhead.tumblr.com All pictures are not mine, unless I state otherwise.

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June 8, 2007 – The Space Shuttle Atlantis roars toward space from Cape Canaveral for a two-week visit to the ISS. (NASA)

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The Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with the ISS, May 17, 2010. (NASA)

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Love these ❤️❤️❤️

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Astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom and John Young, prime crew for the first manned mission in the Gemini Program.

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LTV ASM-135 ASAT Anti-Satellite Missile:

Multi-stage missile with AGM-69 SRAM first stage, Altair 3 second stage, and MHV (Miniature Homing Vehicle) kinetic-kill third stage. Carried to 38,000+ feet and launched by an F-15, the missile was tested five times, successfully destroying the Solwind P78-1 satellite on September 13, 1985 in the only test against an actual satellite. It was planned to have a force of 20 F-15s modified to carry the weapon, with 112 weapons deployed, but the weapon was cancelled in 1988. 15 missiles were ultimately produced.

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Today is a good day for a golf club sword fight.

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May 15-24 would have seen two of the most riskiest, dangerous flights in the Space Shuttle program. 1986 was to be a banner year for the Space Shuttle, and these two missions, both set to deploy interplanetary probes, were to be feathers in the cap. The Centaur G upper stage would have made its first appearance, much to the chagrin to the astronauts assigned. John Young famously described 61F and 61G as the “Death Star” missions. 61F’s commander, Rick Hauck, told his crew: “NASA is doing business differently from the way it has in the past. Safety is being compromised and, if any of you want to take yourself off this flight, I will support you”. 61F would have been a four day mission, with 61G lifting off roughly a day after 61F had landed. 61G would have been commanded by Dave “Red Flash” Walker, whose birthday fell on the same day he was to launch. After the loss of 51L, the Shuttle-Centaur program was cancelled, the payloads were re manifested for the IUS, and the Centaur G ended up on the Titan IV.

Image credit: NASA via SDASM

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Okay, Bryce, why where they so risky?

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The Centaur G was liquid fueled, had to be pressurized to hold its own weight, had an extremely thin hull, and very heavy (including the CISS and plumbing). In case of an abort, the orbiters had to have special plumbing installed to drain the Centaur’s propellant, not ideal when those drains are near the aft RCS (I thought I read it would have taken about 550 seconds to completely drain the Centaur during a contingency). I also talked to an engineer who worked on Shuttle-Centaur and he said the system operated at 100% of its design limits, not to mention the poor quality control (which is why John Fabian left the crew and was replaced by Norm Thagard).

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May 15, 2009 – Astronaut Michael Good takes time out from working on the Hubble Space Telescope to salute his crewmates aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis.

(NASA)

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The planet Earth on May 12, 2009. (NASA)

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Long star trails stretch across the sky above our tent in White Sands during this 7 hour long exposure on film.  This park becomes incredibly quiet at night as they close the gates completely and only the few people who are willing to backpack into the dunes get to stay in the park.

White Sands National Monument, New Mexico - March 2015

Shot Notes:

Provia 100f 4x5, 75mm Super Angulon 7 hours at f8, no filters

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This is awesome for many reasons, and not just the fact that Rush and Gerry Griffin are in the same photo.

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Love 😍

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(5 May 1971) —- The Apollo 16 prime crew relax aboard the NASA Motor Vessel Retriever during water egress training activity in the Gulf of Mexico. They are, left to right, astronauts Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; John W. Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. The Command Module trainer was used in the training exercise.

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Beautiful photo of an aurora borealis above Yellowknife, Canada taken on March 1st, 2015.

Source: AuroraMAX

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C-130 H Hercules - Dobbins ARB - Marietta, Georgia

Photo: Damien Guarnieri

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The Space Shuttle Endeavour blasts off on March 11, 2008. (NASA)

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One of Jupiter's moons, Io. "Io is the most volcanically active body in the solar system. Volcanic plumes rise 300 km (190 miles) above the surface, with material spewing out at nearly half the required escape velocity." Learn more: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Jup_Io

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Images of the planet Saturn, captured by the Voyager 2 space probe, 1981.

(NASA)