NASA’s Artemis rocket launch, which was scrubbed a few days ago, is now supposed to take place this afternoon. The two-hour launch window opens at 2:17, and the weatherman gives it a 60% chance of favorable conditions. The news reported that as many as 400,000 people are expected in the small town of Titusville and the surrounding area to see the launch.
On the evening news last night, they said that they also expect hundreds of boats to be out on the water filled with people watching the launch. They have a very strict no-entry zone around the launch area, both for aircraft and watercraft. Officials said that boaters or pilots who violate the zone could face up to a $250,000 fine, as well as prison. That’s an awful steep admission price to pay, even for something as awesome as the launch.
There is no way I’m going to fight those kind of crowds, when we can stand in our yard and see it or go down to our fishing pier. This is supposed to be the most powerful rocket ever launched by NASA, generating 8.8 million pounds of thrust at liftoff from two booster rockets and four shuttle-era engines. There is a lot of talk locally about the danger of windows breaking and things like that. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens. If it does go up, I will definitely have some pictures to share with you in tomorrow’s blog.
And finally, here’s a chuckle to start your day from the collection of funny signs we see in our travels and that our readers share with us.
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Thought For The Day – Being conceived in the back of a Jeep does not make you part Cherokee.
Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
WISH YOU HAD A ‘LIVE FEED’ OF THE LAUNCH!
Didn’t the ULA do most of the work for that launch vehicle at more than Space X bid? My understanding is that Space X was only doing the lunar lander and delivering it themselves. But NASA seems to want to obfuscate the contractors they are using.