....was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.


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On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.

--
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https://www.avg.com

On 5/30/2020 4:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.


Cool! Tell Greg, that's almost worth a trip to Florida wearing
a mask. :-)



--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

On 5/30/2020 4:26 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.

I saw the fire for about 2 seconds before it disappeared into the clouds
never to reappear. It's always a thrill to see even a glimpse of a launch.


--
Pity Fat Harry. His ability to produce rational thought on his own, no
longer exists, if it ever did at all.

On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

Thirty years ago who would believe
1. The Russians would be our only way into low earth orbit.

2. Some guy from South Africa would become a multi billionaire from
the internet.

3. That guy would build the rocket NASA couldn't come up with.

4. A record store guy would make space a tourist destination.

Maybe the days of big government doing anything are over. They are
just accounts receivable for technology companies.

On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:26:15 -0400,
wrote:

On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.

I went out to look but a cloud bank along I-75 blocked my view. We
used to get a great look at the shuttle launches if the weather
cooperated.

On 5/30/2020 5:40 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.



Thirty years ago who would believe
1. The Russians would be our only way into low earth orbit.

2. Some guy from South Africa would become a multi billionaire from
the internet.

3. That guy would build the rocket NASA couldn't come up with.

4. A record store guy would make space a tourist destination.

Maybe the days of big government doing anything are over. They are
just accounts receivable for technology companies.


We'll never know but had NASA not plowed the early paths to space,
developed the heavy lift rockets to go to the moon (working with
major aerospace companies) and worked out the myriad technical
issues, I wonder if Musk and SpaceX would even exist today.

You have to give NASA credit. As exciting as today's launch was,
landing men on the moon 51 years ago .... (that still amazes me)
and returning to the moon 5 more times over the next 3 years
is still one of mankind's greatest technological achievements.


--
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
https://www.avg.com

wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:26:15 -0400,
wrote:

On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.

I went out to look but a cloud bank along I-75 blocked my view. We
used to get a great look at the shuttle launches if the weather
cooperated.


Best launch I ever witnessed was a Vandenburg launch. We were in Yosemite
at the Ranger campfire and near sunset. Looking west out of the valley
the rocket staged exactly opposite the entrance. Looked like the 2nd
stage firing was miles wide.

On Sat, 30 May 2020 17:58:38 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:

On 5/30/2020 5:40 PM, wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.



Thirty years ago who would believe
1. The Russians would be our only way into low earth orbit.

2. Some guy from South Africa would become a multi billionaire from
the internet.

3. That guy would build the rocket NASA couldn't come up with.

4. A record store guy would make space a tourist destination.

Maybe the days of big government doing anything are over. They are
just accounts receivable for technology companies.


We'll never know but had NASA not plowed the early paths to space,
developed the heavy lift rockets to go to the moon (working with
major aerospace companies) and worked out the myriad technical
issues, I wonder if Musk and SpaceX would even exist today.

You have to give NASA credit. As exciting as today's launch was,
landing men on the moon 51 years ago .... (that still amazes me)
and returning to the moon 5 more times over the next 3 years
is still one of mankind's greatest technological achievements.

I blame the shuttle. It was such a black hole or money that it sucked
the whole manned space program dry. We stopped making man rated
boosters.
I also think it really helped the knowledge of space tremendously
because it caused us to send a bunch of robots that did more science
than a few manned missions ever would.
Robots are looking at the whole solar system for a mere fraction of
what a stroll on Mars gives us and a lot of science from everything in
the way.
Let Musk go to Mars, I think we need more robots looking at all the
planets..

On Sun, 31 May 2020 01:14:07 -0000 (UTC), Bill
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:26:15 -0400,
wrote:

On Sat, 30 May 2020 16:05:35 -0400, "Mr. Luddite"
wrote:



...was spectacular.

This "new" era of the USA's space program is
mind-boggling for those of us who remember
Alan Shepard's first suborbital flight
in "Freedom 7" 59 years ago.

Even more unique is that America's private
industry has taken over the role of designing
and building this next generation spacecraft.

Still blows my mind that they can land the
first stage back on a small, floating barge
to be re-used.

Congrats to SpaceX, NASA and to Elon Musk,
a true technical visionary.

Should also mention that there are at least
three other private companies developing
spacecraft and rockets for future use.

===

Absolutely right, a spectacular achievement and all concerned should
be very proud.

I'm looking forward to their next night launch since we've discovered
that we can see them from here, starting a minute or two after lift
off. We can easily see main engine cutoff and second stage ignition.

I went out to look but a cloud bank along I-75 blocked my view. We
used to get a great look at the shuttle launches if the weather
cooperated.


Best launch I ever witnessed was a Vandenburg launch. We were in Yosemite
at the Ranger campfire and near sunset. Looking west out of the valley
the rocket staged exactly opposite the entrance. Looked like the 2nd
stage firing was miles wide.


I was in that little parking lot where folks hang on US Rt 1 right
across from the space center for STS-6 (One of the Columbia missions
that didn't blow up). It was the same week I met my wife. A had also
gone to St Patty's day at Church Street in mousetown and cruised
through Daytona. All around a great trip to Florida.

A shuttle up close is quite the show.