AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020 - 31

But this flight was historic to me on an entirely personal level
in that I had never attended a launch in person. I credit the Apollo
program in the 1960s and 1970s as being influential in my pursuit of a career in aviation. I was fascinated by astronauts and the
technology to get them to the moon and back. I was a mesmerized
8-year-old when, on July 16, 1969, Apollo 11's Saturn V rocket lifted
off from that same Launch Pad 39A for its historic mission to the
moon. A few evenings later I sat cross-legged on the floor in our
family room watching on our black-and-white television as Neil
Armstrong stepped onto the lunar surface.
Nearly 51 years later I stood in awe, arms spread out as the
sound waves washed over me, the SpaceX Falcon 9 ripping itself
from Earth's gravity on a mission to show that the United States
is still capable of great things-still capable of delivering on promises and still capable of dreaming big.
I wanted to be there. I wanted to be in Dragon capsule
Endeavour with astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken,
to feel the G loads, to look out those side windows and see the
Earth falling away as the darkness of space encroached.
But, alas, they didn't ask. I would have to be satisfied with seeing, hearing, and feeling the launch from across the water at the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Minutes after the ascent, several of us from the media group
were rushed off to the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy

Space Center to hear NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, Vice
President Mike Pence, and President Donald Trump address
NASA employees and visitors. They all praised the work of NASA
and SpaceX, heaping praise on Musk. And Musk could hardly
contain himself, jumping from his chair-literally-and waving
his arms in the air, and jumping up and down again and again,
earning him the biggest applause of the day.
And while it was fun to see and hear the dignitaries in
that mammoth and historic building, my mind kept drifting
back to that rush of the launch, the sense of awe that humans
could actually leave this blue marble, observe it from afar, and
return again.
But we're not done yet. Bridenstine, Pence, and Trump all
reiterated that the next goal is to return Americans to the lunar
surface in 2024 as part of the Artemis Program, establishing a
permanent human presence there within the next decade. And
that presence is simply a steppingstone to the next big leap-
carrying people to Mars.
Perhaps on May 30, 2020, there was a kid sitting cross-legged
somewhere watching this launch who someday will be hurtling
back toward Earth after a successful trip to Mars. Dream big.
That's what we do in this country.
EMAIL thomas.haines@aopa.org

AP IMAGES

About those suits

Gone are the orange "pumpkin" suits and the
crinkly white bags of past space missions.
SpaceX founder Elon Musk wanted his
astronauts to look better, so he had Hollywood
costume designer Jose Fernandez (Batman v.
Superman, Fantastic Four, X-2: X-Men United)
design what is now being called "the Musk
suit." If it looks a little like a tuxedo, the sleek,
form-fitting, black and white one-piece is
supposed to. No wires and hoses are obvious
because they connect discreetly to the capsule
seats, which contain many of the supporting
systems. Doug Hurley pronounced the suit
"very comfortable." I think you've found your
Halloween costume, Mr. Haines.
-JSW

Want to go?

See a launch, that is....

There are many public viewing areas around the Kennedy Space Center where you can
see a launch. Go early and be prepared for heavy traffic. Hundreds of thousands show up
for many launches. NASA also sells guaranteed seats at the KSC Visitor Complex. Learn
about that and launch schedules on the NASA website.
kennedyspacecenter.com

aopa.org/pilot AOPA PILOT | 31

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AOPA Pilot Magazine - August 2020

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