![\"Crowd\"](\"http:\/\/www.buran-energia.net\/Photos\/musee\/Floride%202008\/SNC15283.JPG\" "\\"Crowd\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nWe go to Imax,the building which shelters the cinema contains a very attractive painting galery, or make a bus tour but we can only go to the Saturn V center, tanks of the shuttle are going to fill up so the public can’t go closer than the VAB.<\/p>\n
At 5:00 pm we go inside our bus which is going to bring us to the Nasa Causeway. It is the closest observation site for the public. On the spot we are approximately five thousands, the bus stops on the other side of the bridge in the south-east. Once get outside we rush to an observation spot. In this zone the sight towards the launch pad is hampered by islands, but I had noticed a hole in the seen line. Arrived on the spot we are the first ones with another couple. There is still two hours to wait. People is arriving, we were alone when we arrived and now we are in the middle of a crowd. People came with their flexible chairs, blankets and prepare to attend the takeoff. During this time Didier makes the last preparations and tunings of his cameras, which are not easy because of the night. A couple of professional photographer settle in near us, I discuss little with them and they allow me to look at the shuttle in the objective, because we don’t see it so much at naked eye. A little farther are installed stands to buy food or goodies, they will be take appart the next day.<\/p>\n Speakers are installed along the Causeway and let us know how are the preparations for the launch. At t-20 min we learn that there is a problem with an service arm. But fortunately the procedure goes on some minutes later.<\/p>\n Then the voice announces 20 – 19 – 18; people keep silent; 10 – 9 – 7 Main engine ignition; suddenly the launch pad seems to burn itself; 5 – 4 – 3 – 2 Boosters ignition; the smoke spread on both sides from deflectors and soon the Shuttle disappears; and TAKEOFF; she is moving, slowly she’s lifting off, on the causeway people shout and applaud, then the Shuttle goes out from the vapor cloud, the crowd shouts louder, the monster going softly, the light of the engines is blinding I cannot see anything else, the shuttle is already 200 m away but the flames still licks the launch pad. After some tens of seconds we do not distinguish the shuttle. After two minutes of flight boosters are released (the most dangerous phase of the flight is over), the crowd was again applauded. Eight minutes after the takeoff the main engines are stopped, the shuttle is now in orbit around the Earth at the speed of 28 000 kph. People applaud once again and compliment themselfs. We can see joy on the faces of the people.<\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a> <\/a> <\/a><\/p>\n