NASA: There's no such thing as a free launch.

After several failed attempts, I finally got to see my second shuttle launch up close. I have been pining to see a night launch for a long, long time. On Monday I drove to Cape Canaveral for a 1:30AM launch only to see it canceled due to weather just ten minutes prior to the end of countdown. Just before heading over, I learned of a hash part at a friend's home as a welcome back party. So instead of battling for a parking spot and sitting around for a few hours, I hung out with the group for a while. About 30 minutes before launch we walked the two blocks to local park for a good viewing spot and direct view of the shuttle pad. After seeing previous videos (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P282wFz_Pgg) I knew this was one site I did not want to miss. Unfortunately, this is the last planned launch in total darkness before the end of the current shuttle fleet next year. The new shuttles probably will not be ready for a while, so I was not going to miss this opportunity. I loved how the entire sky light up as the multi-million dollar roman candle arced across the sky. I was only disappointed by the lack of sound or chance to really feel the vibrations as I was able to experience the first time. Apparently this mission had a light payload, thus not requiring as much thrust as is normal. There is something about space flight that really drives the imagination and sense of wonder. The pics didn't come out as well as I'd hope as I found it difficult to anticipate the intensity of the light and ended up having my aperture a little too high I think, but I was glad to have been able to simply sit back and enjoy being a witness to such an event, especially when able to do so in the company of a few friends.