Bill Whittle — creator of the series — says this week’s scrubbed launch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket topped with a Dragon crew capsule from Pad 39a at Cape Canaveral was “one of the most resounding successes in the history of the space program.”
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10 replies on “Scrubbed SpaceX Launch Great Success: Life-Saving Demo Bodes Well for Future”
Bill, you keep mentioning the recovery barge, but there are two. The one in the Atlantic has a great name too. It is “Just Read The Instructions.” 🙂
What I saw was another of about I don’t know many shuttle launches that got scrubbed… because of weather. This launch was totally different… There may have been pressure… but honestly pretty sure there wasn’t. Not like we are ina space race right now. This was a weather scrub because of electrical interference and would have been scrubbed with any other program before apollo 12. Sorry Bill your playing this one up just a touch…. I love this time now though because I didnt’ get to see apollo and I only got to see space shuttle and then taxi rides so I am all on board with spacex.
And it’s up! Without a hitch!
And the first stage landed on the barge without a hitch!
They put in enough work to make it look easy.
Your Apollo 11: What We Saw series told the amazing story of the space program. It was what we saw. I have not read or seen anything its equal.
Thank you also for the excellent Bill Whittle Now with Scott Ott on the SpaceX scrubbed launch on May 27, 2020.
Here are two personal memories of the space program from May 1963 to May 1969 when I lived in Rockledge. During that time I saw the launches and worked in a very minor capacity at the Kennedy Space Center for the last year and half of that period.
First, during that time, a rocket launch was the biggest event we knew. We did not know if it would be successful. There was much uncertainty and never a sense of business as usual. Scrubs were part of the unknown being explored. When a launch was delayed, the people I knew had a feeling of, “OK, we made it this far without a problem. That’s good. It’s a step toward success. They can try again.” No one felt launching on a particular day was more important than launching into a successful mission. No one knew whether the next step could be done; a little delay was immaterial when compared to mission triumph. They were creating a new world.
Delayed launches were like an extra plot twist adding more suspense before a play’s climax. When a rocket did launch, the whole story was more surprising, more suspenseful, and more satisfying because of the extra effort to overcome that last obstacle.
You are correct that more than the launch vehicle changed for the Shuttle Program. I remember thinking on that cold January 28, 1986, before the Challenger tragedy how much had changed when NASA willingly increased the risk to seven souls for the sake of a publicity schedule.
Second, in the early 2000s my wife and I visited the Kennedy Space Center. It the first time I had been back since 1969 and the two trips I took to watch the first shuttle in April 1981.
On that trip in the early 2000s, as we walked around the public areas I was struck by a strange feeling. Everything felt different. It felt like I was merely inside some buildings built among the Florida saw palmetto habitat and not at the honored place of historic space flight.
I remembered the mighty Saturn V of 30 years ago and the giants who had been here. They had given this place a feel like nowhere else. It was all gone.
I remember as a kid being excited about this new space shuttle they were in the process of building. I remember waiting for that first launch …. & waiting … & waiting. And then, after endless delays & cost overruns, they finally launched. Many years later the shuttles would be shelved without a replacement in place because – Government. NASA became part of the beaurocracy long ago & as such are no longer capable of doing what is actually required of it (they’re busy doing other stuff).
Having this launch scrubbed is a little disappointing but given the speed that SpaceX has been moving forward with their projects overall, I’d say it’s a minor one.
I wonder how much of the loss of interest in the Apollo program was due to “America got bored with going to tho moon”, and how much due to “it took NASA to make going to the moon boring”.
NASA suffered from “Getthereitis”. I’m not sure exactly where I first heard that term, but I’d bet money it came from Bill Whittle.
I missed Bill’s coverage over at TSL at the time, and turned on the SpaceX channel (via a link posted by a member here–thanks again, Michael!) probably about the same time Bill went live. I was immediately struck by the design of the capsule and particularly of the space suits. They looked to me like a set design for a movie or a Star Trek show. Actually they reminded me forcibly of ST:TNG, and the design change from old to new seems to me to be remarkably like original ST to TNG.
I did not remember previously hearing about Musk’s stipulation that the design be “beautiful,” but what I said to myself was, this is a major upgrade in aesthetics, and they get an A+ !!
As I watched, I came to appreciate the interface they had provided for the astronauts. The touchscreens, the buttons that seemed easy to interface with using the much improved gloves (they could fold their hands together!!) (and as a glove wearer I can tell you that using touchscreens with gloves is a challenge, so SpaceX designed that part, it wasn’t off the shelf), and even the grab bar providing a place to rest their hands! I am sure those are also the most comfortable seats ever used by an astronaut (or a pilot, for that matter).
So it wasn’t just beautiful, it was highly functional. It was designed for human beings.
Yes! 1000%
Excellent episode Gentlemen! I must take this opportunity to say that Bill’s Apollo 11 series is the best history of the space race and the Apollo program yet created, and should be considered “Must Viewing” by every American. More than that I truly believe that it should be required viewing in every classroom in America …. it is simply that important and that good!!!