Post from Asha re: SpaceShip One

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:38 pm

Gambit, Please post this on the forums for all to see, as I cannot from work. (Little did Asha know that since I've started my new job, I've not been able to get to the internet yet...) The vehicle took off this morning. I did not go to Mojave because they were talking about delaying the launch a couple of hours till the wind died down. I had to be at work at 8 for some stuff that I couldn't miss. I will tell you one thing though. You can see it from where I work! I would have taken pictures, except for the fact that I couldn't take pictures from the base without special permission. That special permission pretty much comes from the general that commands the base. What I can tell you is that the thing has been spiraling for a while now. It takes a while to get high enough for the spacecraft to detach and launch, and it also means that it takes a while for it to come back down. I saw a thing on CNN when I went to grab something for breakfast, and they were showing live pictures. (These pictures were from before I walked back to my office and was able to see the vehicles a bit.) CNN also said that landing at Edwards was possible because of how strong the winds were at Mojave. When I was at NTPS (which is at Mojave), I got to land the plane that we flew in a couple of times. My first time we got hit with a sudden, severe crosswind. It was pretty much from 0 to 35 knots in about a second. I was able to kick the rudder over faster than the pilot, at which point, I gave control to the pilot. But I can say that landing there can definitely be a hair raising experience! Last I checked (about an hour ago), the vehicles that I could see were spiraling. You could tell this because you would clearly see one from the side and when it would face away or towards you, the thing would become hard to see. All in all, it's pretty cool that I can see it from Edwards (about 25 miles SE of Mojave). And I am glad that I did not drive up there this morning. The traffic reports were horrendous up on the freeway up there. Apparently they were estimating that almost 400,000 people had come from all over to see it. The airport itself can only hold probably about 2000 vehicles. People had parked out in the desert, along the highways, along the roads in Mojave, and even out on the trails and up on the Tehachapi mountains (they overlook the valley that Mojave sits in). And I am sorry that I couldn't take pictures from the base, but it's a secured area. Hope this goes good with the pictures that will undoubtedly be on CNN.com and so on! <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/images/emoticons/smile.gif ALT=":)"> -Asha'man