STS-126 Endeavour Launch

Tonight I got to remove another item from my "Gotta do this someday" list. I finally witnessed the launch of a space shuttle. Not only did I witness a launch, but a rare night launch.

We drove up to Sanford and joined my aunt and uncle earlier today. From there, we met with my cousin and drove over to Titusville. Once there, we parked in a field and walked three blocks to the intersection of US-1. We arrived about 25 minutes before launch time and the place was packed. We found a spot to stand, but unfortunately did not have a clear view of the launch pad. I moved to the curb and set up my camera on the tripod and took some sample shots at various shutter speed and aperature combinations. I finally decided on 30 seconds at f22 with ISO 100 exposure. I took three pictures; the first is included in this post.

As liftoff began, the spectators let out a roar and I pressed the shutter release. As Endeavour climbed into the clear sky, I waited anxiously for the roar to finally reach us. Unfortunately, it never did. Other than that slight disappointment, I'd say I'm quite pleased with my first shuttle experience and hope for several more in the years to come.