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• A Life In Space
Take a trip through space and time … visiting Florida’s scenic Space Coast, Cape Canaveral, Sebastian Inlet, and other sites from where flaming rockets leave the earth, and race into outer space.
The Falcon Heavy after cloud hangs above the 1880s church in North Cocoa, on the Indian River (Intracoastal Waterway) across from Merritt Island (and Cape Canaveral) where (Apollo) lauch pad 39A sits.
The Inaugural launch of Space X’s Falcon Heavy rocket, almost as large as the Saturn V that took the first (and only) men to the moon. NASA hopes the Falcon will be the vehicle that takes the first humans to Mars.
The above video includes the ride on the “River Road” to up to North Cocoa and my favorite spot from which to watch such launches.
Once there, you’ll see the approaching group I photographed, and who demanded I delete the photographs I took of them. When I refused, of course, they called the three Brevard County sheriff’s deputies you’ll also see. After asking for my ID, I asked them to go out and tell them I had the right to take the pictures. They did, but suggested I find another spot to watch the launch. I think you can imagine my telling them thanks, but for them to mind their own business, and I’d be staying in the spot I had chosen … the spot with the old church and the twin sabal palm trees. NICE, as I think you’ll realize.
THE THREAT
Soon after my “police” encounter, you’ll see the stranger who walks up, points at me, and says he’ll break my mother fucking camera if I take a picture of him. Quietly, I continue to photograph him, who’s now photographing me (of course) with his phone, and then his walking away, as he says “I’m giving you five minutes, then I’m coming back with more fire power.”
THE LAUNCH
Then you’ll see the launch, and let me say, as many as I’ve seen, it was dramatic, big enough to see the rocket atop the flame (like the Saturns), and this with my standing nearly 20 miles away.
I think I told you, that I’ve seen nearly every manned launch, from when my mother took me into our front yard (May 5, 1961) to watch Alan Shepard become the first American in space, to the first Shuttle, and after missing a number of shuttles when working in West Palm Beach and Miami, I again documented (photographed) all last five shuttles.
Still amazed every time, especially, and nothing like when their are human beings aboard for the ride. Talk about big astronaut balls … the women too.
Then I’ll take you on the ride back to Cocoa village. For your imagination, the River Road is where my high school friends and I did our 1970s cruising … we all had a real good time, if you know what I mean.