I awoke this morning so excited to have the first chance ever to see
the re-entry as it passed over Las Vegas, NV. I've seen launches, from
3.5 miles, 12 miles...I've seen ascents from Massachusetts, I've seen
it in orbit, attached to the ISS...Mir, I've seen landings in person,
but to see it streak across the sky was something to look forward to.
I was struck by the speed - normally a "full sky" pass takes 4-5
minutes, travelling Mach 25 at 240 miles up...but at Mach 22 at only
60 miles or so, it took only 1 minute 30 seconds to go across the sky
- just amazing - I took binoculars and focused in on the orange
fireball surrounding the object, the orbiter...and the plasma streak
was breathtaking - I was so excited to know I would walk inside,
update the mission journal, watch the landing, and move on with the
day - I'm always so pumped up for life after a launch and landing.
Then, the loss of comm. worried me, then at 9:16 and it wasn't at KSC,
I knew it was gone - the images shortly afterward told the whole
story...I'm still watching in dis belief.
Not Columbia...not in this day and age...just...speechless.
John