The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Here we sit, a little less than three weeks until the GRAIL NASATweetup event begins.  Yesterday, I received an email from NASA so I could apply for press credentials and clearance.  Sadly, they were quick to point out that the Tweetup credentials do not apply to any other missions, so I can’t just wander down to Kennedy, flash my Twitter badge and get into future events.

So far, many of the Tweetup details are up in the air.  They told us that we’ll get a tour on Wednesday morning and in the afternoon a group of speakers (to be announced later) will come and talk to us.  Thursday at 8:37am EDT is the projected launch time for the Delta II rocket, with a one hour launch window.  Which mean I’ll have to get there super early that morning (I’m guessing I’ll need to be there by no later than 5:00am).  If there is some sort of problem on Thursday, they can push it back 24-hours into Friday, but any delay beyond that and I’m out of luck to view the launch at Kennedy.

In addition to the mission itself, over the last couple weeks, I’ve also found out that this is slated to be the final NASA launch of a Delta II rocket as well as the final launch from Space Launch Complex 17 (SLC-17).  SLC-17 was built by the Air Force in the late 1950s to handle Thor missile launches and was transferred to NASA ownership in 1965.  It certainly doesn’t have the glamour and sentimentality of LC-39 (where the Apollo rockets and space shuttles launched from), but it’s still another chapter of NASA’s history is ending.

Delta II rocket

SLC-17

I’m hoping that they will still be working on decommissioning one of the shuttles while we are there.  The people lucky enough to attend the Juno Tweetup got to go into the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and get up close and personal with a shuttle.  I believe that we’ll get to go into the VAB regardless, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we can see Atlantis in there.

Beyond that, right now I’m just trying to go over packing lists and keep up with all the information being posted on Twitter and Facebook from all the Tweetup attendees.  With all the excitement ramping up for it (most of us are first-time Tweetup attendees), there’s a bit of information overload going on.  There is two Tweetup get-togethers planned (Tuesday and Thursday), and I’m sure something will happen on Wednesday night, too.  If I were staying until Saturday, I could also go with a group of fellow space tweeps to hit Harry Potter World at Universal Studios.

I have no doubt that this will be a remarkable experience and I count myself very lucky to have this opportunity.  I also believe that when it’s done, I’m going to be very sorry that I don’t live closer to Florida and the Space Coast so I could be able to attend future Tweetups without nearly so much expense and travel time.

“There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what happened. To be successful, you need to be a person who makes things happen.” – Jim Lovell