Returning from the field last Thurdsay, we passed a bizarre array of military equipment followed by a convergence of parked and parking cars and a steady flow of people herding their way up a hill. An Ariane 5 rocket was scheduled to launch. On campus we stashed everything in the lab then walked outside and stared west. It was approaching seven PM. The sky was completely clear.
The sky turned yellow to the west followed by the sound of a small armagedon. The shuttle came into view a few second later streaking up and then over to the East. It pounded an Eastbound trajectory with a speed and fireball that were otherworldly. Knowing that we’ve been doing this as a species for some time now did not prepare me for what a feat it is. It seemed truly beyond human. The rocket was hundreds of miles away within minutes. The stages separated and then winked out of sight leaving a corkscrew of smoke trailing to nowhere.
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