(Off topic) The Discovery crew are back - what a relief....!!!

[Anonymous]

I saw the same landing as Ed did. We were at my son's house in Falls City, and like he said, it started out as a really bright light, then went over REALLY fast! No sound though.

I remember when they started all of this when I was a little kid. It's still fascinating to me. I'd still like to see us go back to the moon, though.

mike

[edblysard]

A few years ago, I was working the afternoon shift.

Just finished switching out a cut, and was sitting out on a bench, having a smoke and a cup of coffee...might have been 8:30, 9:00 o’clock in the evening, just after dusk.

I knew Colombia was due to land, one of the first night landings, and one of the first for KSC in Florida, so I was watching the west skyline...when suddenly, this fantastic and huge "shooting star" just blasted over head...trailing a smoky contrail, lit by the last few rays of the setting sun...took only a few seconds to go from horizon to horizon, glowing with a bright white light, blistering speed, and a sound that cant be described...she was gone, well over the horizon before the sound of her passing caught up to us.

These folks are some of the last, true heroes left in the world, showing us that, in space, your sex, age, race or religion doesn’t matter, but your will and courage do; they are leading the rest of us off of this planet, and taking us on the first steps of the path to the last, and greatest adventure mankind will ever know


Ed

[DrummingTrainfan]

It's nice to know that there are people out there that don't hate us (the USoA) (we'd probably know of more...if it wasn't for that darned mainstream media). Thanks alot for your support [bow]! ~erik~

[Kozzie]

Thanks Paula. It was a special experience.

Ed has a story too - I hope I can persuade him to share it....

Dave

[cherokee woman]

Dave, sounds like you and your Mum saw a very awesome sight last Friday.
You two were so lucky to have the chance to see that.

[Kozzie]

I woke up this morning (Downunder time) to the good news that the Discovery Space Shuttle landed safe and sound. That's a relief. That's Auzzie astronaut Andy Thomas's last flight, but I bet he will have plenty of memories of it.

I ask your indulgence to share this little story that I told Ed.

One Early Friday Evening

It was only last Friday early evening, immediately after sundown - our time. The radio station had been telling everyone when we could see the space shuttle as it flies over us here in Brisbane, south east Queensland.

Due to the nature of the orbit's pattern, we weren't able to see it every night.
Last Friday was the last chance for south-east Queensland, I think, before Discovery landed.

I got home from work just in time. I called out to Mum and she joined me outside on the footpath (sidewalk) and we looked in the south west direction, very low in the sky, as instructed by the radio commentator.

I spotted a very very small star-like object moving relatively swiftly from the south west, away from the area where the sun had just set, across that corner of the sky towards the south (sort of cutting across the south west corner of the sky, if you will).

We could only just make it out - but, as the shuttle's position changed in relation to us and the sun, that is, the angle becoming more acute, it grew in brightness, as we could see more and more reflected sunlight.

What really moved us was the fact that we weren't just looking at a satellite, but a vehicle with 7 very brave people in it! We kept watching, not moving, or speaking much either, until it vanished from sight over the southern horizon.

We knew that would be our last chance here Downunder to see them go over before they landed, and, like many others, we willed them on for a safe landing.

Thankfully, that's exactly what happened. [:)] [;)]

Dave