From “Rocket Summer”

Rocket summer. People leaned from their dripping porches and watched the reddening sky.

The rocket lay on the launching field, blowing out pink clouds of fire and oven heat. The rocket stood in the cold winter morning, making summer with every breath of its mighty exhausts. The rocket made climates, and summer lay for a brief moment upon the land.

I’ve wanted to view a space rocket since I first read Ray Bradbury’s Rocket Summer. You can view satellite and shuttle launches by driving down to Florida and being in the right place at the right time. Weather, of course, makes it impossible to absolutely sure about the launch date, but I think I would like to go.

On October 13, 2010 there is a spy satellite taking off from Cape Canaveral Air Station. Later in the month there is a SpaceX vehicle test flight. I’d like to see the SpaceX flight. I may go down when the date is more certain.

On November 1 is a Shuttle launch. This, I think, is the second to last shuttle launch.

You can watch the Shuttle from Titusville, either in the park or along the highway, but you have to get there 4 to 6 hours early and bring a book to read. The traffic is so bad it takes two hours to get out of Titusville after the launch.

The satellite launches can be viewed from beach at Cape Canaveral. The pier is crowded, but the beach is relatively empty. There are lots of crowds so you have to get there early in order to find a parking space.

I have tentative agreement from 5 friends (and my mother) that they would like to go.

Jimmy does not want to fly down, and I would rather drive, too, stopping at interesting places along the way. We can rent a good size car and be comfortable all the way down. I have lots of relatives in Florida and I would rather not see any of them.

As the dates draw nearer I bet everyone will find excuses not to go.