NASA Social For Atlas V MMS Launch

We were incredibly lucky to be selected by NASA to attend their Social Media event, held last Thursday, March 12 at Kennedy Space Center to support their launch of an Atlas V rocket as part of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission.

Our day started at sunrise in getting our credentials so that we could be admitted to multiple locations within Kennedy Space Center. I have to admit that it was pretty thrilling just realizing that I was being accredited to be in the same locations that so many historical moments have taken place. While I am not old enough to have been around for the Apollo missions, the Space Shuttle launches were a solid part of me growing up and helping me dream of space. I am a huge fan of sci-fi, but NASA turns science fiction into science fact, and it was a tremendous moment to be entering such hallowed ground.

The day included group introductions in the Annex and media centers outside of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Just outside of the building, a huge countdown clock ticked down to the time of the scheduled night launch at 10:44pm EST. It was an incredibly beautiful day with some ground wind that we all hoped would die down in time for launch.

We were then shown the launch control center and given a tour of the operations area as well as a thorough explanation of the various types of rockets currently in rotation. The folks from United Launch Alliance (ULA) were more than accommodating with answering any questions that were asked, but did not allow for photos or videos per the sensitivity of the information that was shared.

We moved from the mission control site and on to the rocket assembly building and launch pad for an unbelievably close view of the Atlas V MMS rocket. The sheer size of the rocket is awe inspiring and impossible to convey until you can see one for yourself close up. The area itself is fairly self contained in that the rocket stages are assembled within a mile or less of the launch pad itself. In fact, the launch pad is mobile and moves the rocket from the assembly building to the launch area. The boosters for the rocket were mostly out of site until we left the area and en route to our next stop. At that point, we were able to get a good view of the boosters and the diversion path for launch emissions/fire from the pad site.

After we broke for lunch, our next stop was the famous Vehicle Assembly Building. The VAB is well known for where Apollo and Space Shuttle crafts were assembled and readied for launch. On previous KSC tours, I was able to see the outside of the building, but had never been inside myself. It was a surreal moment to actually enter the building and take in the historical vibe of past glories while also hearing about how the building is being retrofitted to support upcoming SLS missions. The VAB is the tallest single story structure, with the floor to ceiling height of 525 feet. We received an awesome history lesson about the building as wide eyes continued to soak in the details of the building. One high point for me was seeing the platforms that were used for the Apollo missions still located in place. Truly amazing.

Post KSC tour, we returned to the media center for a 2 hour mission overview and question and answer session that was broadcast live online. The mission overview was clear and broken down so that everyone can understand as the Atlas V rocket contained 4 additional space crafts that would be launched in an attempt to measure key plasma processes: magnetic reconnection, energetic particle acceleration, and turbulence. It was refreshing to see any and all questions answered, including my question around further manned missions into deeper space (beyond the moon).

After an extended dinner break, we returned to the KSC campus to regroup and head to the launch viewing area, which was a mere 2.1 miles from the launch pad that we had visited earlier in the day. It was explained that our viewing area was the closest that anyone would be, outside of NASA security/safety personnel (they stay at 2 miles away in case of emergency). Our area was very dark and directly across a body of water that would soon ripple in reaction to shockwaves and would have fish jumping up as a result.

The launch itself was flawless and a true vision of beauty against the dark night sky. Our group counted down together and watched in amazement as the Atlas V lit up the launch pad area with a beautiful orange glow while speeding off the ground. It took about 35 seconds or so for the first sounds and vibrations to reach us. By that time, the rocket was well on it’s ascent into the sky above. We all continued to watch in amazement as the Atlas V continued to climb into the heavens while eventually disappearing into darkness.

This was the experience of a lifetime and I can’t thank NASA and their social team enough for the opportunity to be a part of the mission. For more information on the MMS mission, visit: http://mms.gsfc.nasa.gov/