This morning I had the opportunity to see up close the rollback of the Rotating Service Structure for space shuttle Endeavour on the launchpad for the STS-130 mission. The RSS protects the shuttle from any inclement weather while it is being readied for launch out on the pad. The rollback is the first big event in the cycle leading up to launch, so it means liftoff is not far away! The sight was absolutely amazing on such a beautiful sunny morning –albeit it was quite windy. I got chills when I first saw the right wing and the front windows of the orbiter appear (and it wasn’t because I was cold!) Currently, the wind is the only “if” about launching early Sunday morning at 4:39 am EST. Weather officials say there is an 80% chance of favorable conditions for liftoff. Since it is a night launch, it should be visible well up the East Coast of the US. I’ll have the good fortune to be just 3 miles away, about the closest anyone can be.
2 Replies to “RSS Rollback: Watch Endeavour Appear Before Your Eyes”
Comments are closed.
Watched the rollback of the RSS on NASA-TV and was struck by the deep blue sky (& wind) at the Cape. Hopefully no hangups with fueling and countdown on the path to LO. I’m hoping weather will be good here in West Central Florida at 4:30 am. Good luck to you & Ken at Kennedy tonite. That wind should keep you awake till liftoff.
Thanks Jon — I don’t think I’ll have any trouble staying awake!