How fortunate I am to live on the East Coast of Florida and so close to Cape Canaveral I cannot tell you how many times I have been able to step outside of my home or look out a window to watch the shuttle or even yet a Apollo Mission. Yes I am dating myself but the Apollo Missions launched some of the most exciting of all the space mission thus so far.
Walking on the Moon Gee I cannot tell you how excited I was and only in the third grade able to watch on TV Neil Armstrong step onto the moon. It was such a accomplishment for America and the Space Program I was glued to the TV and all of my classes were governed by mention of the three Astronauts who walked on The Man on the Moon
NASA has the most brilliant minds that all hover together and designs some of the most incredible things with a constant reminder of safty. Knowing many folks who work at the cape and in different captaincy's and some working directly on the shuttle it always amazed me on how a single thought can create a mission.
Back in the Apollo days missions seem closer and closer together as there target was landing on the moon this brought such a draw to the space center and to the sourding area of my neighboring towns. The Space Center was booming!!At the time it was called Cape Kennedy named after our President, President Kennedy as his dream was to land on the moon and yes the space program finally had the founding to allow this to happen especially in the earlier days of the Apollo Missions.
After the landing on the moon and the preparation for many other landings the Space Center suffered major budget cuts thus putting holds on some of the launching as well as the neighboring towns that were in a building boom came to a sudden end. I remember riding with my Mom to Melbourne Fl and all of the building stoped Condos, Malls business gone the towns became a ghost town. Many of my parents friends lost there jobs at the Space Center due to cut backs it was a very sad time.
When it was time for Apollo 13 Launch we all headed up to north Melbourne Beach almost to Cocoa Beach where the space center was standing with many others on the sands of the Atlantic Ocean looking North West Apollo 13 was Launched and I can remember how loud it was and it actually when passing over created a fast shade of movement. Windows from building shook I remember my day saying "There is is" and both my sister and I looked and wow a huge ball of fire we stared and clapped as did everyone else as we watch Apollo 13 head off to the moon!!Little did we know that this mission would never make it but would make history as three astronauts navigated on a prayer and a wing to make it home safely.
Attending school it was announced that Apollo 13 had a explosion and it was not sure that the astronauts would make it home Attending Church prayers were said over and over to aid the astronauts home our nation became concern and all attention was on this small rocket that was once heading towards the moon.
Unfortunately they never made it to the moon but returned safely while more and more of the space program was cut but when all the dust was settled and Cape Kennedy was returned is old name of Cape Canaveral a new mission was born and once again the brilliant minds of NASA birth the Shuttle Missions.
Today the Shuttle will soon be out to rest and again NASA faces budget cuts. I for one have always been a big supporter of the space program many of our heath care products and equipment have been developed from the space program and a united with many forgein country's in such adv enters as the international space station.Sadly to say this can all come to a end.
I take pride that I can and have looked up into the sky's to watch some of our courageous mission in the space program and to know that many of our men and women worked together to craeate some of the most brilliant missions in furthering mankind's knowledge for the quest to tomorrow
Lydia
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