Extreme Excitement After Week Long Wait for Rocket Launch
Posted by:
Michael DeLorenzo
Occurred on May 16, 2021 / Haddonfield, New Jersey, USA
Info from Licensor: "My seven-year-old daughter, Julia, patiently waited seven nights in a row to witness the launch of NASA's KiNET-X rocket. Each night she waited nearly an hour watching the live stream on her iPad while staring up into the sky. I discussed trajectory, orbit, mission details, and general science with her as we waited. Unfortunately, the mission was scrubbed every single night. Because the mission relied on great visibility and where the moon was in the night sky, the night we saw the launch was the last night in the rocket's launch window until the entire mission got delayed. After the countdown finished on the iPad live stream we scanned the southern evening skies to try and make out a little dot in the sky, but then we saw it. It was a huge object with a large 'tail'. It looked like a comet. The NASA launch site in Wallops Island, Virginia is over 150 miles from our house. The distance, the trajectory, the tree coverage, and the size of the rocket set our expectations very low. But when Julia saw the rocket peak over the trees and its brilliance was on full display she could hardly contain her enthusiasm. She jumped up and down shouting and smiling, she even knocked the lid off our fire pit (the sound is heard in the video). It was an amazing moment to share with your child and it's one of those moments that may very well inspire her for the rest of her life. She already talks about going to Princeton and studying one of their STEM programs."
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