Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Ground Control to Major Tom

Intrepid Cat said it best:
Some day watching a launch like that will be a regular boring thing.
Today I am ugly crying because they actually did it, and it worked, the math held, and the boosters landing in parallel was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
I'm obsessed with the video of the take-off and the landing of the 2 booster rockets.
The video starts one minute before blast off; if you want more, SpaceX has an hour's worth of static shots right here.  Watch the cameras mounted on the boosters pick up Earth's outline and see if you're not just a little teary.  Just thinking about the calculations that went into the parallel landings right on the FH logo made my head hurt.  The geeky white boys at the end, cheering themselves and their accomplishment, are a 21st century reincarnation of the geeky white boys showcased in Apollo 11
smithsonianmag.org.
I love the idea that eternity now contains a mannequin circling the sun in a bright red Tesla,
 David Bowie on an endless loop,
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy's mantra on the dashboard display. 

Don't Panic.
That's really sound advice.

As our democracy is assaulted from within,
I'm going to believe that Elon Musk was talking to all of us,
not just the fellow behind the wheel up there. 

Don't Panic.  Instead, put your feet up and watch the live video.  Invest some time in it, because the views shift.  Don't miss the shots of Starman behind the wheel, with Earth over his shoulder.  It will make it easier not to panic, knowing that the world is capable of such wonders.


2 comments:

  1. We all needed that. Actually, we need lots more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we did need that. Yes, we need lots more. Til then, I'm reveling :-)
      a/b

      Delete

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