As Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly and his crew of 6 astronauts lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center today a great range of emotions flooded over me. Part of me was happy and filled with pride to finally see Endeavour soar into the clouds above the Space Coast for one last time, embarking on one of the most important Space Shuttle flights since STS-125′s bold adventure to repair the Hubble Space Telescope one last time. In some small way I feel part of Endeavour’s final adventure, more so than merely watching over the internet or watching a list of Tweets flood by. I was *there*. Okay I didn’t see Endeavour launch but I was on the ground at Kennedy Space Center, I have pictures of Endeavour on the pad at 39A.

Part of me was grinning with joy for the people I enjoyed one of my most amazing life experiences with who made it back to see Endeavour lift off from the pad and roar into the sky. Every last one of them had been as excited as I was to see the launch, even seasoned veterans. I remembered with glee not only the multitude of wonderful glowing personalities, but also the amazing time I had in Florida and even kicked off a few well known memes on Twitter.

Then there was what was left. The bitter dregs. As small as I have tried to keep it, part of me is still sad that I wasn’t there to see Endeavour fly for the last time. Still sore that I won’t ever get to see a shuttle launch in person, feel the ground shake and the shockwaves in the air. It’s selfish to dwell on it, there are many worse things in the world, but now of all times I can’t help myself a little. I guess I’m only human, it’s only natural to get reflective sometimes, right?.

Still, I’m very lucky to be able to share all that’s happened with great people in great times. I leave you with Commander Mark Kelly’s words at T-9 minutes:

“On this final flight of space shuttle Endeavour we want to thank all the tens of thousands of dedicated employees that have put their hands on this incredible ship & dedicated their lives to the space shuttle program. As Americans we endeavour to build a better life than the generation before and we endeavour to be a united nation. In these efforts we are often tested. This mission represents the power of teamwork, commitment, and exploration. It is in the DNA of this great country to reach for the stars and explore. We must not stop. To all of the millions watching today including our spouses children, family and friends we thank you for your support.”

The Soyuz 2.1b platform will provide unmanned medium-lift capability for Arianespace, supplementing it’s already proven and robust Ariane 5 heavy-lift platform and joining their capabilities alongside the small multistage Vega system. This broad range of capability places Arianespace as one of the worlds leading commercial space operators. Although initially intended as an unmanned launch facility, the Kourou Soyuz facility has been constructed to facilitate human-rated launches should the need arise in the future.

The Galileo satellite navigation system, two of the parts of which are scheduled to launch on Soyuz from Kourou in October, is a joint project between the European Union and European Space Agency (ESA) will be used to enhance satellite navigation in European countries and provide Europe with an independent system not dependant on existing US and Russian military GPS systems, which can be blocked from commercial use during times of conflict.

More information on Ariancespace’s Soyuz launch facilities are available at:

http://arianespace.com/news-soyuz-vega/2011/2011_5_5_soyuz_update.asp

I get a lot of flack from people who don’t get Twitter for being on Twitter. Plenty of stock jokes about it being full of people tweeting when they go to the bathroom or what they had for breakfast… but over and above the usual jibes some many people genuinely think I’m wasting my time. I know I’m not and that’s what keeps me there, in spite of the background noise and Twitter’s occasional ‘quirks’. What I experienced in Florida re-affirmed that absolutely. Rarely in my life, outside a family gathering, have I received so many warm greetings, handshakes, hugs and outbursts of welcome and gratitude, both from people I shared a special bond with and also from people I didn’t necessarily expect it from. I can’t express in mere words how it feels to be appreciated by such a great cast of people. I mark myself as truly fortunate to share my life with so many amazing and varied personalities.

“But wait,” I hear you say, “you didn’t even get to see Space Shuttle Endeavour launch! You went all that way for nothing!” You couldn’t be more wrong if you’d just denied the presence of gravity. I went to the Space Coast for a gathering of people, great minds and great friends, centred around the possibility that we could all share the experience of watching Endeavour soar to the skies. In the event, Endeavour decided she wasn’t ready to take her last ride just yet. There will be time for Endeavour to launch later, and I’ll be watching on NASA TV like usual. It didn’t matter though. The people were there and that was the real show. A meet-up and BBQ party couldn’t contain the infectious enthusiasm of those present, in the end it ended up spreading out into 5 days of meet-ups and countless conversations.

Experiences like it are rare and wonderful. I’ll always cherish my memories from this trip and the friends I have made. If the chance ever presents itself to anyone reading this to meet  people like these then do it, even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s worth it!