To Infinity And Beyond!
- Virtual Traveller 86
- May 16, 2020
- 2 min read
Day Three: Country No.17
SPACE Arrival Time: 6:21pm
OK, so not technically a country, but you’ll let it count won’t you? In fact you could say I have viewed ALL the countries of the world...just from space!
If you have a spare 42 minutes then watch the YouTube recording of the crew inside the space shuttle as it blasts off for the final time in 2011. I honestly felt like I was there! The suspense was huge as I waited to hear the final all-clear for blast-off. Especially when a few seconds before, mission control spot an issue! A further few minutes pass before the crew are told to put visors down and get ready. The guy in the middle has a huge grin on his face like a Cheshire cat. He is clearly enjoying every minute. There were three men and one woman on board. One of them even reaches for a banana mid take-off. It was thrilling to watch (to watch the take-off and entry into space - not the eating of a banana!).
The photos (from left to right and starting at the top row) show the sequence of events as the shuttle gets ready, takes-off and then enters space. In the fourth row you see the woman (now they are outside the earth’s atmosphere) having unbuckled, now floating in the cockpit.
In the below set of pictures you see one of the astronauts using a bag to remove his helmet.
The other three are shots I took of live streaming, via the NASA space cam, from the International Space Station (ISS).
The ISS “careens around the Earth at an average of 17,000 mph, experiencing sunrises and sunsets about every 45 minutes.” (explore.org).
My timing was brilliant since I discovered that the space station was due to pass over the UK at about 2am. So yes, I stayed awake in order to track it! For some reason the map shows me as being in Birmingham, even though I entered the correct location.
I found it breathtaking to watch the space station travel around earth. My mind was full of praise for God’s truly incredible creation. So many passages of scripture filled my mind as I sat in awe at the majesty and sheer hugeness of our world. I am but a teensy weeny speck in comparison. Mindblowing!
Leaving Space: 9:29pm
Sources
https://youtu.be/yaVVns_sTGY (8 July 2011, Final Space Shuttle Atlantis flight)
I am doing this challenge to raise funds for The Scoliosis Association UK (SAUK) and for the NHS Charities. You can read my reasons for choosing these in an earlier post. I am trying to raise £500 and am nearly there. Every donation is gratefully received and can be made by clicking on the virginmoneygiving link below. Thank You.
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