Hey all (especially Scott):
ATK, a company (pronounced kump-nee in UT) in Promontory, UT (40 miles from our house), makes the booster engines for the Space Shuttle. Today they test fired one of the rockets for the Shuttle, in a "static test", meaning it's fired while on the ground. Whenever they do tests like this it draws a big crowd.
Becky and I checked the kids out of school early to go see it, with all the other nerds. (Becky says it wasn't the typical "Coolidge Days" crowd). We saw a free-range nerd walking around out there with his lab coat and his chemistry safety goggles still on. I guess there was a slight chance a piece of debris could've approached his cornea.
It was loud and powerful. Would've been even better if it had been going UP.
This is one of the booster engines, the same as the one we saw fired today. They are 12 feet in diameter. 
This is "Tots" in the Rocket Garden. The big rocket with the ATK logo is the Space Shuttle's booster. How would like like to ride on top of that?
The engines burn for two minutes before they separate from the Shuttle and fall back to earth, at which time the Space Shuttle is going 3094 miles per hour!
This was all well and good, except having a newborn babe is better. Congrats Scott and Kathy! Show Cameron this video so he starts liking rockets right away. Let me know if he needs a baby pocket-protector. We've got hand-me-downs for you. . . .
5 comments:
Whoa, that was AWESOME!!
Reminded me of when our family actually saw a rocket take off as we were boarding the ship for our Disney vacation. It looked just like that-- first you saw the blast, then, seconds later, heard the sound (only it did go way up in the air, forever and out of sight). That must've been a great day for your kids, missing school and all to see that! I liked your video, especially seeing the kids with binoculars!
haha to free-range nerd.
that is pretty cool! Man your kids are always getting out of school for air craft shows and all... but who needs to go to school when you have children who know all 100 species of dinosaurs, and scientific names for the body parts. (well, tots still needs to go to school... thinking a deer was a rabbit)!
Very cool, Bruce. It is one of my life's goals to watch the space shuttle lift-off...this is pretty close to it though. I'm sure it was the best 2 minutes of Eric's whole day. --Scott
So, you didn't even invite us?
Hey, cool video, and cool kids too. I'm sure that was worth playing hookey.
Nos queremos olhar uma presentacao de aviaos voando no seus.
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