Live launches
Live launches... at the press site... the talk... the sound... the aftermath...
8 April 1970 Titan IIIC Cape Canaveral
The US Air Force press viewing area was on Merritt Island about two and a half miles
from the launch pad 40. It was still night when we arrived for the dawn launch. The pad
was bathed in bright searchlights and the rocket could be seen clearly. A voice on a
loudspeaker gave a regular countdown status as Ron and Scott (photographers from Florida
Today) and I, as well as many other press people, chatted light-heartedly. It wasn’t easy
to hear the countdown. A sudden flash appeared at the base of the rocket and billowing
smoke gushed out sideways, illuminated by the floodlights and the missile’s exhaust, as
the Titan sped rapidly upwards. A few seconds later, a humming noise was followed by the
sound of a blowtorch on full throttle. It wasn’t quite as noisy as I had expected. All
you could see was the long, golden exhaust of the Titan. We were able to see the flashes
as the boosters were jettisoned and also saw staging. I had a great breakfast with Ron
and Scott. Where are you now guys?
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11 April 1970 Apollo 13 Kennedy Space Centre
The white Apollo Saturn booster was just less than three miles away and looked as big
(or small) as a matchstick held at arm’s length. The sky was a milky-grey colour and the
white rocket did not stand out that well against the background as it had done on previous
launches, such as Apollo 11, which took off against a bright blue sky. A huge digital clock
on the grassed area of the press site counted down the seconds and about three or so
minutes before the launch, everybody got themselves ready and in position. I sat on the
edge of the barge turning lagoon with lots of other rather light-hearted people who were
perhaps a little more nervous than they wanted to admit. Launching astronauts was a dangerous
business. Someone said to me, “if it blows up, just turn and run!” As the final seconds were
being relayed over the loudspeaker, everyone fell silent, their eyes or cameras fixed at the
white matchstick about to light up. For a Saturn 5 rookie, this was an apocalyptical
experience.
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26 July 1971 Apollo 15 Kennedy Space Centre
At the Press Site the white Saturn 5 looked fantastic, standing out against a blue sky.
This was going to be a good one. The countdown proceeded and as usual, the banter
reflected the nervous tension. A loudspeaker announcement eventually announced "T-31s.....guidance internal"
...then "T-10...ignition sequence start" ...a brilliant gush of orange flames flew out of the base of each
side of the pad, forming huge white clouds. It sits there churning out massive power, then slowly,
almost rises swiftly into the sky. There is silence then a rumble is heard. The rocket is about
three hundred feet up, against the beautiful blue background and under a vivid orange-white flame
almost as twice as long as the Saturn. The rumble gets louder, the ground shakes, there is a noise
like a series of whiplashes in a roaring hurricane. It goes on and on as the rocket reaches thousands
of feet, when the noise seems even louder and reaches a crescendo.
Click here to listen to this launch
12 April 1985 STS 51D Discovery Kennedy Space Centre
There was very low cloud, a slight drizzle in the air and it was dark and dingy for launch at 0804hrs.
Discovery could have just made it but missed the slot because a ship strayed into the SRB impact area
and by the time this had been moved away, the weather got worse. The main concern was that low cloud
threatened the safety of a Return to Launch Site Abort and there was concern about the effect of water
droplets hitting the reinforced carbon-carbon tiles. The window was due to close at 0900 and the weather
forecast for the next day was dreadful. But Jake Garn who helped to pass NASA’s budget was aboard.
It had to launch! NASA administrator Jim Beggs was determined. The reporters were packing up their
stuff getting ready for a quick getaway. Chief astronaut John Young was flying overhead in the
clouds and reporting droplets on his windows. There was no way you could launch but at T-9min
55s, the launch was on, reported NASA commentator Mark Hess. We were all amazed. Young was not
impressed and he made his point later. The SSMEs lit up, creating a cloud, which spewed out to the
right of the pad, then at T-0 the SRBs lit and the vehicle lifted off. "It’s going to crash!" I thought
as the stack performed its roll programme. On TV this had seemed so graceful but in reality it was
like watching a jet fighter doing a barrel roll at an air show. And that was it! Discovery went into
the clouds, its rumble still heard but never to be seen again. It had taken all but 12 seconds. I
came home with some great shots, however but never saw another Shuttle launch, having been thwarted
by weather and technical problems twice later.
Click here to listen to this launch
26 November 1988 Soyuz TM7 Baikonur Cosmodrome
The press site was only 1,800m from the launch pad 1, compared with the Shuttle pads at
the KSC, which are over three miles away. The Soyuz looked beautiful in the floodlights,
emitting wisps of frosty air from the cold metallic casing of the liquid oxygen tank.
The view was deceptive. A Soviet journalist told me "if it blows up, turn around and run like hell!"
The small press stand had a very thick wall behind it for protection. We heard occaisional
announcements (in Russian) with major countdown milestones. Strange electronic music was
played to herald new announcements. If you did not know the time of the launch, you could be
having a cup of Russian tea behind the press stand and miss the whole thing! Eventually,
came the call "zhaganinhee!" Engine start. The booster rumbled with a pinkish light beneath,
which suddenly turned into bright gold and the engines built up to full thrust. The Soyuz
seemingly hung there for ages, straining against the clamps suspending it over the flame
trench. A gentle rumble turned into a continuous explosion of noise. We saw it all the way
in the clear skies, with the jettison of the strap-on boosters, the shutdown and separation
of the first core stage and the ignition of the second. It was a tremendous experience -
the best of blast offs.