Tonight, if you can get a clear view of the horizon to the southwest, there is a very cool viewing opportunity. The International Space Station will be visible for two minutes starting at 8:20, but it will only rise to 19 degrees elevation so you’ve got to have a good view of the lower part of the sky. The reason this viewing is particularly cool is that just after the space station passes, you’ll be able to see another, fainter point of light chasing it — space shuttle Discovery! Yes, the space shuttle will be chasing the space station on its way to a docking around 7:30 tomorrow morning. Pretty cool.
I am now two-for-two in on-time shuttle launches. I watched 116, which launched a day late, but that one doesn’t count since it wasn’t my flight. Heh.
I’m dealing with the aftermath of my crazy sleep schedule, and preparing to do the late night/early morning thing one more time. Yesterday I fell asleep on the couch from 3:15 until 4:00. I woke up for a little while, and fell asleep again from 5:30 until 7:30. I got up to watch the station and shuttle pass over, 10 minutes apart, at 8:00. I went back to bed again at 9:30 and slept straight through to this morning. All in all, it made yesterday feel like a very long and fuzzy-headed day. By the time I went to sleep for good at 9:30, I could hardly believe that I’d helped launch a space shuttle not even 12 hours before.
Yet here I sit, 24 hours removed from working my second launch, and already starting to suffer post-flight letdown. I have no more involvement in this flight, and will now sit in the quiet office for two weeks while everyone else is off working the flight.
Docking is tomorrow morning at about 7:30, which means the crew enters their rendezvous procedures at about 2 a.m. I’ve watched the past four dockings, but I’m still reluctant to pass up the opportunity to watch another one, especially since there have been so few sims lately. So I’ll be at work during the wee hours of the morning once again on little sleep, since I’ll be in class until 10:00 tonight. My class is sort of annoying me lately. I want to just stay home and chill. Besides, the World Series starts tonight and I wish I could watch it. I almost forgot that baseball is still even happening. Stupid postseason schedule.
I haven’t run since Saturday thanks to my crazy schedule. Every time I leave work, I’m too tired to even think about running. I’ll be doing the Houston Half on Sunday, but I’m not expecting much. The way things have gone lately, I’ll be happy if I can even manage 12:00 pace.
I’m feeling very restless today.
Or maybe you’ll have a great run on Sunday with this “taper” week. 🙂 –LeeT (a fellow BAFitter)
That’s exactly why I wasn’t ready to leave Orbit for Ascent/Entry yet. You only get one or two days on console for the whole mission. Someday, I’m sure that will sound good. I’m not there yet, though.
Oh, I’ve got post-flight letdown while the mission is still going on, but no regrets about not working any more of the flight. Jen, you can keep orbit. I love being a phase specialist.