On Tuesday, March 5th,2024, I loaded up my Buick Enclave and drove five hours to Merritt Island, Florida, as a selected member of a NASA Social event. This event was explicitly dedicated to the SpaceX Crew-8 launch. Over the course of the four days at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), I saw facilities up close and personal and met people from all walks of life. Here is my breakdown of every day’s events and the events leading up to the launch!
Day 1: To begin this journey, I and the other NASA Social Crew members meet at an undisclosed location at the KSC at the crack of dawn for check-in. We then mixed, mingled, hopped on NASA Social buses, and went to our first stop, the NASA news center building and the countdown clock. In the news center building, we had the opportunity to sit in on a press briefing addressing the Crew8 launch and got to ask the panel of NASA representatives (Jim Free, Carla Koch, Jennifer Buchli, Kristin Fabre, and Patrick O’Neill) a range of questions about the launch and of all things about NASA as a whole. After this first stop, we took group pictures by the countdown clock and toured various NASA facilities that only a few people saw up close. As a group, we got to tour The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), The Launch and Landing Facility (LLF), and the Space Crop Production buildings as a whole. These buildings captured the magic of the KSC and showcased all the different facilities and offices that bring the magic of a rocket launch to life.
After touring all these NASA facilities, we ended day one with a bang. Our buses headed to NASA headquarters for a surprise from our escorts. We arrived at headquarters, and to say the group was surprised would be a misinterpretation of the true joy and excitement every individual felt. We had the opportunity to meet and interact with former astronauts Nicole Scott and Leland Melvin. As a group, we had the opportunity to ask these former astronauts what it was like in space and got to take dozens of pictures and videos and even interview them. “Space does smell, and it has a sweet metallic smell; it smells kind of like overheating radiators, but it is not too overpowering,” stated former astronaut Nicole Scott when our eager group of media influencers asked if space had a smell.
We then got to see the NASA crawler transporter, and after a long first day, we boarded our buses at 4:30 P.M. and headed back to the undisclosed location to wrap up day one and head on our merry ways. My favorite activity from day one was touring the VAB. Seeing this 525-foot-tall building up close and personal was a dream come true. No words can describe the magic of seeing this building up close. The building was not only massive but also bustling, with workers on every level doing something to showcase how busy this facility is year-round.
Day 2: Day two began with an 8:00 A.M check-in call at the exact undisclosed location to receive our badges to begin our day. After check-in, we boarded the big NASA buses and headed to NASA space force bases. Inside these undisclosed base locations, we had the opportunity to enter NASA mission control rooms to see what these areas are like during a launch. After touring these operational mission control bases, we returned to the countdown clock to watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 Starlink 6-40 launch. Seeing my first launch was an experience; hearing the rumbles and vibrations was an experience I won’t forget. Then, we got the unfortunate news that the SpaceX Crew-8 launch was delayed and pushed back to a later date. However, even though the energy among the group shifted, we still got to see the rocket from a distance and go to some viewing areas near the rocket as a whole. We then got a free day pass to visit the Kennedy Visitor Center any day during our trip. We ended our day at noon on day two and had the opportunity to roam the Kennedy Visitor Center if we chose to.
Day 3: On day three, a small group of NASA social members saved our visitor passes from the day before, and we made a full day out of touring the visitor center. We saw several retired rockets and vessels, including the Space Atlantis Shuttle. However, after spending five hours here, we learned that this visitor center is vast and requires multiple days to see everything. We then met at the undisclosed location at 6:30 p.m. and boarded the buses to the walkout area to see the astronauts depart in their Tesla vehicles to the launchpad.
We arrived at this area thirty minutes before crew departure, and the vibes and energy among the NASA social group were at an all-time high. Cameras and tripods were set up, phones were mounted, and dozens of pictures were taken as the minutes started winding down. Ten minutes before the scheduled astronaut walkout, NASA administrator and Senator Bill Nelson talked to our group and gave us words of inspiration. With two minutes until the astronaut walkout, the energy was at a high until rumors started speculating, saying that the mission was “scrubbed” (canceled to a later date). We then got those rumors confirmed, and the energy levels sank. This was the second time the mission had been scrubbed, and some NASA social members felt emotional as a response. We then returned to the undisclosed location and left KSC without seeing a launch for a second time.
Day 4: Finally, after days of stormy, gloomy, and downright depressing weather, SpaceX Crew-8 had excellent odds of getting launched. The chances of its launching increased from 75% to 85% before meeting at the undisclosed location at 6:15 P.M. EST. After meeting at this undisclosed location, hopefully for the last time, the NASA Social group had diminished from twenty members to just ten. After checking in, we returned to the crew walkout doors, hopeful of seeing these astronauts for the first time this trip. The energy was serious amongst the group, and there were times of dead silence or seriousness within the group. We watched the countdown clock still rolling and the crew playing games beyond the blue doors before their departure. With every ticking minute, tensions rose in the group as some feared it was scrubbing for a third time. However, our wishes came true! The astronaut walkout occurred, and we saw them say farewell to their families and drive off to the launchpad in their Tesla vehicles.
We then arrived at the countdown clock and set up our equipment, hoping for a launch. Surrounded by dozens of reporters and media professionals with cameras lined up, everyone was hopeful for the launch. Finally, after days of uncertainty, our wishes had come true! The SpaceX Crew-8 launch occurred, and it was a sight to see. Watching the craft liftoff followed by the sonic boom and the night sky light up was a sight I will never forget. After a successful launch after days of uncertainty, we boarded the bus transporting the ten remaining social members, headed back to the undisclosed location, and departed from KSC for the last time.
Overall, this NASA Social event was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. This NASA Social event allowed me to see these facilities up close and in person and the true magic that KSC and NASA are trying to achieve as a whole. This event was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and it fostered new friendships and a new profound love of space inside me as a whole.
If you want to participate in a future NASA social, click the hyperlink below to stay up to date for future NASA social applications!
NASA Social online portal: https://www.nasa.gov/general/apply-for-a-nasa-social-media-credential/
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