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Launch watchers return for 2nd try with patience, umbrellas

Posted May 30, 2020 7:00 am

By MIKE SCHNEIDER

A man sets up his camp along the Indian River Lagoon at sunrise Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Titusville, Fla. as he waits to watch the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9, with Dragon crew capsule on top of the rocket. Two astronauts are set to fly on the SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station scheduled for launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. For the first time in nearly a decade, astronauts will blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil, a first for a private company. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) The Associated Press

TITUSVILLE, Fla. (AP) - After dodging downpours and a tornado only days earlier, Neil Wight was back at a public park Saturday hoping that rain again wouldn't prevent two NASA astronauts from being launched into space.

The first launch attempt by SpaceX on Wednesday was scrubbed with just 17 minutes left on the countdown clock, and there was only a 50-50 chance of good weather on Saturday.

A machinist from Buffalo, Wight drove 20 hours from Buffalo in upstate New York earlier in the week. The launch was a way to bring people together in an era of pandemic and unrest in cities this week, he said.

'œWith everything that's going on in this country right now, it's important that we do things extraordinary in life,'ť Wight said. 'œWe've been bombarded with doom and gloom for the last six, eight weeks, whatever it is, and this is awesome."

Wednesday's scrub disappointed thousands of spectators who had lined up in lawn chairs and under umbrellas and tents to view the first launch with astronauts from Florida in nine years, and the first one by a private company, SpaceX.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, NASA had tried to discourage people from coming for the launch of astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken to the International Space Station and had drastically limited employees and visitors inside Kennedy Space Center.

After the scrub, Sarah Bryant, along with her sister, Jen Bryant, and four children between them, decided to rent a RV so they could drive from outside Houston to Florida for the launch. They were on the road for 20 hours, and dealt with a blown tire and a checkpoint at the Florida state line meant to ward off people with coronavirus, before arriving early Saturday.

Sarah Bryant's 14-year-old son, Brooks, is obsessed with space, and had written out a checklist of all the steps in the launch process.

'œWe just decided to come and within 24 hours we were on the road,'ť said Jen Bryant.

As enthusiastic fans of SpaceX, Alexis Mesnjak and Dominque Gallery know watching a rocket launch can take some patience. After Wednesday's launch was called off, they didn't think twice about coming back on Saturday.

'œWe get another day of sitting outside and waiting and the excitement builds up,'ť Mesnjak said. Turning to her friend, she asked, 'œAre you going to be sad waiting around for another day for it to get off?'ť

'œAbsolutely not,'ť said Gallery, who was attending her first launch in person.

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Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP

A man fishes in the Indian River Lagoon at sunrise Saturday, May 30, 2020, at Titusville, Fla. as he waits for the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9, with Dragon crew capsule on top of the rocket. Two astronauts are set to fly on the SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station scheduled for launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. For the first time in nearly a decade, astronauts will blast into orbit aboard an American rocket from American soil, a first for a private company. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) The Associated Press

In this image provided by NASA, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the company's Dragon crew capsule onboard, is illuminated on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Despite more storms in the forecast, SpaceX pressed ahead Saturday in its historic attempt to launch astronauts for NASA, a first by a private company. (Joel Kowsky/NASA via AP) The Associated Press

A boy poses for a photo at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex Thursday, May 28, 2020 at Cape Canaveral, Fla. The center reopened today after closing March 16 due to the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) The Associated Press

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