I wanted the kids to see the Space Shuttle Atlantis take off.
I grew up with shuttles just part of life. I was watching live as the Challenger exploded. I remember it well. I was in 2nd grade.
Well, this is a chance for my kids to view history in the making as Atlantis took its last flight and years before we launch again from US soil.
They waited and waited as we watched the NASA channel on DirecTV.
I pointed out things and explained any transmissions that were heard.
CT asked, how much gas does it take? I looked it up and informed him "it does not use gasoline but solid propellants like fireworks and.." CT then said, "oh, and hydrogen, and oxygen." "He was in fact correct! I added that they also use hydrazine, MMH and dinitrogentetroxide (N2O4).
We watched it launch. Kids amazed. Eyes wide with wonder and delight. OC was the most excited.
As we kept watching and they would announce the speed, I reinforced what they said. "26-hunnnndred miles an hour! our car goes 65!" "They're up to 12000 miles an hour"
At 15,000 miles per hour HT asked if that was faster than a speeding bullet. I informed him "yeah! It's thousand times
faster."
He was kinda floored. HT then said, "That means it's faster than Superman!"
"yeah. The space shuttle would make Superman look like he was standing still."
HT was dumbfounded by the thought...
I really did raise such geeks and I am so proud of it!
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