Dec 3-6th, 2024

There are no words to describe our next stop. It’s easily in the top three highlights of our trip so far, if not THE highlight: experiencing not one, but two Falcon 9 rocket launches. We met a local lady who told us she had been trying to see a launch up close for nearly 30 years, and she finally got to witness her first one at the same time as us. Some people never get to experience this event, and we were lucky enough to see it twice. With more and more launches almost every week, it’s getting easier but we sure felt fortunate, especially to have one night lauch and a day launch.

You don’t have to be a “connoisseur” or a crazy space enthusiast to feel the majesty of this moment — I have goosebumps again just thinking about it. And let me tell you this: it’s nothing like watching it on TV. It’s 100 times better, if not more!

First things first: the road to our campground at Cape Canaveral had “vacation” written all over it: palm trees everywhere, wide roads, people walking on the sidewalks, stopping from time to time to take pictures, cruise ships docked in Port Canaveral. You could tell it was a vacation destination by the diversity of car license plates — we even met some fellow travelers from Quebec at the campground!

*Click left or right arrow for more pictures

For the first time, we saw a cruise ship sailing away! We had seen them docked in ports before, but never one actually in motion.

First launch (night time)

On December 4th, a Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to deliver 24 of SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellites to low Earth orbit. The launch was initially planned for 3 AM. We got our camera and phones ready, get the tripod out of the storage, prepared our warmest clothes, and made some tea. Then we received an alert that the launch had been postponed… to 5:13 AM. More sleep 🙂

30 minutes before the launch, we were ready to walk to our chosen spot on the pier at Jetty Park. There were about 8 of us gathered on the pier, all waiting impatiently for the launch moment. And then the sky lit:

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Second Launch (day time)

On December 5th, a Falcon 9 launch was scheduled for 11:10 AM. This time, we had tickets to visit the Kennedy Space Center, as our research suggested it was the best place to view a launch. It was totally worth it: the launch pad 39A was just 4 miles in front of us — the closest spot for public to attend a launch. There was also a giant screen streaming SpaceX’s live feed. The stream was actually 15 seconds behind the live action. So, “live on TV” isn’t truly real-time! 🙂

The feeling you get watching the events unfolding before your eyes is beyond words. It’s a mix of excitement, awe, amazement, and pure mind-blowing realization — Space technology is unbelievable. It was an incredible experience. You’re not just seeing it; you’re hearing the roar, feeling the vibrations through the benches beneath you, in your chest, and all around you. It took 8 minutes from launch to when the booster landed on the barge “Just Read the Instructions” aprox. 400 miles out in the ocean. Those 8 minutes were some of the best of our lives! It took us hours to process what we had just witnessed and for the adrenaline to finally wear off.

To quote a 90-year-old gentleman sitting next to me: “That was darn impressive.” After experiencing this unforgettable moment, we spent the rest of the day exploring Kennedy Space Center, which we’ll share in the next post.

À tantôt!

Cati & Pasc

Did you know… the decision to land a booster on land versus a barge depends entirely on the mission type and the payload being carried (how heavy)? Sometimes, the booster doesn’t have enough fuel remaining to return to Cape Canaveral, making the barges a better option.