Comments on: First Launch https://habitablezone.com/2024/03/27/first-launch/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 03:11:44 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2024/03/27/first-launch/#comment-53010 ER Sat, 30 Mar 2024 03:35:27 +0000 https://www.habitablezone.com/?p=102979#comment-53010 They were clearly visible from Tampa, day or night! But I only saw one from the Cape itself, from the tourist viewing area. It was Mariner 4, the first Mars flyby mission, in 1965. That was the one that sent back the first pictures of the Red Planet--grainy black and white, and NO CANALS. Just craters. What a disappointment. I was a new college student, majoring in astronomy, and in 1965 there were some astronomers that still believed Percival Lowell was right. Although that rocket was nothing compared to the big ones they have today, it made an incredible impression on me. The launch was during the daytime, but the glare was spectacular, and the sound (from miles away) was truly overwhelming. It was the one thing that really struck me, just how LOUD it was, and I was three miles away from the pad. They were clearly visible from Tampa, day or night!

But I only saw one from the Cape itself, from the tourist viewing area. It was Mariner 4, the first Mars flyby mission, in 1965. That was the one that sent back the first pictures of the Red Planet–grainy black and white, and NO CANALS. Just craters. What a disappointment.

I was a new college student, majoring in astronomy, and in 1965 there were some astronomers that still believed Percival Lowell was right.

Although that rocket was nothing compared to the big ones they have today, it made an incredible impression on me. The launch was during the daytime, but the glare was spectacular, and the sound (from miles away) was truly overwhelming. It was the one thing that really struck me, just how LOUD it was, and I was three miles away from the pad.

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