We Have Liftoff!

       Image credit: NASA
FLY, FALCON, FLY:  Another day spent with our minds on the Space Coast and the pending SpaceX resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Christian has been filing reports from the field, the lucky participant of a #NASASocial in conjunction with the launch. 

The launch was supposed to happen yesterday, but weather scuttled it, with just 3 minutes to go in the countdown. The weather was supposed to be even worse today, but lo and behold, by midday there, the forecast had improved, and by an hour before the 4:10 Cape Canaveral time for launch, it was deemed weather wouldn't be a factor. Hooray! In addition, the SpaceX folks weren't working any issues, to we were all super optimistic about it being a go.

Fortunately, the #NASASocial folks took the group back out to the causeway to watch today's launch. Christian shared this phenomenal, panoramic view. (If you click on it, you can see a larger version.)

Meanwhile, back in Magnolia, we were enjoying our view, too, albeit a remote one. We decided to decorate with a few dragons (in honor of SpaceX's Dragon capsule atop the rocket). The kids even brought out the book "How to Train Your Dragon." 

One thing we learned during all the pre-launch coverage is that those four towers surrounding the rocket are lightning rods. Makes sense.

Fortunately, there was no lightning today and the launch went off just perfectly! Here's one of Christian's photos from that moment. 

Here are a few shots from NASA TV.  The series of images shows the Falcon 9 rocket at liftoff through its Dragon's solar array deployment. 

Here's a short video of the launch. https://youtu.be/0uVGH5_DFxg

After the launch, Christian got to attend the post-launch press conference with Dan Hartman, deputy International Space Station Program manager for NASA (center) and Hans Koenigsmann of SpaceX (far right). (NASA spokesman Mike Currie is on the left.)

During the post-launch presser, we all learned that the attempt to land the first stage of Falcon on a barge named Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic fell just short.  Check out this Vine video SpaceX shared, and you can see just how close they were.

It is hoped that someday in the not-too-distant future, rocket recycling can become a reality, saving big bucks.  Hopefully, SpaceX will be successful on their third attempt to land the first stage, likely in June during their CRS7 mission.

Right now, this capsule is chasing the ISS.  Dragon is set to arrive to the ISS on Friday morning at 4 a.m. Pacific time. It will remain attached to the station for about five weeks. 

Astronauts on board the ISS are eager to get their hands on Dragon's cargo. The science payload inside includes a study of potential methods for counteracting cell damage that occurs in a microgravity environment; research to improve understanding of bone cells, which could lead to treatments for osteoporosis and muscle wasting conditions; and additional studies into astronauts' vision changes. The payload also includes tests on a new material (by RasLabs) that could one day be used as a synthetic muscle for robotics of the future, and the craft also contains hardware which will be used in the installation of two International Docking Adapters scheduled for delivery on future SpaceX missions. These adapters will enable commercial crew spacecraft to dock to the space station in the future. 

All in all, it was a glorious day, and we're all so happy that the launch was picture perfect.

BOX AND WHISKER:  This morning, we decided to give the "Smarter Balanced" test a test run. It's the latest (though probably not greatest) standardized state test that the kids will have to take this year. 

Annabelle took the 4th grade version of the math test. It was pretty straightforward and nothing we hadn't seen or done before.  CJ took the 6th grade version of the math test. That was an eye opener. There were a couple of new-to-us terms. Case in point: a "Box and Whisper" chart. I'd never heard of one, and I've done a fair amount of math - including college calculus and upper division statistics.  

Off to the Google we went. Fortunately, we found a short, straightforward Khan Academy YouTube video that demystified it for us, quickly. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2C9I8HuCe4