Our CosmoQuest team at the launch! Front Row L-R: James, Susie, Pamela, Anna. Back Row: Grigori, Cory, Ryan. Credit: CosmoQuest

As you may know from our social media channels, some of the CosmoQuest team got to attend the OSIRIS-REx launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida last week. This is part 1 of several reporting on our trip!

The journey started early Wednesday, Sept 7, in Edwardsville, where team members James, Cory, Ryan, Grigori, Anna met our fearless leader Pamela at the van, to drive down to Florida. They travelled to Atlanta, where they picked me up, and we continued down to Titusville, arriving about 1 am Thursday, the day of the launch.

After a short night’s sleep, we head out to pick up the VIP launch passes for the team, and press passes for myself and Pamela. With the VIP passes, we picked up swag bags that included mission patches, pins, and posters of the OSIRIS-REx mission.

The Rocket Garden at KSC.
Credit: Susie Murph

We then went to the Kennedy Space Center’s Visitors Center, to attend briefings for the VIP viewers, and to enjoy the sites until time to board the buses to go to the various launch watching sites. The crowd at KSC was excited and eager for launch day! We saw many of the attractions, including the Rocket Garden, the ISS Mural, the LEGO Mars Rover, plus the best space souvenir shop anywhere.

ISS Mural. Credit: Susie Murph

With all of these events, it was quickly time for Pamela and I to leave the rest of the team and head over to the press site to prep for the launch. We drove into the base and entered the facility where news organizations from around the world report on KSC launches and events. The press area was crowded with computers, cameras, and people eagerly typing away on websites and social media.

Bill Nye and Michael Toler Puzio of NC, who named the asteroid Bennu. Credit: Pamela Gay

Bill Nye the Science Guy then came into the press center, accompanied by the young man who won the Planetary Society contest to name the asteroid Bennu, Michael Toler Puzio of NC. Then Bill gave a great motivational talk about the mission, followed by an open Q&A session with the reporters.

After that, it was time for press folks to board the buses that would take us out to the press locations to watch the launch!

Stay tuned for Part 2: Blast Off!