Denis Pelli's Blog

On Friday May 14, 2010 I saw the launch of the NASA space shuttle Atlantis at Cape Canaveral. My friend Beau Watson is a Senior Scientist at NASA and got a pass to park on the causeway. I sketched the launch (graphite on paper 7″ x 5.5″). I was surprised that the launch lasted long enough for me to make six drawings before the shuttle dropped its fuel tanks and disappeared. The causeway is 10 km from the launch pad, so the launch is eerily silent until the sound arrives, seconds later. It was a beautiful day, with a few clouds, light breeze, birds courting, and fish jumping.