The launch happened at a really bad time for me--I was on my way to work. I was listening intently on the radio, and then there was the hold related to the cap, and so I missed the actual launch while parking and walking from my car.
I listened to the confirmation on the radio that they had dropped the boosters. My coworkers were kind of surprised by me walking over to the radio and turning it on before I did anything else--my boss asked who died
We got into a conversation about the space program, and despite our very different politics, all of us agreed that it's ridiculous not to have something to replace the shuttle. I was disappointed to find out how uninformed my coworkers were about the space program and NASA, especially in regards to NASA's budget. One of my conservative coworkers said, "Well, we need to cut spending right now." Umm...we spend more on air conditioning in Iraq and Afghanistan than we spend on NASA's budget. Apparently that's all right though, because it's "supporting the troops." (
Among The Costs Of War: Billions A Year In A.C.? : NPR) I'm pretty sure we can find money for NASA and true "moon shots" in terms of spaceflight if we try.