With the SpaceX launch today, and its unfortunate blow-up shortly after, it reminded me of having the opportunity to watch a space shuttle launch.
It was a few years ago when we were on holiday in Florida. It was just a typical fly-drive trip, starting in Orlando and moving around, booking somewhere new each night.
Watching the Launch
We ended up on the east coast near Cocoa Beach. Several hotels were full, and we were eventually told there was a shuttle launch overnight.
After finding somewhere to stay, we set an alarm for 2am and drove to the beach. It was busy—lots of people had gathered.
It was almost pitch black apart from the occasional torch. A radio broadcast the live countdown, and we were told to watch across the bay. You wouldn’t hear it—but you would see it.
As the countdown reached zero, the sky lit up. Slowly, the shuttle rose into the air—silent at first—gradually climbing and arcing higher and higher.
Eventually, it became smaller and smaller. There was cheering on the beach, and we headed back to the hotel and bed. The next morning, it was just another sunny Florida day—but we had seen a shuttle launch.
The Part That Stayed With Me
A few years later, we visited the Kennedy Space Center. Walking under a decommissioned shuttle, I noticed something surprising—the switch that told the system the undercarriage was closed was just a simple twin-wire microswitch. The kind you might find in a fridge.
I had expected something far more complex. But it wasn’t.
What stuck with me wasn’t just the launch—it was seeing how something so complex could rely on something so simple.
A shuttle launch looks like the pinnacle of engineering. But underneath it, there are still basic components doing very simple jobs.
That contrast stayed with me.
Even the most complex systems are often built on surprisingly simple components.
I spend a lot of time helping simplify systems and make them easier to understand and work with.
You can take a look at my TechFix service if that resonates.