![]() Compared to the last report, forecasted weather conditions have improved! It looks like unless there is a technical issue, NG-11 will probably leave Earth on time tomorrow. The first thing I do upon waking up is check my email for the next weather report the media receives from NASA. We begin on Tuesday morning, L-1, 24 hours before launch. When I try to imagine what the Cape was like back then, the scenery and size of NASA Wallops comes to mind. It was only because of the national attention garnered by the space race, as well as the massive workforce required, that Space Coast became the popular destination it is today. ![]() Back when Cape Canaveral was chosen to be the site of crewed launches, that section of Florida’s coast was essentially wilderness, with just a few hamlets and towns in Brevard County. The island does become busy, however, when one of the biannual rocket launches happens from Wallops Island, just a few kilometers away over the water.Īerospace technology and rurality make a strange dichotomy that doesn’t seem to add up until remembering that rocket launches are meant to happen from remote places. For those reasons, you will find a small amount of tourists on Chincoteague, few bustling attractions, and just a couple chain hotels. The beach itself, as well as the famed Chincoteague ponies, are actually a few minutes away on the neighboring Assateague Island, the true barrier island with sandy beaches, also a nature preserve touched only by a lighthouse and a paved road. ![]() Just on the border with Maryland next to the sea, Chincoteague Island (pronounced “shin-co-teeg”) does not have any beaches, but is instead a picturesque Chesapeake Bay seaside town, with Virginian and mid-Atlantic style houses, plenty of quaint BnBs, sailboats and fishing boats, and a cool breeze, all offering a refreshing charm. In particular, I speak of Chincoteague Island, Virginia. Having now visited the region twice, I’ve discovered that it’s a splendid place to view a rocket launch, and a quiet vacation destination to enjoy some peace by the seaside. However, Delmarva has a bit more to offer. If so, your primary recollection could be just that: passing by. If you live on the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, you have flown over it before, maybe even driven through it. The Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, commonly called “Delmarva” as an amalgam of the three states the peninsula contains, is a unique and sparsely-populated place quietly tucked away into the Atlantic on the “other” side of Chesapeake Bay. In addition, each launch and mission have their own unique flavor and feeling, and NG-11’s will be explored in this piece. Despite having written about my experiences as part of the NASA Social for NG-10, there are certain elements of the media experience that are different. This reflective article will complete the four article series that covers NG-11, and explore what it is like to cover a rocket launch from NASA Wallops and MARS in Virginia as accredited media.
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