COS Launch

The weather on launch day was wicked hot: in the high 80s with equivalent humidity. We would take turns keeping our spot on the bleachers while the other person hid underneath. (Note to self: the answer to the question "Do you think I should bring some water?" is always YES!) The launch itself went off like a dream and the servicing mission, while not without drama, was a complete success. John Grunsfeld is a machine: he and Drew Feustel installed COS with no trouble at all, after which John executed the extremely tricky ACS repair with as much ease as the rest of us fiddle with our toasters on the ground. It was a masterful performance. Today, we turn on the near-ultraviolet detector and start getting the first on-orbit data. Woot!