It was a sad end to a era when the Shuttle Atlantis roared into space today and roar it did! Due to heavy cloud cover we were unable to get a visual of the launch here, 80 miles north of Cape Canaveral. In fact mission managers even went for the "go" when weather parameters should have said it was a no-go situation.
One thrilling and unusual effect of the heavy cloud cover was that the percussive roar of the takeoff was somehow kept close to the ground and for the first time in all the launches I've witnessed from here not only did we hear it... but the unmistakable sound was much louder than usual and so powerful that the windows in my house shook and the garage door was banging as if we were having an earthquake and it continued for quite a long time. What a thrill.
Sadly no visual, but the physical effects of this launch make it one of the most memorable I've ever experienced.
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