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Contingency day, and a celebration...
Jun. 2nd, 2010 05:10 pmToday was a so-called "contingency day" that's built into the schedule, in case anything were to have happened by this time in the campaign to delay things by one day. We are at L-2, and there are slightly less than 36 hours until launch.
Today also happens to be the 55th anniversary of the official establishment of the Baikonur space port.
I was fortunate enough to be invited into town with the folks I work for, who had been invited to march in the parade that passed in review in the city's modest sports stadium. There were a number of other campaigners on the bus as well, and although we each received a ticket to get us in through the gate at the stadium, our group was admitted en masse and nobody bothered to punch or lift our tickets.
The only celebrations of this kind that I can compare to today's event are the Memorial Day parade held during my senior year in high school, where I marched in the band, and the parade held in Pagosa Springs on the Fourth of July. Here, as there, there were groups of young people waiting to step off to pass in review around the stadium's track.
All of the major organizations associated with the city's life were represented, from the large aerospace companies like Energia and Khrunichev, to the city's electric power and water supply company. A lot of effort went into constructing floats, too. If it weren't for the subject matter, I'd feel as if I was back in the States.
And the people! Let me tell you, the stadium was filled with a pretty enthusiastic crowd.
There were a lot of kids among the spectators, too, and they seemed to have a uniformly good time.
Once all the speakers had said their piece and awards were made to "honorary citizens of the city," a small army of brightly dressed young women took to the soccer field and performed a choreographed routine that had to be at least 15 minutes long! I managed to capture a split-second of the action.
I've probably exhausted everyone's patience with my photos, but we were also treated to a low-level pass by a huge military helicopter, after which the local fire department put on a demonstration of its capabilities, culminating in the delivery of an impressive stream of water from the top of a telescoping boom that had been extended from the city fire department's newest truck.
I kid you not, about the only thing missing today was a marching band.
Cheers...
Today also happens to be the 55th anniversary of the official establishment of the Baikonur space port.
I was fortunate enough to be invited into town with the folks I work for, who had been invited to march in the parade that passed in review in the city's modest sports stadium. There were a number of other campaigners on the bus as well, and although we each received a ticket to get us in through the gate at the stadium, our group was admitted en masse and nobody bothered to punch or lift our tickets.
The only celebrations of this kind that I can compare to today's event are the Memorial Day parade held during my senior year in high school, where I marched in the band, and the parade held in Pagosa Springs on the Fourth of July. Here, as there, there were groups of young people waiting to step off to pass in review around the stadium's track.
All of the major organizations associated with the city's life were represented, from the large aerospace companies like Energia and Khrunichev, to the city's electric power and water supply company. A lot of effort went into constructing floats, too. If it weren't for the subject matter, I'd feel as if I was back in the States.
And the people! Let me tell you, the stadium was filled with a pretty enthusiastic crowd.
There were a lot of kids among the spectators, too, and they seemed to have a uniformly good time.
Once all the speakers had said their piece and awards were made to "honorary citizens of the city," a small army of brightly dressed young women took to the soccer field and performed a choreographed routine that had to be at least 15 minutes long! I managed to capture a split-second of the action.
I've probably exhausted everyone's patience with my photos, but we were also treated to a low-level pass by a huge military helicopter, after which the local fire department put on a demonstration of its capabilities, culminating in the delivery of an impressive stream of water from the top of a telescoping boom that had been extended from the city fire department's newest truck.
I kid you not, about the only thing missing today was a marching band.
Cheers...
