I set my alarm for 5.20am
Five minutes before the launch window
Of a rocket bound for the International Space Station
From the NASA Wallops facility
Forty miles south of my home
I fell asleep thinking about rockets
Dreaming about rockets
Waking up to the alarm thinking about rockets
Quickly dressing while listening to the live countdown
Stepping outside on the balcony at T minus 60 seconds
It was pitch black with low clouds
I knew where to look from previous launches
My eyes were glued to the dark horizon
As the flight director announced MAIN ENGINES START
My heart was racing
A bright white glow appeared on the horizon
LIFT OFF!
Streaking skyward for a brief few seconds
Disappearing behind thick clouds
I lost visual contact but could hear the roar of the rocket engines
Listening to the live NASA feed on my phone
Calm voices reading off the flight checklists
They kept saying things were NOMINAL
Within a few short minutes, the payload was in orbit
Somewhere over Australia
Always a thrill to witness a rocket launch
Such an amazing feat of engineering
My excitement was way beyond NOMINAL
I decided not to go back to bed
Opting for watching a very NOMINAL sunrise
While eating my NOMINAL breakfast
After writing a very NOMINAL poem
I started the countdown for the launch of my NOMINAL bicycle in a few hours
Going through the pre-ride checklists
Tire pressures NOMINAL
Lights function NOMINAL
Brake test NOMINAL
Gear change test NOMINAL
Water bottle top-up NOMINAL
We are GO for the bike ride at 8.45am Eastern time