"It got really quiet," spectators gather in Titusville to watch Polaris Dawn launch

Brooke Edwards, Florida Today
·4 min read

The crowd was silent as the sky lit up like a sunrise over Kennedy Space Center. Almost like it was moving in slow motion, a bright Falcon 9 rose up into the scattered clouds above the Cape.

Onboard that Falcon 9 rocket were four private astronauts in a SpaceX Dragon, headed to orbit the Earth on a mission of firsts. The Polaris Dawn crew will be flying higher than humans have been since the Apollo missions, and they will conduct the first ever spacewalk by private astronauts in new SpaceX spacesuits.

Brevard residents and tourists gathered at Veterans Memorial Park in Titusville overnight, the delay of the launch from 3:38 a.m. to 5:23 a.m. not deterring them. For many, a rocket launch was a once in a lifetime event.

Carah-Beth Bass and her fiancé, Adam Winnie, strolled around the park as they awaited the launch. On vacation from Austin, Texas, Bass was excited that a crewed launch coincided with their visit. Bass told FLORIDA TODAY she has been a space enthusiast as long as she can remember. Purely by coincidence, her college roommate happened to be the daughter of astronaut Piers Sellers.

"When we were going to be down here, we needed to come watch as many launches as we possibly could," said Bass, grinning with excitement. "Polaris is awesome. It's a manned launch instead of just putting satellites up ? even though that's cool too."

Hailing all the way from Italy, Fedeico Galliani is a tattoo artist visiting Florida for work. When he heard of Polaris Dawn launching, he knew he had to witness it. "I didn't know there was a launch, so I woke up," said Galliani with a laugh.

Pauline Mengel and Klas Eriksson were on vacation to the Space Coast from Sweden. They spoke with FLORIDA TODAY after the launch, expressing their awe of witnessing a crew headed to space.

After the launch, Pauline Mengel and Klas Eriksson, who are visiting from Sweden, talk about the spectacular scene they had just witnessed. SpaceX Polaris Dawn spectators in Titusville at Veterans Memorial Park on the Indian River Lagoon during and after the launch from pad 39A carrying four crew members.
After the launch, Pauline Mengel and Klas Eriksson, who are visiting from Sweden, talk about the spectacular scene they had just witnessed. SpaceX Polaris Dawn spectators in Titusville at Veterans Memorial Park on the Indian River Lagoon during and after the launch from pad 39A carrying four crew members.

"It got really quiet," said Mengel. "Like, I just, I didn't say anything."

Eriksson said that he felt goosebumps during the launch, adding that photos and video do not do a rocket lunch justice: it is more stunning to see in person.

When is the next Florida launch? Is there a launch today? Upcoming SpaceX, NASA rocket launch schedule from Florida

SpaceX Polaris Dawn launch inspires

Michelle and John Vollbrecht from Apollo Beach stood by the water with their six children, all eight starring in the direction of the launch pad. All took turns stealing glances at a smart phone playing the SpaceX livestream of the event.

The couple had just met with Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman a few months ago, and now they are watching him blast off ? and not for the first time. This is the second time they are watching Isaacman launch, as their family friend, Chris Sembroski, flew to space on Isaacman's first mission, Inspiration4.

Michelle and John Vollbrecht and their six children came over from the west coast of Florida. SpaceX Polaris Dawn spectators in Titusville at Veterans Memorial Park on the Indian River Lagoon during and after the launch from pad 39A carrying four crew members.
Michelle and John Vollbrecht and their six children came over from the west coast of Florida. SpaceX Polaris Dawn spectators in Titusville at Veterans Memorial Park on the Indian River Lagoon during and after the launch from pad 39A carrying four crew members.

"We're here in support of Jared," Michelle Vollbrecht told FLORIDA TODAY. "We completely support what he does and all of his fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital." Like Inspiration4, Polaris Dawn is raising money for the hospital.

Vollbrecht told FLORIDA TODAY that since her kids have met and watched two astronauts fly to space, they have taken more of an interest in space exploration. "As my daughter said, we're sitting here texting our friend who's an astronaut, getting ready to see another astronaut we've met (launch). And it kind of sums up the opportunities we hope to give our kids," Vollbrecht said.

Natalla Solnushko looked over at the launch pad ? a clear view of it from across the water. She told FLORIDA TODAY she is orginally from Ukraine but currently living in Texas and working as a pharmacy tech. Solnushko is on vacation, and just happened to be here for this historic launch.

"This is exciting! It's a big deal for mankind," said Solnushko, describing how space exploration has historically been controlled by government.

Now, private companies and investors are opening up opportunities for more people. It's not just NASA astronauts headed to space anymore, as Polaris Dawn has an entrepreneur-turned-pilot leading the mission as well as two SpaceX employees. Solnushko said she's hopeful a private mission to Mars may come in the future.

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: "A big deal for mankind:" Spectators from afar awed by Polaris Dawn launch

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