Launch Night Watch Sheet

Countdown Cadets
For cadets 7 to 10

Cadet:

Date:

Rocket:

1 Before liftoff

Check the launch time with a grown-up. Launch times can change, even in the last minutes.
Find a spot with an open view toward the Cape. Ask a grown-up which way to face.
Go outside 10 minutes early.
Put this sheet and a pencil where you can grab them.
Count down together:

10987654321Liftoff!

2 What to look for

A bright light rising. From far away it starts low, just above the trees or roofs.
The rocket tips over. It turns to fly sideways, because it needs huge sideways speed to get into orbit.
The light changes. A few minutes in, the light may fade or split. That can be the booster finishing its job and dropping away. Some boosters fly back and land.
A glowing cloud. Just after sunset or just before sunrise, sunlight can light up the rocket's exhaust high in the sky, even when it is dark where you stand.
Listen. Sound is slower than light. It takes about 5 seconds to go 1 mile. Close by, the rumble comes after you see the light. Far away, you may not hear it at all.

3 My launch log

I first saw it at

I could see it for aboutseconds

Did you hear it?Yes No

Circle the colors you saw:

whiteyelloworangeredbluepink

Draw the path the rocket took across the sky

4 Design your mission patch

Many real missions have a patch. It often shows the mission's name and a picture of what the mission is for.

Draw the rocket you saw. Add the date and your cadet name around the edge.

For grown-ups: stay off roads and away from the water's edge in the dark, and bring a flashlight, bug spray and water. A booster landing near the Cape can make a loud sonic boom that startles small kids. For a daytime launch, remind your cadet never to look straight at the Sun. Launches are often delayed or scrubbed, so check the time again before you head out.