The New Horizons mission finally launched, after many false starts and delays. And it brought out not only the great feeling of human achievement, but more importantly some goofiness in our instant messaging chatter:
(12:52:26) Chris: aw snap! they are delaying for clouds
(12:52:39) Chris: it’s a freaking rocket guys
(12:52:47) Chris: clouds are not a problem
(12:53:39) David: dammit
(12:53:49) David: oh no, we might hit an endangered bird species up there or something
(12:53:56) Chris: why does god hate pluto
(12:54:11) Chris: oh yeah…the whole “underworld” thing
(12:56:58) David: LOL
…
(Chris getting excited as we hear that the launch is actually happening for real this time:)
(13:53:25) Chris: ooh, they might be good to go at 2 PM
(13:53:30) Chris: GO! GO!
(13:53:56) Chris: GO on weather
(13:55:38) Chris: light that freakin candle
(13:56:14) Chris: man, i should have seen if i could have gone over to mission ops
(13:57:44) Chris: look out for teh birdz!!!!!11
(14:00:40) Chris: OH YEAH!
(14:03:37) Chris: sweeet
…
(the day after, i saw an article about
the spacecraft’s cargo containing the ashes of Pluto’s discoverer Clyde Tombaugh):
(11:17:22) David: i had no idea
(11:18:27) Jon: neither did I
(11:18:42) David: the plutonium is going to bring that dude back to life
(11:18:56) Jon: …as the Incredible Hulk
(11:19:05) David: HULK SMASH CHARON!!!!