Having a brother who is an engineer for NASA is a unique experience. But getting to see a rocket launch, one my brother had been working on for 25 years, in French Guiana during a global pandemic is a whole new adventure!
The planning, preparation, research, delay, and setbacks of this trip make for an exhilarating story – and one with a cinematic-like ending. But the most important aspect of the experience, even more than witnessing history being made, was living in my brother's shining moment and seeing his life’s work come to fruition.
I’m excited to share the story of my not-so-little endeavor with you. It’s a story about history, science, travel, and adventure mixed with the human side of the men and women who work behind the scenes at NASA - and how one of these individuals just happens to be my brother!
A Promise of Adventure
My brother, Jon Lawrence, started working for NASA in 1992. In 1997 he was assigned to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) project as the mechanical systems lead engineer and launch vehicle liaison. With an original target launch date of 2007, this project was delayed for many reasons over the years.
Jon would provide project updates to the family from time to time. Sometime around 2011, after explaining yet another delay, I said, “Listen, if this #$@%%$ ever launches, I’m going to be there, on a beach, in a lounge chair, wearing a Hawaiian shirt, drinking a Mai tai in a coconut with a little umbrella in it!” Little did I know, the launch would be far outside of the United States and during a time when travel was exceptionally challenging and volatile.
Cut to 2021, nearly a decade after I made this “promise” to my brother and after some significant world events had taken place – hello, COVID. The launch of the JWST started to look like it was going to happen…in French Guiana! Not being well-versed in geography, I had to use Google to learn it was in South America, just above Brazil. Stunned by the prospect of finding my way to South America during a global pandemic, I was determined to make good on my promise to my brother. One way or another, I would be there!
As the year wore on, the launch was targeted for October. On advice from my brother, I waited to book my tickets. Good advice, as the launch was predicated on two other launches. Any delay in those launches caused delays in the JWST launch. Finally, after the second launch, Thanksgiving week was announced as the target date. Just before I bought tickets for the first time, Jon informed me anomalies were pushing the launch date into December. I told him once they had a “firm” date, I would buy my tickets. The date became December 18.
As fate would have it, I was scheduled to be at a conference in Orlando from December 13 – 17. I knew there was no way I could attend the entire conference and see the launch. I was a sponsor and had made a significant investment. My gut told me the right thing to do. I prioritized the launch and informed the conference organizer I would have to leave on the evening of Wednesday, December 15. Now I had to figure out how to get to French Guiana.
How do you get to French Guiana?
For two weeks, I tried to find an itinerary to get to French Guiana and back. Air France had a flight from JFK in New York to Cayenne French Guiana, but even though it showed a return flight on their website, I wasn’t able to book it online. I called customer service and was told the return flight didn’t have a price associated with it and I wouldn’t be able to book it through them. There were no other airlines that flew within the same time zones to get me back to the United States. I reached out to a contact who is a travel agent. She wasn’t able to help either. Desperate, I reached out to Air France one more time. They asked if I could get to Suriname on my way home. I told them I had no idea where that was, but if I had to take a bus to get there, I wouldn’t do it. Later when I was in French Guiana, I met a native of Suriname. She agreed she wouldn’t have done it either!
Totally frustrated, yet refusing to be defeated, I started researching flight consolidators and found one called FlyFar. They had an itinerary to get me home. I would have to fly from French Guiana on December 20 to Paris France, then to Lisbon Portugal, then to Newark New Jersey, arriving on the morning of December 22. This was after I decided against an alternative itinerary which was to fly me to Paris Orly, then Charles DeGaulle in Paris, then Istanbul Turkey, then JFK. My itinerary would only take 47 hours to get me back to the United States. From there, I would fly to Orlando on December 22, and then drive to North Carolina to meet my wife, Peggy, who would be visiting her family. We had to leave Tyler (my 27-year-old son) at home. He had to work and didn’t have enough vacation time to travel with us. I booked my flights on November 7, believing I would have enough leeway for any further launch delays.
The week before Thanksgiving, someone at the launch site, from the Ariane launch team (who had many years of experience) caused the clamp band holding the Observatory to its launch adapter to release with a “bang.” The team had to decide whether to move forward as planned or test to see if anything bad had happened. They rightly decided to test, with the time taken adding further delays to launch. The new launch date became December 22. My original tickets were now useless!
Back to (Re)Booking
Starting all over again, with no hope of getting a refund (I wasn’t sick and the airline didn’t cancel), I researched new travel options. I knew Air France would be no help, so I worked with FlyFar again and identified a new itinerary: December 19, JFK to Guadeloupe (a French island in the Caribbean) to Martinique (another French island in the Caribbean) to French Guiana, arriving 9 ½ hours after leaving the US. December 25 French Guiana to Guadeloupe to Martinique to JFK. There was no December 26 flight, only December 27 and beyond. I didn’t want to stay any longer than necessary. I was already disrupting my family’s holiday plans.
On November 26, the World Health Organization put out an alert that travel to certain countries, including French Guiana, would be severely restricted. When I read the statement, there were only 5 ways I would be able to travel there without having to quarantine for at least 7 days once I arrived, and I didn’t qualify for any of them. The closest was, “Directly contributing to the welfare or economy of French Guiana.”
Since I had no proof of that, I asked Jon what other NASA family members were doing to gain access into the country. He told me he didn’t know, but would look into it for me. I told him I believed I would need some form of document to show on entry to the country (along with negative COVID test results, Yellow Fever shots, COVID vaccination record, and passport). After two weeks (and the day before I left for the conference in Orlando), I received a letter from Arianespace (in French) saying my presence was essential for launch!
I had one more essential personnel to bring with me. In 1985, I found a little toy in a gift shop in Crystal City Virginia. From the “Mr. Men and Little Miss” series by Roger Hargreaves, Mr. Happy had participated in my most outrageous adventures. In my early years, “he” had been in 100s of beers and bikini tops. He posed with many famous people and made it to the Great Wall of China. He also was on top of our wedding cake, with his girlfriend, Little Miss Sunshine. He had to be a part of my adventure!
The new COVID requirements unveiled by the CDC said travelers must test negative 3 days before traveling out of the US and 1 day before traveling back to the US. How would I accomplish that, I wondered? I decided to worry about that later!
I could now attend the full conference in Orlando. I reached out to the conference organizer to make him aware and asked to get involved in as many activities as possible. On Thursday, December 16, after the conference ended, I would get a rapid COVID test in Orlando. Then, I’d drive to meet Peggy in North Carolina on Friday, December 17. My flight from Charlotte to JFK was set for Saturday, December 18. Then, I would fly from JFK to French Guiana on Sunday, December 19. The flight was set to arrive at 7 pm local time. Before I left, Peggy told me to make sure I brought Mr. Happy back in one piece!
On Monday, December 12, I arrived in Orlando for the conference. I stayed in touch with Jon on a daily basis. He arrived in French Guiana on December 9 and could see what was happening on the ground. On December 14, due to a communication issue between the observatory and the launch vehicle system, the launch date was moved to no earlier than December 24. The French launch site support team declared they were unwilling to work on Christmas Day. If launch was going to be delayed again, I wouldn’t have a chance to see it. Now I had to decide if I still should travel to French Guiana, knowing my window of opportunity was shrinking drastically. After some soul searching and discussions with Peggy, we decided I should go for it – I was going there to celebrate Jon’s moment and witness history and there was a slim chance I might be able to see the launch!
I’m With the Media
On December 19, I started my journey to French Guiana. In Guadeloupe, I was required to go through customs, security, and check in again. When I arrived, there was no one at any of the Air France ticket counters. But there was one interesting and unexpected person who was there. I met the Netflix producer who was working on a documentary about the JWST launch. We both realized there was a problem. Many people didn’t speak English, so we were having trouble finding out what was happening. Then, we found a security guard. He told us in broken English there was “a problem” and we might not leave for a while or even the same day!
After 20 minutes with no information, we noticed Air France personnel huddled to the side of the ticket counters. Then, we were told to check back in. Our flight would be leaving soon. Seeing it was absolute chaos as everyone was trying to get checked in at the same time, my Netflix contact suggested we use her media credentials to get through security. She took me with her, and we got to the gate area faster than everyone else. I thanked her and told her I’d introduce her to Jon when we got there, so she would have a NASA contact on the inside.
We landed in Martinique and French Guiana without further incident. I got my bags and met Jon outside of baggage claim. A couple of minutes later, my Netflix contact came out. I introduced her to Jon, and we offered her a ride to the hotel. She had other arrangements and declined our offer. Jon had a rental car. We drove an hour through the rain and darkness to get to his hotel. He had a room with two twin beds, so I would be able to share the room with him, just like we did as kids growing up in Maryland. When we got to the hotel, he asked if I felt like meeting some colleagues of his before retiring for the night. He said the husband of one of his co-workers was willing to let me tag along with him during his adventures and he wanted me to meet him and his wife. I said yes, and we went to their room.
Jon’s co-worker led the contamination team and had been in French Guiana since September. Her husband liked to take photographs as a hobby. He shared some stories of his adventures so far. He had been there for about three weeks, supporting his wife. They both wanted to get home and declared they were leaving on the 24th, regardless of whether the launch would be then or not. We had a few drinks, shared some funny stories, and I knew it would be fun to tag along on the next day’s adventures. Both of them clearly respected Jon for his expertise and ability to be calm through all of the chaos of the project.
On Monday morning, I had breakfast with Jon and was introduced to many of his NASA and European Space Agency colleagues. I reaffirmed I would tag along on wildlife photo adventures while Jon was working. We took photos of birds, a sloth, and other animals and insects. I said I wanted to find a Titan beetle (the largest beetle in the world). My goal was to have Mr. Happy ride it! It seemed unlikely, but we decided we’d try to find one. I had one other goal for Mr. Happy – smuggle him onto the rocket. I knew there was no way that was going to happen.
A “Happy” Adventure
In the afternoon, we went to a local gift shop to find souvenirs. I looked around for something locally made for Peggy. I asked the shop owner to identify something small that met my criteria. When I went to pay, I showed my toy to the shop owner’s wife. She laughed and wanted to play with it. She asked if she could keep it. I told her no and she seemed sad. Then, I asked her if she knew where I could find a Titan beetle. She looked at me in a strange way as I tried to explain I wanted Mr. Happy to ride it. She seemed confused, even though I tried to demonstrate with my hands what I meant. Then, her husband looked at me in a knowing way and motioned to me that he would be right back.
He went into a back room and came out with a plastic container and handed it to me. Inside were two dead Titan beetles. I offered to pay, but he wouldn’t let me. I set up Mr. Happy to get a picture of him riding a beetle. Mission accomplished!
After our day adventuring, we drove back to the hotel. Jon and I went to dinner at a local restaurant. We both had our first experience eating kangaroo. It tasted like filet mignon. When we got back to the hotel, we were informed weather models were predicting the direction of the wind in the upper atmosphere would put the people on the ground at risk if the launch was aborted while the rocket was in the air. The launch was pushed back to no earlier than December 25. Because the French workers were unwilling to work on Christmas Day, it would be at least December 26. I was stuck and had no intention of changing my itinerary again to extend my visit. I went through my five stages of grief. I decided to make the best of this difficult situation and participate in everything I could leading up to the launch.
On Tuesday morning, Jon was scheduled to participate in the Launch Readiness Review. I partnered up with his colleague’s husband for another adventure. I was told to be back at the hotel in the early afternoon. Jon and I were invited to the home of Daniel Neuenschwander, the ESA Director of Space Transportation Systems, for a reception. I was Jon’s “plus one.”
On Tuesday morning, we ventured into the jungle, looking for more wildlife. We also checked to see if we could take a boat ride to Devil’s Island and learned we needed reservations. The boat left at 8:30 am every day. We talked about going on Thursday. When I returned to the hotel, Jon told me he had run into the Netflix producer, who said she would try to find us during the launch. We dressed for the reception and left the hotel.
When we arrived, there were many NASA and European Space Agency folks there. The food wasn’t good but there were many fun and hard-to-follow conversations. That’s because they’re rocket scientists and they talked to me like I understood what they were saying. I explained that in the context of Star Trek, Jon was Spock and I was Bones McCoy, a simple country doctor. Most laughed and understood what I was talking about. I ended up letting Jon have his conversations and met other “plus ones.” I introduced them to Mr. Happy and one of them took a picture with him (the Assistant Administrator for the European Space Agency who hails from Suriname). Mr. Happy snuck aboard a scale model of the telescope. Even though the challenge was to get him onto the launch, I declared victory. I found out many of Jon’s colleagues were going to retire after the launch and many of them thought Jon was a “Rock Star” on the project. Throughout the ups and downs of the project, he always kept his cool amidst the chaos and uncertainty, and pressed forward with a plan.
A Christmas Miracle?
Daniel Neuenschwander made a speech and revealed the French workers had agreed to work on Christmas Day. Weather models were showing favorable winds and solar activity. We might actually launch on the 25th and I might be able to see it! But how would I get to the airport in time to make my flight? Launch was scheduled for 9:20 am and my flight was 12:25 pm. With an hour's drive to the airport, it seemed like it was possible. Everything would have to be planned out and go almost perfectly.
Jon arranged a tour of the Soyuz launch site on Wednesday (12/22) afternoon. I stayed at the hotel and did some work. Jon met me and we went to McDonald’s for lunch. Then, we went to the launch site to get our security passes and meet the small group that was going to take the tour with us. We were met by the Director of the ESA in charge of the Soyuz program. He gave us a tour of the control room, launch pad, and an actual Soyuz rocket that was sitting in a hanger. I took many pictures, but when I got to the engine-end, I wasn’t allowed to take photos of this critical technology. Mr. Happy got into the act by taking a picture with our tour guide.
When we returned to the hotel, we decided to look for a nice place to eat dinner. We drove downtown, parked, and walked until we found a Peruvian restaurant. We shared stories from our childhood and growing up in Maryland. Not far from our table was a threesome of diners, in their early 20s. One of the girls didn’t appear to be wearing a bra, which was likely the French custom. It was hard not to stare. When they were leaving, she put her sandals down on the ground and bend over to put them on. That’s when she mooned us!
A Devil of a Time
After dinner, we went back to the hotel. I made plans to go to Devil’s Island on Thursday morning with my host couple. Jon said he had a contact at Arianespace (the program manager) he thought could get me VIP tickets to the control room gallery (Jupiter 2) during the launch and he’d also set up a rapid COVID test for me for Friday morning (12/24). He was going to get his test with the other NASA personnel. I crossed my fingers, hoping he’d be successful.
On Thursday morning, I met my hosts at breakfast and rode with them to the boat launch to take us to Devil’s Island. They seemed stressed, as they were about to leave for home without witnessing the launch. At the ticket window, we were told the boat was full but if the last people who signed up didn’t show, we could have their tickets. We decided to wait. When it looked like the last folks weren’t going to show up, we were sold their tickets. Then, they showed up, but we were allowed to get on the boat anyway.
The boat ride to Devil’s Island took an hour. I wanted to give my companions some time to relax, so I walked to another spot on the boat and met some high school students on a field trip who spoke English. When we got to the island, I walked around by myself. We had until 4:30 pm to get back to the boat. I encountered many Capuchin monkeys who were looking for any food they could get. I didn’t have any with me, but many of the other tourists did. I walked around for a couple of hours and then saw my hosts as they were looking at various buildings and wildlife. They invited me to join them for lunch at an outdoor buffet. I listened to them talk about their day and adventures. We sat under cover and then the fiercest rain I have ever encountered came up quickly. No one panicked and the people at the buffet pulled down the shades to keep us dry.
Jon sent me updates from the launch site and a photo of the rocket being moved to the launch pad. Things were on track for a Christmas Day launch.
After lunch, we went our separate ways and I decided to go on more of an exploratory adventure. I walked deep into the jungle. After ten minutes, I realized it wasn’t a good idea. Had I fallen or been bitten by a poisonous spider, I wouldn’t have been found for months. I walked out of the jungle carefully and followed the main pathways.
At 3 pm, I had seen everything I wanted to see and walked back to the boat. I found a bench to rest on near the dock. Another strong rain came and I got soaked. It didn’t last long and because it’s so hot in French Guiana, I dried quickly. My hosts showed up and asked me about my day. I told them I had fun exploring the island. They had brought along a bag of dried pineapple to feed the monkeys. They gave me a piece and I had it taken right out of my hand. Then, the wife was holding out a piece and put the bag on the ground behind her. While one monkey took the piece out of her hand, another took the whole bag and ran up a tree with it!
We got back on the boat and I dozed off through most of the journey back. When we got to the car, I thanked my hosts for inviting me and taking care of me during the week. This was their last full day in French Guiana and they were ready to go home.
Mapping Out My Return Home
Back at the hotel, Jon informed me he had secured a VIP pass for me to watch the launch from outside the control room. He had also contacted a local pharmacy for a rapid COVID test on Friday morning. He found a woman named Salomé, who guaranteed she would be available at 8 am to administer my test. He said she’d be easy to recognize as she was the only blonde at the pharmacy. Jon was going to get his rapid COVID test with the NASA group at the launch site on Friday at 11 am. Then, he would have to get some sleep, as he would be working overnight for the final countdown. We got dinner at McDonald’s and got back to the hotel in the early evening. Friday was going to be a big day.
We arrived at the pharmacy at 7:50 am on Friday morning. The metal shades were down and the pharmacy wasn’t open yet. There were a few people waiting outside, so it looked like it would be opening soon. At 8:15 am, the shades were raised and the pharmacy opened for business. We didn’t see Salomé, so I stood in line. When I reached the pharmacy counter, they asked me what I wanted (in French). I said I had an appointment. With no documentation, they waved me away. I mentioned Salomé, and they called to her in another room. She came out and recognized Jon. Salomé took me to a room in the back and gave me the most aggressive COVID test I have ever had. Afterward, she told me the results would be emailed to me within the hour. I asked her what to do if I didn’t receive my results. She gave me her phone number and assured me I would receive them soon. I needed to have Jon print them out for me so that I could present my results on my way home. After two hours, I hadn’t received the email. I called Salomé and she sent my test results. I forwarded them on to Jon and he assured me he would print them out for me. Now, we had to figure out how I was going to get to the airport. There’s no Uber in French Guiana!
Jon was going into the launch center to get his rapid COVID test at 11 am, print out my negative COVID test document, and VIP ticket. Then, he was going to come back to the hotel and have lunch with me and sleep for as long as possible. He needed to get me out of the hotel. I would have talked his ear off otherwise. I was so excited about the launch.
He gave me the keys to his rental car (a Citroën) and his international driver’s license. I was going to take a test run to the airport to see if I could find it and the rental car lot using my GPS. I didn’t have a phone charger that fit the rental car, so I needed to find out if my phone could hold a charge for the journey, how long things took, and if I could use the code Jon gave me to access the rental car lot. I also wanted to scout out a gas station. I was supposed to return the car with the tank full. I decided to go without Jon’s license. We really didn’t look alike and I was already in the middle of a great adventure. What was one more calculated risk?
I drove to the parking lot at the launch site to start my test run. This is where I would be leaving from the next day. I wanted to know I could find everything and get a true read on the time and effort it would take to get to my destination. The road to the airport was two lanes and wound through the jungle and small towns. I tried to follow the speed limit but found myself passing many scooters, bikes, and other vehicles. After 54 minutes, I reached the airport and found the rental car lot. My phone had lost 40% of its charge along the way. I figured I might be okay making it there, as long as there was somewhere to charge the phone during the launch. On the way back from the airport, I stopped at a gas station and found out they would be closed on Christmas Day. I got gas near the hotel in Kourou. Jon would have to beg forgiveness from his superiors for the additional rental car gas charge!
Every Step Matters
Since Jon was sleeping, I walked on the beach behind the hotel. It had rained earlier, and the beach was pretty rocky. My feet slipped out from under me while I was walking on some rocks and I landed on my backside pretty hard. I was covered in sand and dirt, which was embarrassing and painful! I went to the hotel lobby and asked the manager if there was a place I could get cleaned up. I got as much sand and grime off my clothes as possible. I could have ruined my chances to see the launch, had I broken a bone or banged my head. Luckily, I didn’t. My phone, wallet, and passport were intact. I was carrying them in my front pockets.
I sat in the lobby and talked with some of the NASA and ESA personnel. At 5:30 pm, Jon texted me he was awake and wanted to grab some dinner before he had to go to the launch site. He was going to be picked up at around 10 pm, so he could leave the rental car with me. We went to McDonald’s, but when we got there, we found it had just closed. Next door was a grocery store. We figured it was our only option on Christmas Eve. We went in and found things we could eat in the hotel room: peanut butter (they didn’t have Jif, Jon’s favorite, so we settled for Skippy), jelly, yogurt, sliced meats, drinks, and bread.
We had a “picnic” in the hotel room and reminisced about our childhood and what led us to this moment. It was an amazing confluence of events that allowed us to be there together. Afterward, Jon took a shower, packed, and dressed for the final countdown. At around 10 pm, as he was leaving, I wished him good luck, we embraced and said we loved each other. I packed so I could leave quickly from the hotel the next morning. I went to bed and set my alarm for 5:00 am. Jon suggested I get to the launch site before the busses of NASA and ESA personnel arrived, to get my prime parking spot.
Like a Kid on Christmas…Who Also Gets to See a Rocket
I woke at 4:00 am on Christmas morning, ready to go. It was too early to leave, so I took my time showering and eating leftovers from our picnic. I texted Jon and confirmed everything was still on track for launch at 9:20 am. I left the hotel at 6:30 am.
Jon had left his luggage with the group from NASA, who would be taking a bus to the airport at noon for their 4 pm chartered flight. I checked out of the hotel and drove to the launch site. I had to go through a security checkpoint before arriving. They checked my VIP ticket, COVID vaccination card, and waved me on. I parked at the spot closest to the exit of the property, so I could get out without delay. My goal was to be in the car with the motor running at 10:00 am. Jon told me there were two major milestones after launch I might be able to witness. The first one was the separation (splitting) of the fairing from the main launch vehicle, exposing the telescope, around 3.5 minutes into the flight. The next one would be the separation of the telescope from the launcher, about 30 minutes after launch. I planned to stay for both, as I figured that would get me to the airport by 11:00 am and hopefully on my 12:25 pm flight. I got out of the car at 6:45 am and walked to the security line for the two VIP areas (Jupiter 2, an inside viewing area, and an outside area nearer to the launch site). After getting through security, we waited for the first group to take a bus to the outside viewing area. At 7:30 am, we were ushered into the building.
I followed the crowd into the Jupiter 2 viewing room. I saw the Netflix producer and tried to speak to her, but she was busy recording the documentary. So, I just waved at her. Then, I texted Jon and told him I was in the room. He stood up and saw me through the glass and waved. Then he went back to his work. I looked at the main information screens and saw that there were approximately 1 ½ hours until launch. I took some photos and found a seat that wasn’t specifically reserved and got a launch guide and put Mr. Happy on the arm of my seat. I was hoping he would be seen and filmed at some point. As the countdown continued, we were able to hear the control room discussions through our headsets. We also could hear the commentary that was going on for the NASA and ESA broadcasts. There were interviews and speeches. Every so often, I left my seat to see how much time was left on the countdown and to see what Jon was doing.
Peggy texted me. She was up early to watch the live stream of the launch from North Carolina. It was two hours earlier where she was. I was impressed! Texting back and forth, I was draining the battery on my phone and there wasn’t a place to charge it. I needed to conserve power, but I was too excited!
At approximately 13 minutes until launch, it got real for me. I realized I was about to experience history and also witness the shining moment of Jon’s career. I got a little choked up and felt really proud of my brother. I also hoped the launch would be on time, so I could see it!
It's Go Time!
I noticed red doors on either side of the gallery and was informed we’d be let out to an outdoor viewing area at approximately 2 minutes before launch. At T minus 3 minutes, I made my way to the doors, to get the best possible vantage point when they let us go outside. The doors opened and I made my way to the front row of the viewing area. We were approximately 9 miles away from the launch pad. It was overcast and rainy and I couldn’t see the rocket. I aimed my phone at the general location for the launch and started recording. At exactly 9:20:00.000 local time, the Ariane 5 ECA+ (flight VA256) with JWST on board launched into the sky. I could see the engines flash and the vapor trail, and we kept hearing the term “nominal.” About 40 seconds into the flight, we could start to hear the roar and feel the ground rumble. People cheered on the rocket, saying, “Go Webb Go!” I filmed for 1 ½ minutes, until I couldn’t see anything else in the sky.
We went back inside and watched the status of the flight on the large monitors. There were cameras on board, and we could see what was happening as the rocket was ascending. Then, there were some speeches and clapping. I reassessed my exit strategy. Everyone was standing and no one was leaving. At approximately 9:48 am local time, the observatory separated from the launch vehicle. This was the second major milestone. There was more clapping, yelling, high fiving, and hugging. It was time for me to leave. I texted Jon my congratulations and told him how proud I was of him, I loved him, and I had to go. My phone had 55% charge at that point. I felt I would make it to the airport with my GPS with some battery power left when I got there.
I was the only one leaving the auditorium. Everyone else was transfixed on the screens in the control room. I made my way out and took a quick bathroom break, knowing I wouldn’t stop on the way. As I left the building, I heard a loud roar. I didn’t know it at the time, but that was an unexpected major milestone when the solar array deployed, on camera, only a few minutes after Observatory separation. At 9:58 am, I was in the car, headed to the airport.
A Comedy of Complexities
I tried not to speed too much, but I couldn’t help myself. There were cars, trucks, scooters, bikes, and animal powered carts on the road. I passed as many of them as I could safely. In 52 minutes, I reached the rental car lot and punched in the code to access the parking area. I unloaded the car and took my baggage to the terminal building. There was no one at the rental car counter, so I took a picture of me putting the keys and rental agreement in the return slot. Next, I went to the ticket counter. Checking in at a kiosk, I was informed it would cost 185 Euros for each of the two bags I had to check. When I tried to complete the transaction, I got a message to see a ticket agent.
I met an agent, told him “Merry Christmas” and explained what had happened. I asked if there might be a “Christmas Miracle” to reduce the price of checked baggage. I showed him Mr. Happy, he laughed and said he’d do his best. After working in his computer for a few minutes he asked me if 60 Euros sounded reasonable for both bags. I thanked him for his kindness. I went through security and found my way to the gate. At the gate area, I saw one passenger having her bags inspected. They were going through everything very slowly. I hoped my carry-on bag wouldn’t be searched in the same way. My phone had 19% charge remaining and I didn’t see a place to plug it in. I texted Peggy and Jon and told them I made it to the gate and I would be turning off my phone for now. We boarded the plane on our way to Martinique and then Guadeloupe.
“Not French Guiana…Very Bad”
When we reached Martinique, I didn’t have to leave the plane, but some did and others got on. Then, we flew to Guadeloupe. When we arrived, we had to go through customs. I had all of my documents with me: negative COVID test, COVID vaccination card, passport, and proof of my Yellow Fever vaccination. I was in line to the customs agent when another agent stopped me and asked where I was travelling from. I said French Guiana. He said, “Oh, no, no. Not French Guiana. You cannot come through here. Very bad.” I said I had special dispensation and had received my negative COVID test and showed him my documentation. He looked at it and then went to talk to another agent. They argued for a few minutes and then he gave me my documents back. He waved me on. I thought I was home free.
A second agent stopped me and asked me where I was coming from. I told him French Guiana and he ran through the same objections. I explained I had just done the same thing with the first agent. After a few minutes, he let me through. One more agent did the exact same thing! After one more argument, he sent me to passport control. Once cleared, I went to the gate area and found a place to charge my phone until my flight. I was able to get above 30% and texted Jon and called Peggy to tell her I was okay and I thought I might get out of Guadeloupe.
I boarded the plane and was on my way to JFK. Back in the US, I breezed through Customs. I had Global Entry and there weren’t many people flying on Christmas Day anyway. I got to the location for the hotel shuttle pickup and had to wait an hour after calling for a ride. At 10 pm I was in my American hotel room. I called Peggy and told her I hoped to see her the next day.
No Risk too Great
On Sunday December 26, I woke up extremely early for my 8:05 am flight. I decided to go the airport and wait there. Good thing I did. When I attempted to check in at a kiosk, I was notified my flight had been cancelled (many had been, due to low staffing) and I was being booked on another flight. I went to the ticket counter and asked what my options were. My original flight was non-stop to Charlotte and there was another direct flight at 8:41 am that was full. The next non-stop flight had been cancelled too. The next option was a multiple-stop flight that would get me to Charlotte in the middle of the afternoon. I didn’t want that, so I asked to be put on the standby list for the 8:41 am flight.
The agent said I would be number one on standby and I would likely get on the flight. I liked my chances, so I asked her to cancel the other itinerary. She asked me if I was sure. I said I was. I went through security and went to the gate and got a notification I was booked on the multi-stop flight. I went to find a gate agent to see what was happening. She tried to talk me out of the standby list flight. I said I wanted to go standby and she said I was taking a risk. I said, “You have no idea of the number of adventures and risks I have taken the past few weeks.” Then I asked her to cancel the multi-stop flight. She grudgingly agreed.
Thirty minutes later, I received another notification about the multi-stop flight. I went back to the gate agent and asked her what had happened. She took it upon herself to book me on the other flight. I told her I definitely wanted to fly standby. She tried to talk me out of it six times. I stood firm. Eventually she cancelled the multi-stop flight with me watching her do it. She told me what I was doing was risky. I said, “You have no idea the risks I am willing to take!”
I went to my gate and introduced myself to the gate agent and told her I was number one on the standby list. She said, “Stay close sir, we’ll get you on if we can.” They started boarding the plane and I stopped paying attention. Then, I heard someone say over the PA, “Adams, come to the podium.” I figured it was someone else. Then, I heard, “Last call for Adam Lawrence.” I ran to the podium and was told I had been called many times. I apologized, was given a ticket, and boarded the plane.
I landed in Charlotte at 11 am. I got my luggage and found my rental car in the parking garage. At noon, I drove to High Point to meet up with Peggy, who was staying with her sister. We grabbed some lunch and shared my adventures from both of our perspectives. After relaxing for a few hours, we packed for our trip home to Pennsylvania.
On Monday December 27, we returned the rental car and then drove from North Carolina to Pennsylvania. My travel adventures were finally over. Or were they? It turns out someone Peggy had visited during the trip had tested positive for COVID. So, we had to get tested on the 28th. Luckily, both tests came back negative. We picked up our dog at the kennel and celebrated Christmas at home with Tyler, who had been working while we were away.
Since the launch, the mission has been just about perfect. Things have worked so well, in fact, they now believe the life of the telescope has been extended from 10 to 20 years. Initial images have come back and the science community is excited for the discoveries to come. Jon, for his part, stayed with the mission until the major mirror adjustments were made in space. After that, he joined a new project team at NASA.
As I look back on my adventures in French Guiana, I realize it’s in my nature to take on adventures and try something new. This might be the most extreme thing I’ll do from now on, but I’m certainly glad I had the opportunity and experience. Not only did I get to witness history first-hand, but I also got to live in the shining moment of my brother’s career.