A Discovery of Earth, Sky and Space NJAA Environmental Stewardship Essay Award winner Tom Patterson and his family travel to Florida to attend the Discovery shuttle launch and send off fellow Angus breeder Col. Mark Lee. It covered the subject of rangeland noxious weeds and how ranchers in Montana are employing safer biological controls instead of chemicals to combat weeds such as leafy spurge.
Countless stars are out, along with a few thousand Earth-bound spectators.
Tom Patterson's heart is pulsating to the point he's sure it's going to leap out of his throat. He wonders if Col. Mark Lee and other members of the Discovery STS-82 crew feel the same. Tom has been awake for more than 24 hours, minus a 30-minute nap at the hotel. It was a long trip from Montana to Cape Canaveral, Fla., even by jet airliner and rental car. Still, this teenager is far from being sleepy.