I was at work this afternoon when my very good friend and STS-120 EVA partner, Doug “Wheels” Wheelock (a.k.a. “Tike”), hightailed it off the planet from the Baikonur launch complex in Kazakhstan.  The replays on NASA TV show him grinning ear to ear, hamming for the cameras, fist bumping, thumbs-upping and generally as ecstatic as a guy can get. I’m thrilled for him and his crewmates, Fyodor and Shannon. Not to mention a healthy dose of envy… They’re thankfully safe on orbit now, en route to the International Space Station, where they’ll spend 6 months on duty. Godspeed!

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2010/06/live-soyuz-tma-19-launch-to-iss

Follow Wheels during his expedition via Twitter: http://twitter.com/Astro_Wheels

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I sent him an email about 36 hours before his launch, and I received this cool note:

“We’re ready to light up the night!

Sure miss you, Spike.  Going in front of the Russian Commission in just 20 minutes, a little bit nervous.  T minus 33 hours and counting…time to rock!

Tike”