As the parent of a three-year-old, I have to thank NASA for resuming space shuttle flights. I understand the safety issues and complexities involved, but my daughter was thoroughly entranced watching the "rocket ship" blast off two weeks ago. We watched out our back window and on TV when Discovery's launch turned the night into day. She immediately wanted her "rocket ship" to take off again.
This evening, we watched on TV as Discovery landed. We opened the patio slider to let the sonic boom rustle the vertical blinds and let the sound startle the kids. Free simple entertainment. Now my daughter is waiting to see her "rocket ship" again.
Next launch is the Orbiter Atlantis in mid-March.