BURY ST EDMUNDS SPACE CENTRE – The United States’ fifty-year wait to return to the lunar surface was thwarted by an unexpected obstacle: traffic jam on the A14 at junction 47 near Woolpit, between Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds.
Norfolk Reporter: Ian Bred
The ambitious launch, set to propel the privately-built spacecraft, Odysseus. To the moon’s hallowed surface, faced an unforeseen delay due to gridlock on the perennially congested motorway.
Anticipation reached a fever pitch at the new Bury St Edmunds Space Centre. A joint NASA and Suffolk County Council enterprise – as the historic moment approached. But alas, fate had other plans, as commuters on the A14 found themselves unwittingly embroiled in the cosmic saga.
“It was chaos, I tell thee,” remarked one frustrated driver caught up in the tailback. “I always expect my morning commute to be delayed by a slow-moving tractor, but spacecraft? No!”
Traffic eclipses Moon
Despite the setback, the intrepid crew of Odysseus remained undeterred. Biding their time on their phones as traffic slowly inched along the motorway. Finally, after a nail-biting five-hour delay, the countdown resumed, and Odysseus hurtled skyward with a flaming, thunderous roar.
The journey to the moon was fraught with tension as the spacecraft navigated the treacherous expanse of junk-filled space above Earth. But after a week-long journey and a heart-stopping 73-minute descent.
Odysseus finally made contact with the lunar surface near the moon’s south pole. The historic touchdown was met with jubilation and relief, as Bury mission control erupted into cheers and applause.
A14 Traffic Jam a Nightmare
As the moondust settled, the United States / Suffolk partnership celebrated a triumphant return to the lunar surface, albeit with a slight hiccup along the way. And as for the commuters stranded on the A14, caused a massive traffic jam.
They can take solace in knowing that their morning’s inconvenience was a small price to pay for the giant leap of progress.
Meanwhile: Enquiry launched as A14 runs congestion free
