Shuttle launch - advice

Any advice as to where to stay, getting tickets,
watching and photographing the event?

You might want to also post your question to the shuttle
newsgroup (sci.space.shuttle), or to one of the other
space newsgroups, where you'll find lots of folks who
have attended launches.

James

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"JamesStep" wrote in message
...
Any advice as to where to stay, getting tickets,
watching and photographing the event?

You might want to also post your question to the shuttle
newsgroup (sci.space.shuttle), or to one of the other
space newsgroups, where you'll find lots of folks who
have attended launches.

James



Also, even though it is a really really cool thing to watch......then
_hear_ a few seconds to a few minutes later, depending on distance from
launch site...... do not plan a vacation around it, since there is always a
great chance launch will be scrubbed.

Chris

Hi,

We are planning to head for one of the scheduled shuttle launches in
Sept. or Nov. this year. This will probably be a one-time experience
so we wish to "do it right". Any advice as to where to stay, getting
tickets, watching and photographing the event? Anyone who has done it
before, what would you recommend? What was good - what was bad?

Thanks in advance.


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In article ,
(The News Guy(Mike)) wrote:

Hi,

We are planning to head for one of the scheduled shuttle launches in
Sept. or Nov. this year. This will probably be a one-time experience
so we wish to "do it right". Any advice as to where to stay, getting
tickets, watching and photographing the event? Anyone who has done it
before, what would you recommend? What was good - what was bad?

Have you checked NASA's web site yet? If not, you certainly should. I
believe there's information there about how to get tickets.

"fishman" wrote in message
...

"JamesStep" wrote in message
...
Any advice as to where to stay, getting tickets,
watching and photographing the event?

You might want to also post your question to the shuttle
newsgroup (sci.space.shuttle), or to one of the other
space newsgroups, where you'll find lots of folks who
have attended launches.

James



Also, even though it is a really really cool thing to watch......then
_hear_ a few seconds to a few minutes later, depending on distance from
launch site...... do not plan a vacation around it, since there is always
a
great chance launch will be scrubbed.

I once drove all the way from Virginia for a night launch only to have it
aborted when they reached "3" in the countdown. The following night, I
drove 50 miles from my hotel in Orlando for the rescheduled launch only to
have it scrubbed ten minutes before liftoff because of a lightning storm.
On the third night, the shuttle finally went off as scheduled. The sky lit
up in an instant, like the sun had suddenly risen or a billion flash bulbs
went off instantaneously. The booming sound of the rocket engines hit me a
few seconds later. What a blast! Though it only lasted a few minutes, it
was an awesome experience and worth all the trouble.

Sadly, it was the Columbia I saw launch that night, on one of its last
missions.

so we wish to "do it right". Any advice as to where to stay, getting
tickets, watching and photographing the event? Anyone who has done it

Tickets to the viewing area are more of a hassle than they're worth, if
available (security skittishniss post-911 may have scrapped them altogether,
but you're going to put up with long traffic lines in and out regardless).

Anywhere near the space center along US1 or A1A will give you a spectactular
view. There's a wealth of hotels throughout the area, and if you get one
just south of KSC with a north-north-east-facing room you may be able to
enjoy your own private viewing balcony.

Note, however, that Shuttle launches are fickle at best, and the first one
after Columbia will be even more so. There are no guarantees you'll get a
show the first attempt, so plan your trip so that the scheduled launch is
soon after you arrive; that way, any scrubs will still give you a chance to
catch it before you have to leave.

Also, even though it is a really really cool thing to watch......then
_hear_ a few seconds to a few minutes later, depending on distance from

More like *feel* if one is in the KSC area. Rumbly bliss.

The News Guy(Mike) wrote:

Hi,

We are planning to head for one of the scheduled shuttle launches in
Sept. or Nov. this year. This will probably be a one-time experience
so we wish to "do it right". Any advice as to where to stay, getting
tickets, watching and photographing the event? Anyone who has done it
before, what would you recommend? What was good - what was bad?

Thanks in advance.

We saw the launch on-site for STS 105 back in 2001. Back
then, you could get tickets by sending a request to NASA in
advance. You can find out details at
http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/carpass/carpass.htm

On that site they state that they do have a limited number
of bus tickets to view the launches, so you might try that
route. They also list some of the prime off-site viewing areas.

The launch for Discovery was great. The only thing that
could have made it better would have been if we could have
been at a launch that Kenny Bowersox was on. (He's from our
town. We're a podunk county in the middle of nowhere, but
we've produced more astronauts than any other county in the US.)

If you go to an off-site viewing area where you will be
sitting outside, make sure you take a beach umbrella or
something similar, because it does get hot sitting in the
sun for several hours waiting. You'll also want something
to sit on, whether it's a blanket or chairs. It'll be
several hours of waiting because you ought to get there way
early so that you can get a good spot to view the launch.

You'll also want a cooler with cold drinks. You'll get some
great shots of the smoke plumes, but snap quickly because it
goes fast.

When we went, they scrubbed the launch because of weather
conditions, and rescheduled for the next day. If they had
needed to delay again, it would have been several days later
and we would have been back home by then due to work.

rent a small boat and cruise up the banana river. the coast guard will let
you know when to stop and drop anchor. cant beat the view. enjoy, Alan


"The News Guy(Mike)" wrote in message
...
Hi,

We are planning to head for one of the scheduled shuttle launches in
Sept. or Nov. this year. This will probably be a one-time experience
so we wish to "do it right". Any advice as to where to stay, getting
tickets, watching and photographing the event? Anyone who has done it
before, what would you recommend? What was good - what was bad?

Thanks in advance.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ The News Guy(Mike) - Seinfeld Lists
+ (two mirrored sites)
+ http://membres.lycos.fr/tnguym
+ http://waveprohosting.com/tnguym
+ All things Seinfeld; scripts, trivia, lists,
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In article ,
B1128 wrote:
rent a small boat and cruise up the banana river. the coast guard will let
you know when to stop and drop anchor.

Will they let you know with semaphore flags, a bullhorn, or a
shot across the bow? :-)


Patty