SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCHES

[Vero Beach Bum]

Has anyone out there ever been staying at the Vero Beach resort during a shuttle launch and can you see the launch from the resort?

 

[Dreamfinder2]

We used to live in Vero Beach (or Zero Beach, as many of the local kids called it), and you can see the launches just fine. 'Course, the closer you are, the more spectacular it is. And, night launches are much more visible.

 

[StevenR]

We were there in October during a evening launch. While you can't see the actual rocket (at least at night), you can certainly see the flame for quite some time, as well as the booster separation. It really was quite impressive, considering the distance.

 

[buzzlightyear]

I was at WDW last October & we were able to see the shuttle from there. It was still amazing to see even from that great distance. It was a night launch.

 

[Peterd]

Buzz, we saw it from WDW in Oct also. It was still a pretty awesome sight. It was a pretty cool thing for the kids to experience. Where did you stay? We were in a standard two bedroom at the BW. We walked out to the balcony, and it seemed like more than half the wing we were on, were out on the balcony to watch.
We've seen it from Titusville before, and it was amazing.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

I don't know if this is still available, but with some advance planning you once could get passes to the cape that would get you within a few miles of the launchpad. If that interests you, you might also contact your sentor's office and have them put you in contact with one of the FL senators. It'd be worth a try. We had people in our church who worked at the cape, and they were able to get us VIP passes that put us within three miles of the launch pad. Words fail me; it was genuinely awesome. (This was some years ago, so I'm not sure what the policies are now.)

 

[zipadee]

we were a vb in feb. 00 when the shuttle was launched. WE could see it fine. One lady with a cell phone kept everybody informed of the countdown, without her everyone would have had a stiff neck.

 

[nickglover]

the closer the better, but we can see the launches, escpecially the night ones, from Tampa - at night you can see the booster rockets separate and start to fall back to earth - even so far away, it is exciting

 

[mattsdad]

all launches of the shuttle into the foreseeable future will be either at night or right before sunrise in order to facilitate docking with the new Space Station Alpha

 

[Jafar]

FYI...the April 19th launch is scheduled for the afternoon...around 3 - 3:15PM

 

[TampaDisneyFreaks]

You should have no trouble seeing the shuttle from Vero Beach. I have seen it from the Beeline between Orlando and the Cape (got to video tape that one, pretty cool), from just West of Disney World on I-4, and MANY times from Tampa. Saw the last one the other day very clearly from my front porch in Tampa. Took some decent pictures of it. The night one's, or one's done in the very early moring just as the sun is coming up, are very spectacular. Sometime in the past 5 years (since right before I got married) I was even able to see it go over us while in orbit from our backyard. It was extra special because it happened to be on the 4th of July while we were waiting for fireworks to start (and yes, it was the shuttle and not a stray firework, as the paper said you would probably be able to see it pass over with the naked eye that night).

 

[Vero Beach Bum]

Thanks for all the great information folks!

 

[PamOKW]

Dreamfinder2 as former Vero Beacher, have you got any suggestions as to restaurants to try in the area?

 

[sumessefui]

We were able to watch the shuttle launch with John Glenn from the bridge by the hospitality house at OKW. It was great.

 

[nickglover]

anyone else wake up this morning (2:30 am Wed.) when the shuttle came in? over in Tampa there was a loud sonic boom (sounded like one and not the usual two, but I was sleeping) - the windows shook for a while - it was really something - someone else at work said their dogs started barking and running around and that he thought a car hit the front of his house - good morning - the shuttle is back!