New Space Shuttle Launch Dates

[mickg7dyd]

Hi,
Seems the estimated launch dates for the shuttle have been revised again.

http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/schedule/schedule.htm

Mick.

 

[DisneyAli]

early november looks promising, we are there 6th - 27th lets keep fingers crossed. we missed a launch by a day when we came back in 1998.

Thanks for the link to updated information, will have to keep a check on it.

 

[pauldents]

I have been following the shuttle staus for a while now. Apparently the setbacks were due to cracks in the fuel lines. They have just finished welding and polishing the lines on Atlantis and they are now moving onto the next Shuttle for repair and processing. The huge crawler transporters that the shuttle sits on, also has some problems with cracks in the bearings. They hope to sort out at least one of the transporters some time in early September.

The launch transportation tickets for STS112 (Atlantis) October 2nd, have just gone up for sale on KSC's website http://www.store.yahoo.com/kennedyspacecenter/ltt.html

The tickets are priced at $30.00 each. I have just purchased 4 of them. The shipping worked out at $36.00.

Due to increased security measures at KSC, they will not allow you to drive your car on to KSC, on launch day anymore. They have set up a car park at Space Coast Regional Airport, just outside KSC. A coach will then take you to the Visitors center and then another out to the causeway for launch viewing at approx 6 miles distance.

Just hope NASA schedule goes OK now

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Paul, will you get a refund on those tickets if the launch window changes? I've missed a couple of shuttle launches by a matter of days, once due to a delayed roll-out. I'd hesitate to buy tickets knowing how often there are countdown delays.

Regards

Rob

 

[pauldents]

No Rob, No refund if the launch window changes and if the launch gets scrubbed and you are on the KSC coach , then you lose everything. However, if you haven't put a foot on the coach, the ticket is still valid for that mission no matter when it launches. Usually they are rescheduled a few hours later if it is nothing serious like weather probs. Shuttles usually have 2 launch windows each day. Failing that, they are put back to the next day and so on. Its usually only really serious problems that get put back a week or a month etc. and if your holiday ends before the launch then I guess its bad luck.

I ordered the tickets now because, KSC usually don't put them up for sale unless they are 90% certain everything is going to schedule and I have a few days to play around with if there are any non serious delays.

I have also heard that if the shuttle doesn't launch and you have purchased tickets, KSC will exchange the lauch transportation tickets for admission to KSC tickets. But this is not a definite.

I purchased the launch transportation tickets STS 102 back in March '01. KSC sent them by UPS 2 weeks prior to the launch and everything went to schedule. We got lucky that time. Great atmosphere, proximity to the pads, NASA PA system, etc etc. These were just some of the benefits of being on KSC that day and i reckon its a chance worth taking.

Hope that makes sense ?

Regards

Paul.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

Thanks Paul. I suppose it's not such a great sum of money and the spectacle of a shuttle launch would be worth taking the risk that you might loose a few dollars.

We did the extended KSC tour a few weeks back and it was nice to see the launch pads up close. We even got to see one of the shuttles in the VAB as one of the building's doors was open. The whole scale of operation there is simply mind-boggling.

Regards

Rob

 

[pauldents]

Yeah, i know what you mean about the VAB. Hard to grasp just how big it is because there is nothing to compare it against. Apparantley it WAS the worlds largest building (in terms of volume) . It supposed to be so big, it has its own micro-climate, complete with clouds and rain !

Paul