Shuttle Launch

[mikhen]

Is the shuttle launch viewable from the Fort? I just saw it is rescheduled for a Nov 30 launch, if all goes well. If not viewable, how far do we have to travel to see it? Can it be seen from Sea World?

 

[ynottony99]

It is viewable from the Orlando area. In fact we can see it over here in St. Petersburg. We saw a great launch a few years back. We were in MK for a night launch, and saw it ascend over Space Mt.

 

[Tri-circle-D]

Can it be seen from Sea World?

Yes, you can see the shuttle launch from Sea World.

I saw one from there.

On a bright, sunny afternoon.

We watched from back near the Kraken roller-coaster, with our backs to the big central lake, looking out of the park.

From there, about all you can see is a very visible white vapor trail, and a small dot with very bright fire shooting out of it.

The whole thing is over in just a couple of minutes.

At night, I would imagine that the fire would be brighter.

But, truth be told, it really isn't much to look at from this distance.

Kind of like watching a jet fly over high above.


TCD

 

[WDWisTheBest]

Is the shuttle launch viewable from the Fort? I just saw it is rescheduled for a Nov 30 launch, if all goes well. If not viewable, how far do we have to travel to see it? Can it be seen from Sea World?

At this time, the November 30 launch date may not be feasible. There are continuing problems with identifying and fixing the hydrogen leak problem.

 

[fla4fun]

If they launch on 11/30, the launch window opens around 4am. Night launches are fun to watch. But it would be difficult from the Fort because of the trees. If it were launching during the hours the boat transportation is running, I would suggest going to the marina at the Contemporary, because you have a better view of the eastern horizon. If you are at the Fort, and you want to try, I'd go to the beach and go as far to the left on the beach (facing the lake) as you can. If you have good flashlights, you could take the walking trail to WL which would give a better view across the lake, but the trail is not lit at night and there's lots of "critters" anxious to make a new best friend.

To be honest, we've made the trek over to the coast, but unless you are able to secure a ticket for being on the space center for the launch (which can be difficult), it really doesn't look that much more impressive from the coast than it does from Orlando. However, if you want to make the drive, allow yourself at least two hours (it typically takes about an hour or so, but there will be more traffic and you want time to find a good spot to watch). Just follow the crowd!

I agree that I would wait a couple weeks at least to see if all the issues have been resolved before making any plans.