Space Shuttle Launches Viewing Tips? Etc?

[BPCooper]

Seeing a daytime landing is not easy; it is like watching a commercial airliner land from eight miles away and then disappear behind the tree line.

You will however hear the twin sonic booms if you are in the area.

If anything, you will want to go to Titusville for the landing, too. Landing is set for June 14 at 11:14am as of now.

 

[kschafer]

I have never had the chance to see a launch but will be headed to florida in 1 week Hubby and I are planning to take a day to head to Kennedy and were thinking about going on the 14th which is landing day.

Will Kennedy be open for tourists on this day? How busy will it be compared to other days? Will we be able to watch the landing?

Any help is appreciated

 

[BPCooper]

It will be open and I don't think the landings ever attract crowds the way launches do.

 

[delmar411]

We watched the launch from DHS this past week. We were reminded at Epcot in the morning but were walking out of the Toy Story Mania area (shut down again!) just at 5:02 and I stopped to see why everyone was staring up at the sky. LOL It was pretty neat to see since I knew what it was and I grabbed a couple shots before it very quickly disappeared from view.

 

[kateonice]

always wanted to see a launch. how many of them do they do a year does anyone know? i don't think they do many and with how often the post pone them and stuff i dont wanna schedule a trip and then have the shuttle launch i was trying to see be changed

 

[BPCooper]

There is no set number. There have been three shuttle launches so far this year and two more are planned, currently Oct. 8 and Nov. 10. Launch dates are never set in stone so if you want to see one, be prepared to change your plans.

Once the actual date arrives and they are go to begin fueling, they launch on the first try around 45% of the time overall.

Unmanned rocket launches from the Cape are more frequent, with 10 or more per year.

You can keep track of dates here:
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/tracking/
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html (NASA missiosn only).

 

[Neoshoegal]

we watched the lastest shuttle launch. We didn't really plan for it until the day before. Quickly did a google search and decided to go to Titusville. Just got out the map and followed the road along the Indian River. We arrived about 2 hours before the launch, I tried to keep an eye for places where the view would be good. There was a place near the intersection with the "50" road, right by a Walgreens. They were selling parking spots at $20. Considering it was getting very busy and it seemed like a good place (no trees or bushes blocking the view), we decided to go for it. I just didn't feel like searching much longer and risking not getting a good view.
Well, it was worth the $20, we got an excellent view!

I should add: traffic going back to Orlando is horrendous!!! Best to stick around in the area until it clears up. It took us more than 3 hours to get back! lesson learned

 

[tinkerbell34]

we watched the lastest shuttle launch. We didn't really plan for it until the day before. Quickly did a google search and decided to go to Titusville. Just got out the map and followed the road along the Indian River. We arrived about 2 hours before the launch, I tried to keep an eye for places where the view would be good. There was a place near the intersection with the "50" road, right by a Walgreens. They were selling parking spots at $20. Considering it was getting very busy and it seemed like a good place (no trees or bushes blocking the view), we decided to go for it. I just didn't feel like searching much longer and risking not getting a good view.
Well, it was worth the $20, we got an excellent view!

I should add: traffic going back to Orlando is horrendous!!! Best to stick around in the area until it clears up. It took us more than 3 hours to get back! lesson learned

That is a GREAT picture! We saw the shuttle launch from Animal Kingdom standing on one of the bridges. It was so neat to hear everyone cheer as the shuttle came into view and then clap as it went out of the atmosphere. I would love to get closer next time.

 

[Crayons]

There is no set number. There have been three shuttle launches so far this year and two more are planned, currently Oct. 8 and Nov. 10. Launch dates are never set in stone so if you want to see one, be prepared to change your plans.

Once the actual date arrives and they are go to begin fueling, they launch on the first try around 45% of the time overall.

Unmanned rocket launches from the Cape are more frequent, with 10 or more per year.

I just realized that there is a launch scheduled on one of the days we will be staying in Cocoa Beach...Nov. 24th at 3:44am. We will be staying near the pier. Do you think we could see anything on the beach/near the pier or do we need to travel somewhere else to get a view?

 

[BPCooper]

I just realized that there is a launch scheduled on one of the days we will be staying in Cocoa Beach...Nov. 24th at 3:44am. We will be staying near the pier. Do you think we could see anything on the beach/near the pier or do we need to travel somewhere else to get a view?

Yes, you can. If you want to get a little closer, the best spot for that launch will be Port Canaveral, by the water, a few minutes up A1A.

 

[madcoco]

I just realized that there is a launch scheduled on one of the days we will be staying in Cocoa Beach...Nov. 24th at 3:44am. We will be staying near the pier. Do you think we could see anything on the beach/near the pier

Night launches leave you speechless and with goosebumps. Enjoy the moment.

 

[princessjv]

Can anyone tell me if there is a shuttle to go to the Space Center from WDW? We will not have a car, however would love to visit.

 

[BPCooper]

When tickets for the NASA causeway, the closest viewing, go on sale, they offer an option to buy a package with the Greyhoud or Gator Tours bus companies for a higher price. They pick you up at your Orlando hotel and take you to the launch.

 

[pumpkinpatchmommy]

We are renting an RV and coming down to see the launch in October. Does anyone have a suggestion of the best place to watch a launch at 1:30 am form an RV? We'll have 2 kids that might sleep throughit. Also, can you recommend a nice camping area? I am all ears!
Thanks!

 

[kiearn]

Hi Guys, About 3 weeks ago i saw a launch scheduled for sometime in August (The last one to the Space station). It now seems to have moved dates, is this correct ? Thanks in advance.

 

[BPCooper]

The last one to the Hubble Space Telescope; all remaining missions other than that are to the space station. It is slated for Oct. 8 now.

 

[madcoco]

Beautiful photography BPCooper


Hopefully there won't be delays. The launch pad blast tunnel walls were damaged badly by STS-124. They are coming up with a plan now on how to repair the blast tunnel.(thousands of bricks were blown off the walls along with other damage underneath the pad itself found afterwards) There is another pad but both are required(as are two Shuttles) to be ready for the Hubble launch in Oct. so far NASA says no problem.

 

[feline figaro]

When tickets for the NASA causeway, the closest viewing, go on sale, they offer an option to buy a package with the Greyhoud or Gator Tours bus companies for a higher price. They pick you up at your Orlando hotel and take you to the launch.

We would love to go to see the launch on 8th Oct at 1.30am, especially if we could get tickets for viewing at the Causeway. We ll be staying at WDW & have never driven in America before so taking a bus there would be ideal. Do you have any idea when tickets for this option would go on sale for Oct & where we would be able to find a link to one of the bus company packages??

Would this be something we would purchase through Kennadys site or direct with one of the bus companys? Any ideas on pricing too??

Thankyou

 

[BPCooper]

I would guess tickets will go on sale around mid August. You can sign up on KennedySpaceCenter.com to be alrted by email before they do. Be aggressive, as they sell out in minutes.

It is not out of the question that the launch date may move up a few days, perhaps even as early as Oct. 2. A decision on that may come in the next month. It may not, however. The launch time, currently projected around 1:34am if on Oct. 8 gets roughly 30 minutes earlier each subsequent day, or 30 min later if the date moves up.

 

[firechick139]

WOO HOO! Thanks everyone for bringing this post to the top. I haven't seen it before and it made me look at the launch dates. There will be one when we are at WDW! AND it is on my brother's birthday, who is a space freak! Will we be able to see it since it is set to launch at 9:30pm? I only read the first two pages of this thread, but I read a few times that in the daytime, it is just a streak of white smoke. But, someone also said that they stopped the fireworks for it at night. What will we see and where, in your opinion, is the best place to see it? The space shuttle Endeavor is scheduled to launch at 9:30pm on November 10th.