Space Shuttle Launches Viewing Tips? Etc?

[BPCooper]

Yep, that's right. Visitors complex tickets never sell out. If you do not get the causeway tickets, I recommend checking out my guide and getting an idea of the visitors complex versus Titusville and decide what you want:

http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html

And also, check out photos (links at bottom) from various areas as well as searching on YouTube for shuttle launch videos from Titusville versus the visitors complex like he suggested.

The last launch, STS-123, was vastly different from any other launch with the cloud cover so using that as a sample is not a good one. Here are a couple of STS-117, a late-afternoon launch like 124 will be, from the visitors complex and Titusville:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NtYz4if0W98
http://youtube.com/watch?v=b-3UK3WV1XI
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6dcJEQf3pkU
http://youtube.com/watch?v=H8GdgvCpAyE

Note that the actual distances are 7.4 miles from the visitors complex and 12 from Titusville. The causeway is 6.5-7 depending on where along it. Yes, it is the closest and best spot...and the loudest.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wr3I9MyBUZk
http://youtube.com/watch?v=0dzus94-gkY
http://youtube.com/watch?v=fTH9Nt45m1E
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_jX18xVitgw (tilt your head? good view & sound)

 

[lorasmom]

We are thinking about staying in Cocoa Beach for the next launch - how is the traffic from there to Titusville?

 

[bouncycat]

Traffic is horrible ANYWHERE along the coast during a shuttle launch, you can see it and feel it from CB, but Titusville and a little south along US1 is the best bet. There are some spots along 528 to see good, but those fill up FAST!! We left after one a few months back from near the cruise ships, and it took 2 hrs to get home, people go 528/A1A towards CB, and 528 and US1 to get back to 528, since that's the artery road to orlando. Best bet, get your spot early, this next one is due to go up at 5:01 pm, so pack a lunch, go to spaceview park in titusville, or nicol park in Pt St John, and just stay there, there's playgrounds for the kids, and it's on the water, but you got to get there EARLY!!!!! That's the key to these launches.

 

[BPCooper]

If this launch remains a Saturday evening, expect big crowds. STS-116 and 117 both fell on Friday and Saturday evenings and attracted huge crowds up and down the space coast. STS-118 was a Wednesday evening in August and it, too, attracted a huge crowd.

 

[lorasmom]

I believe it's a Sunday launch, but it's Memorial Day weekend. We are planning on hitting Spaceview Park.

 

[BPCooper]

I believe it's a Sunday launch, but it's Memorial Day weekend. We are planning on hitting Spaceview Park.

May 25 was a Sunday on Memorial day weekend. May 31 is a Saturday.

 

[bubba73]

I was able to view the STS-117 go up from the Causeway last June. They were selling tickets for it until 12:00pm at the front gates. Otherwise, they had a really big screen to the side of Rocket Park with some folding chairs and plenty of room to sit on the grass to watch the liftoff from there. The screen was of course set to NASA TV.

The Causeway was an awesome experience and one that I am very grateful that I was able to have done.

 

[mommyintn]

We were there for the launch in Feb. and we went to the Clarion Inn in Titusville and it's almost directly across the water from the launch pad. We paid $15 for parking and were able to use their pool which was great with the kids and made our 2 hour wait go very fast. You also have access to their bar and restaurant. You can get packages for staying there about the time of the shuttle launch and it is pricy for the level of hotel but it seemed clean and people were very nice. I posted about it on my blog here along with pictures I took of the launch. We did stay a cocoa beach the night before and the traffic wasn't horrible but we left early to get there. HTH

 

[CDN Prince Charming]

Ben & Bouncycat - You two certainly are a wealth of information here

A few more questions for you guys if you would. We will be in Disney in August and am planning to go see the STS-125 launch from Spaceview Park and would like to take the family (DW, DS9 & DD7) to a nice public beach for the rest of the day afterwards. Any suggestions for one that might be within an hours drive??
Also, what time do I need be at Spaceview park for a 8:24 a.m. launch on a Thursday??? What time do you suggest leaving Orlando to get there??

Thanks so much,
CPC

 

[BPCooper]

Unfortunately, that mission (STS-125) is going to be retargeted for October (looking at Oct. 8 at the earliest right now) but they have not made it official as of yet. STS-126 will be looking at mid-November earliest, and STS-119 into early 2009. It is all due to delays in modifying the external tanks.

 

[CDN Prince Charming]

Unfortunately, that mission (STS-125) is going to be retargeted for October (looking at Oct. 8 at the earliest right now) but they have not made it official as of yet. STS-126 will be looking at mid-November earliest, and STS-119 into early 2009. It is all due to delays in modifying the external tanks.

Hey Ben,

Oh thats too bad, thanks for the heads up. Any idea when they will make it official?
Anyway, any suggestions for a good beach on the ocean side?

Thanks,
CPC

 

[capjack78]

I would love to see the Shuttle take off one day. That would be awesome.

 

[lorasmom]

I made a reservation for a River View room at the Clarion 5/31. Is this a good spot? To attempt to avoid some traffic, should we drive over early in the day (we will be driving from tampa)? If so, any suggestions for what to do for the morning until we can check in?

 

[D-ko]

Somewhere we went to kill time and get a great meal, is this place called "Lone Cabbage Fish Camp" - they're food is delicious and if you are daring, they have fried gator and frog legs (i'm a picky eater and it was great loved the gator did not care for the frog legs! - the cat fish was great) The prices were very cheap and the food was fresh and great (no fishy smell). They have a good sized menu with lots of options. It is located at on the St. John's River and they also have Airboat rides. We stayed at the Ramada (not the one that's super close to KSC but maybe 11 miles away?) This place was 5 minutes from our hotel. It is in the middle of nowhere but it was a great middle of nowhere.

Their official web site --> http://www.twisterairboatrides.com/cabbage.htm

 

[bristolphil]

hello this is all new to me . we are in orlando 28th may when and what time is the launch please we arrive on 28 for 2 weeks so hope to see it.
thanks phil

 

[BPCooper]

hello this is all new to me . we are in orlando 28th may when and what time is the launch please we arrive on 28 for 2 weeks so hope to see it.
thanks phil

Launch remains set for Saturday May 31st at 5:02pm EDT.

 

[pighepoll]

Space is the component of the universe in which matter is physically extended and objects have positions relative to one another[1]. Although there is disagreement between philosophers over whether space exists as anything other than a conceptual framework, scientists tend to think of it as a part of the boundless four-dimensional continuum known as spacetime[

 

[krbq]

Unfortunately, that mission (STS-125) is going to be retargeted for October (looking at Oct. 8 at the earliest right now) but they have not made it official as of yet. STS-126 will be looking at mid-November earliest, and STS-119 into early 2009. It is all due to delays in modifying the external tanks.

Any updates on this? The NASA website still says Aug. 28+ for STS-125 and Oct. 16+ for STS-126. We'll be at WDW in mid to late Oct. and would love to catch one of them. Might even change our dates to make it possible.

 

[BPCooper]

Any updates on this? The NASA website still says Aug. 28+ for STS-125 and Oct. 16+ for STS-126. We'll be at WDW in mid to late Oct. and would love to catch one of them. Might even change our dates to make it possible.

I don't know when they will announce officially but it is a sure thing. There were a couple of articles as well since then.

 

[krbq]

I don't know when they will announce officially but it is a sure thing. There were a couple of articles as well since then.

Thanks for those links -- very helpful and interesting info there!