Trip to FL to watch Space Shuttle Launch

I'm kicking around the idea of flying to FL to watch the Shuttle launch on July 1st and would like to hear from anyone in the area with thoughts about where to land/stay for a couple days.

The NASCAR Pepsi 400 is the same day, so finding a hotel room in the Daytona area might be tough, any ideas? Is there a GA friendly airport near the cape where I can see the launch from with a campground nearby so I can pitch a tent for the weekend?

Or should I land and stay somewhere else and drive to the cape for the launch? I think this may be the best approach. Where should I go to watch the launch? All the way to Kennedy? Is that even possible?

Does anyone have a list of Do's and Don'ts for a first-time launch attendee? If you've been there, done that, how about sharing some pointers.

Thanks,

Tony,

I live in Vero Beach which is a little south of the Cape. Basically you have two choices.

One, you could fly into Space Coast Regional (TIX) and watch it from the ground. Or you could orbit over TIX just west of the restricted area and watch it from the air.

TIX is about 8 miles west but it is still impressive from the ground. When you get over TIX, you will see the auto traffic backed up west of TIX, so you can forget trying to drive to the Cape unless you camp out days before. I've done it both ways and both are equally impressive, IMO.

Check out the NASA web sit for further info.

Check the notam real close, and be aware that the Orlando Class B is just west of TIX so the corridor is pretty narrow. It helps to have a copilot to look out for traffic. Be carefull!

Hope this helps.

Pat Hatch
RV-6

Years ago (1989) we flew to Merrit Island and stayed in a Cocoa Beach hotel to watch a shuttle launch. Nice place to view from, but the launch was scrubbed until after we had to go home. The beach has a good view of the launch area.

Roberta

Where to stay

If your whole trip revolves around watching the launch you will most likely be dissapointed as there's a very good chance it won't take off on that date.

But if the whole trip revolves being as close as possible so you can FEEL the launch as well as see it and hear it clearly then you really do need to get on the beach somewhere or on the KSC visitor's center area if they'll let you these days.

I haven't read the launch details but NASA will post them for each mission and you will want to consider the azimuth it's going to take which is probably going to be Northerly so it can be within reach of the ISS as I read it was a backup plan for safety reasons to dock with it.

That means when it leaves the pad it's going relativly north instead of east or south which means you'd most likely get a better experience if you stayed on beach property just north of KSC. If you stay south, don't stay any further south than Cape Canaveral just south of the port where the cruise liners stay. But the Shuttle pads are furthest north of all the active pads and where the barrier island stars to turn back into the mainland so west of the pads or north will usually be better.

Due west in Titusville pulled over on a street curb with a clear shot to the pad may not be a bad option if in a rental car. Arthur Dunn airport is right there too. If I recall, the Wind is usually easterly so the sound will travel good to you there.

I'd rather be on the ground than circling west in a plane. You really want to feel and hear this thing. I worked there for years and it was always impressive and humbling so I can understand getting the best "civilian" experience possible.

Good luck and be prepared to be dissapointed with scrubs due to just about anything from seagulls pooping on the cockpit windows to unpredictable weather to all varietys of Range, vehicle and launch support equipment anamolaies....ie, have a backup plan to have fun doing other stuff in the area. That's one reason why I'd rather have my hotel on the beach like cocoa beach where there's tourist/people action and rent a car or taxi to Titusville for the launch.

Lucky

Launch Times

Lucky has a lot of good points, the prime among them being that you need to be ready for launch scrubs! Launching to the International Space Station means that we have a very short launch window each day - on the order of five minutes - and everything has to be ready to go at that time, or we are done for the day. The approximate launch tome for the July 1st opportunity is 1445 CDT. For subsequent days, the launch time moves earlier by about 24 minutes each day.

The most likely cause for delays is weather. We have fairly complex weather minimums, mostly relating to landing weather should we have to return to the launch site for an abort. We are concerned with cloud heights, visibility, winds, rain and thundershower proximity, sun glare on final...and a few other variables. The toughest to satisfy usually seem to be crosswinds (about 15 knot maximum) and the rain shower rules. We can't have showers within 30 miles - and we're talking about Florida, in the afternoon, in July.....

Y'all have fun at KSC watching and feeling the launch - I'll be in Houston, where we take over at liftoff. In the immortal words of Yuri Gagarin - "Poyekhali!" ("Let's Go!")

Paul

robertahegy said:

Years ago (1989) we flew to Merrit Island and stayed in a Cocoa Beach hotel to watch a shuttle launch.
Roberta

Click to expand...

Hey Roberta,
I did similar at the northernmost pier in Cocoa during Daytona Bike Week days about the same year. It was not the shuttle, but the night launch of a multistage rocket on a crystal clear moonless night with beer and shrimp at hand was awesome We could see the stages break and visually followed the rocket all the way to the horizon.

I agree with the comment about planning a date. They rarely go off on time so we were just lucky. I got to see a launch on two separate Bike Week trips but the night launch was by far the better experience.

Sorry they scrubbed yours.

I would agree with Roberta, Merrit Island is probably the best place to fly into. It is just south of the restricted area and is one of the most exciting runways to land on.It extends into the water and is very close to Cocoa Beach.I will be flying down there on the second of July and I am hoping for for a delay ( sorry!)

Shuttle launch viewing

A scrubbed launch is always a possibility - happened to the wife and I, after having traveling from Washington state. Lots to do in the Orlando area though.
If you're lucky enough to get to see a launch, it's an experience you'll never forget. While instructing in the Navy at Pensacola many moons ago, was hanging around the O club on Friday night and heard on the news of a shuttle launch scheduled for Saturday morning. A quick check of the watch and the realization that we could make it. Literally piled a few of my fellow instructor buddies in my van and we drove all night, arrived at KSC about 4 am. Having previously taken the space center tour (highly recommended) and somewhat knowing the "lay of the land", got in a long line of cars leading up to the main gate. Was soon evident that most were being turned away by KSC security. Finally at the head of the line, and with all occupants of my vehicle possesing DOD identification, we basically BSed our way "on base" and proceeded to the "contractor viewing area", still several miles away from the launch pad but much closer than any public viewing area. Staking out our spot in the pre dawn darkness, we finally saw it, the shuttle sitting on the pad, bathed in light by an array of searchlights, looking for all the world like the monument to human achievement and American ingenuity that she is. Minutes after a beautiful sunrise, the final countdown began. 10..9... Seconds before liftoff. the engines ignite, spewing huge billowing clouds of white smoke. You can see the flame, but it takes a second or two for the sound to reach you. In the meantime, you feel the heat....literally. The thermal output of those SRBs hit you like an instant sunburn, giving new meaning to an old expression......"at the speed of heat". One potato, two potato, three potato and now, finally, the sound hits. A huge, deep, crackling sound, like an old 727 departing Minneapolis on a 20 below, winter day, only 10 times over. The vehicle clears the pad. The flickering blowtorch of a flame from the rocket motors must be 3 times as long as the shuttle. Very quickly, the ship makes it's half roll, positioning the astronauts inverted to the horizon as the vehicle soon starts an arcing trajectory downrange, the g forces pushing them into their seats. It doesn't fly straight up and out of sight, rather out over the Atlantic to the east, visible for miles. In a matter of minutes though, it's gone; the skies become quiet again. But those of us who just witnessed the departure of one of the most magnificent flying machines ever created are whooping it up, cheering, just beside ourselves, as we stand there in the sand, staring at the now empty launch pad and looking up at that dense white smoke from the SRBs lingers in the air. It's an experience that brings tears to your eyes, makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.......just AWESOME!

I once saw a shuttle landing at Edwards, but that's another story.

Doug Seward
RV-4
wings

the landings are very powerful, too...

Nice, Doug! For STS-46, I was working on a weather radar across the street from the Shuttle Landing Facility at KSC; we were there for both the liftoff and the landing. We were able to convince the folks to let us stay at our radar for the liftoff, despite being right on the evac radius (we had to promise not to climb up on our dish to get a better view. no, don't ask - what would you have done?!). During liftoff, I especially remember the cracking-whip sounds of the SRB gases reflecting from telephone poles and every other vertical surface around us. But the landing, unexpectedly, was a quietly magnificent experience. The Great Voice on speakers told us that the shuttle was through reentry, and we heard several quiet sonic booms. We watched the spiral via the tracking radar dish, and could catch sunlight glints 'way, 'way up. As it got lower, we were surprised to hear a big jet coming in, though we couldn't see it -- just the shuttle and the escorts. As the shuttle neared the runway, we realized that the 'big jet' was really the 'big glider'! -- it's moving when it comes in, and there must be a lot of airflow noise. A pretty flare and rollout, while the escorts peel off and all noise fades. The liftoff was thunderously, rambunctiously impressive, but the landing was what got me choked up with a feeling of awe and pride.

Tony,
I live in Titusville and work at KSC. The best place to land is going to be Arthur Dunn (X21) if you want a nice quiet strip. Merritt Island (COI) is OK but the traffic there will be horrible near Launch. Space Coast (TIX) is covered with helicopters and has a busy control tower, it takes patience to get in and out of there. We do Have jumpers at Dunn but they're not a problem as long as you listen up on unicom. Dunn is about 5 miles from the river (best place to watch launch) and about 1 mile from Dixie Crossroads which has some of the best seafood around. Don't even think about flying on launch day, only transient flights on approved flight plans with discreet codes are allowed to fly in a narrow corridor. The TFR is 8 hrs before to 3 hrs after the launch window. If you're still interested, contact me and I'll see if I can find you a place to stay or camp, maybe even a hanger.

Mark Barnett
RV-8 QB
[email protected]

Just checked the TFR to make sure. There is a 30 NM No Fly zone around KSC and a 40 NM restricted zone from 0805L to 1835L on Launch Day.

Daytona

Tony:
My sister lives in Ormond Beach which is part of Daytona. She would be disappointed if one of my friends were close by & didn't stay with them. Ormond has an excellent little airport. I think when Mitchell & our brother were down there last year for S-N-F the hanger was $10/night. She'd love to have you.

Marshall Alexander
RV10-wings

STS-82 Launch Pass

Tony,
Several years back we were able to get our hands on launch passes for the nighttime (4am) launch of Discovery (STS-82) on a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. This is definitely the way to see a launch up close if you can plan for it, have the time in case of aborts, and unless you have an 'in' and can get closer on KSC. Essentially you are bused out to the causeway area crossing the Banana River. The whole reason to get as close as possible IMHO is the sound. It is significantly different that any other vehicle leaving the ground. We were going to be in the area for a little over a week and planned the viewing of the launch and landing.

Discovery sat ready to go on Pad 39A in the searchlights. My guess is that we were only about 5 miles away or so. The count went down, the SSME's ignited. In the darkness you had no idea what was in front of you, but as the SRB's ignited, it looked like the sun rising out of a large expanse of water in front of us! This all happened in absolute silence. My son then commented that he didn't hear anything. At that point the sound wave reached us with a roar and crackle. As the shuttle rattled aloft and out over the Atlantic, the sound continued for about 2 minutes until SRB burnout and jettison. That was an interesting sight as the SRB's fell away, there was a lot of sparkling in the exhaust trail, probably embers from the separation event. Discovery continued to burn on the 3 SSME's until it disappeared over the horizon. Just a fast moving 'star'.... That is the most horsepower I've ever seen turned loose at once!

After MECO, the NASA announcer advised us to look back to the west in about 90 minutes and you could spot Hubble with Discovery in a 10-15 minute trail on the same orbital track. That was particularly impressive!

So nowdays, whenever they are flying to the ISS, I try to determine if they will be overflying the Northwestern US just prior to, or just after docking. You can catch a little expert 'formation flying'...

The landing was neat although less impressive. You cannot get on the KSC site to view the landing if you don't have an 'in'. Night landing at KSC about 10 days later. From the waterfront in Titusville about 5 minute before touchdown - Boom-Boom! That was all we saw and/or heard....

I'd see one go again in a heartbeat! Hope you get to....

Joe Blank
RV-6
N6810B

How long is this mission?

Does anyone know how long this mission is supposed to be? ...Paul?

We are heading down to Port Canaveral for a cruise leaving on July 16th. Would be cool to be there if she returns home to Florida.

Jeff
-8 wings

MIssion Duration....

jdmunzell said:

Does anyone know how long this mission is supposed to be? ...Paul?

We are heading down to Port Canaveral for a cruise leaving on July 16th. Would be cool to be there if she returns home to Florida.

Jeff
-8 wings

Click to expand...

My calendar says that if we launch on the 1st, we land on the 13th. That is for a nominal mission length. It is highly likely that once we get up and get a good hack on our consumables usage, we'll find that we can add an extra day, which pushes landing to the 14th. Of course, if launch slips, landing will slip as well. And we always keep a couple of extensiuon days in our pocket to allow for weather waive-offs on landing day.

By the way, in refernce to "the big glider really moving!"...speed down final is 295 knots until the preflare, where you slow down to cross the fence at about 250 or so...yup - it really scoots!

Paul

Alan Erickson said:

'big glider'

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Calling the shuttle a glider is awefully generous . Isn't the max L/D something like 4. Even the worst gliders have a max L/D of 15-20.

I've seen them practicing landings in their modified bizjet at Edwards . . . really impressive flight path (note I didn't say glidepath!).