Want to View a Space Shuttle Launch

[richalex]

I have never witnessed a space shuttle launch. Now that their days are numbered, I would like to do so. How would I go about it?

 

[billslugg]

RichAlex<br />Get yourself down to the Cape the day before to get a good spot if watching from Titusville. Camp in your vehicle. Hang out with the crowd. Take good binos. Be prepared to wait a few days. If you want to get on the causeway for a closer view, get on the NASA website and see if you can get tickets. An uncle of mine got 'em for me so I don't know the protocol. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[richalex]

I would want to take lots of great photos. Where is the best place for that?

 

[billslugg]

The places I just mentioned are the best available to the public for viewing. Anywhere in central Florida is just fine for watching and taking photos. This thing goes WAY HIGH UP! You can be anywhere on the Eastern US seaboard and see it just fine! I watch them from my town 360 miles away. From sea level at the Cape, the shuttle can be seen when it is 409 miles down range. You are basically going to be taking a picture of a huge plume of smoke and flame. Do not expect to get the nice full frame shots of the shuttle filling your viewfinder. That is for remote cameras up close, and for press people at the press site, which you and I cannot get to.<br /><br />If you are adamant about getting up close I suggest taking LOTS of unmarked tens and twenties and going down about a week ahead of time to start spreading it around. Other than that, you could dress like an alligator and find the Banana River and start swimming. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[richalex]

Thanks, Bill. <br /><br />I'm not particular about where I stand, but I would like to get some feel for the power of the rocket (meaning, close enough to feel the lift-off). I don't need to be really close. <br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>you could dress like an alligator and find the Banana River and start swimming.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>Don't tempt me. I've done some crazy things to take a picture.

 

[billslugg]

You can feel the liftoff from Titusville at 6 miles away. It is stronger at the causeway at 3 miles. My first one was from Titusville, and I could not believe I could feel it that far away. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[earth_bound_misfit]

"Other than that, you could dress like an alligator and find the Banana River and start swimming."<br /><br />Lol Bill, great idea. Just make sure it's not alligator mating season <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p><p>----------------------------------------------------------------- </p><p>Wanna see this site looking like the old SDC uplink?</p><p>Go here to see how: <strong>SDC Eye saver </strong>  </p> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

You want to get a causeway ticket for the closest and best experience. Also, if I were open to picking, to seeing a specific one rather than "I'll take any", then aim for a night launch (i.e. 123 in March will be at night). A night launch from the causeway is the ultimate first experience. Causeway tickets for 123 have not gone on sale yet (I don't think they will until after 122 launches).<br /><br />I will also say that if you have to be in Titusville, a night launch is the best first experience too.<br /><br />I offer my guide for advice:<br /><br />http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html<br /><br />Titusville is 12 miles away, the causeway is 6.5 to 7.5 depending on where on the causeway you are. The three mile mark is where press, VIPs and employees view the launch (the VAB is three miles for example).<br /><br />Bill makes a nice point that I always tell people. I have heard some say they felt it "wasn't as loud as they expected" from Titusville. But being that you can still hear and feel it clearly, I say tell me, how many other things can you hear or feel from 12 miles away?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[billslugg]

It is funny you give those numbers. When I saw Columbia go off from Titusville on 4-12-81 I remember knowing it was 11 miles away. When I saw a night launch from the causeway two weeks before the Challenger loss I remember that it was 3.5 miles. I looked on Google Earth the other day and got 6 miles for Titusville. I can't tell where on the causeway you get to stand so I can't tell from Goodgle Earth where it is. Do you have a good map? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

I use Google Earth (and NASA confirms the same distances through a sheet they still give out at the center). <br /><br />In Google Earth you will find the causeway is 6.5 at the nearest end (try the drawbridge) and that Titusville is 12 miles virtually anywhere along the river. For pad B you can get as close as 10.9 miles going to the bridge over Rt 406.<br /><br />Maybe you are not looking at the right causeway? It is the strip of land that traverses from NW to SE, due south of 39A and B. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">"Take good binos." <br /><br />I think it is far better NOT to use binoculars to watch the liftoff.</font><br /><br />In my opinion it depends. From Titusville, the shuttle appears very small, but the flame trail is big. If you hold your hand out at arm's length and hold your thumb and finger about an inch apart, that's about how big the flame trail is, and the shuttle itself would be the top 1/4 inch, with little or no detail. You can hardly tell it's a Space Shuttle. With a cheap set of 7x50 binocs, the shuttle fills up your whole view, and you can see increadible detail. The only problem is that it's hard to keep them steady. <br /><br />As far as the sound goes, try to get as close as possible. From the river bank in Titusville, you will certainly hear it, but it's not so loud, I guess it's like a jet fighter taking off in afterburner from about 2-3 miles away. The one time we got a car pass back in 1985, we were 5 or 6 miles away, and the sound was much louder. It was almost like standing in the shower, the sound had a very physical force to it. From Titusville, you're not going to feel it that way. From Titusville you'll first see the cloud of steam from the SSME start. about 5 seconds later you'll see the cloud triple in size in about a second. A few seconds later you'll see the shuttle climbing out of the cloud, and a few seconds later it begins it's roll. About 15-20 seconds into the climb you hear a low rumble, that's the SSME's starting up. A few seconds later the rumble deepens and get's louder. A few secounds later it gets louder and builds steadily into a deep rumble with a lot of crackles, getting louder. About 30 seconds after you first hear it, it's as loud as it's going to be, and it starts to slowly fade, after about 2 minutes you can bearly hear it, and that's well past watching the SRB's seperate. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[ashish27]

Rent a chopper in Canaveral

 

[rocketwatcher2001]

<font color="yellow">Rent a chopper in Canaveral</font><br /><br />Nope, the airspace is in a restricted area that goes active before a launch. My Cessna is at Titusville airport, and there are signs everywhere that say, "Check Space Launch NOTAMS Before Fight", which of course adds to the coolness of my airport. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[richalex]

Someone (or a link) mentioned finding a launch with the largest window, to increase the chances of the shuttle actually launching while I'm there watching. How do I find the launch window?

 

[MeteorWayne]

Well, the launch window each day is only about 10 minutes long for ISS missions.<br /><br />Now if they were referring to available launch days, it's hard to say unless they have set a date.<br /><br />In reality, anything but the scheduled date for the next launch is subject<br />to change.<br />IIRC, there aren't as many restrictions due to sun issues at the ISS in the summer. But in summer come thunderstorms....<br /><br />It's really a crap shoot <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[bpcooper]

The Hubble mission will have a window of about an hour if you want to examine it that way. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>-Ben</p> </div>