Space Shuttle Launch

{DOU}The Jargonaut wrote: I have always wanted to see the Space Shuttle launch in person. I am contemplating taking some vacation time next month to go to Florida. Has anyone ever seen a launch? It is scheduled to go up Aug. 7th at 7:00 PM. Is it worth the 12 hour drive?

The shuttle is being retired in 2010 so I plan to make a trip myself before that happens. Haven't seen it but I have heard it is very much worth seeing. 🙂

Tommy

I have not read a single eye witness account by anyone that's been to a launch that did not express an overwhelming awe, and I'm quite jealous that you'll get a chance of seeing one 🙂 From what I understand, the shear power, raw thunderous noise, and speed can't be done justice by a televised view of it.

But you should be aware that in the current situation a launch at the planned date is rare. Especially in summer the weather conditions in florida often require a delay, and so do technical problems. So if you do plan a trip.. try to be flexible, and be prepared to wait a few days.

Here's the launch window chart, and some other info:

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/fdf/118windows.html

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts118/

I'd go if I could take the time.

Here's as close as it gets for me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5K46poLG9Q

Columbia's last launch as shot by an Israeli crew.

-JB

I have not seen a launch... yet. But I have seen the landing of Discovery at Edwards AFB several years back, her maiden flight. We had visitors from New York and we packed up the coolers and blankets and drove up to the desert at 3am for the landing at 6am. Double sonic boom and all.

I had credentials with me because the work I do gets me into a lot of AF places but didn't think they would work at Edwards. We went to the gate on a whim and the guard waved us through. We ended up at the NASA visitor center and watched the van pull up with the astronauts for post-flight debriefing and press conference. I ended up in the back of the press conference room behind the TV cameras. I didn't have the gonads to actually ask a question. 🙂 I left that to the CBS guys. They asked the dumbest questions though.

I still have pix of us all standing in front of the visitor center with models of X-1, X-15 and all the NASA/AF/Dreyden stuff.

Got an "official" tour of Edwards a few years later... got to sit in the cockpit of the F16 in the hanger... but that's another story.

I have been to the plant at Palmdale where they refitted all the shuttles for upgrades several years ago, I have stood under the wings of Atlantis and Columbia and Discovery. No pictures though, only memories.

As a youth I was at Cape Canaveral at Christmas 1968 when Apollo 9 was orbiting the moon. I have a picture of Apollo 11 CM/SM standing in the Vertical Assembly Building stacked and ready to go on top of the Saturn booster. I got to "touch" it and a piece of the moon last year in Washington DC at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum so I can say I saw her before she left and after she got back.

I need to schedule some time and see a launch before the big dogs are done. I will probably never see its successors. If you can do it, I strongly recommend seeing an event like a launch or a landing, you will be an eyeball witness to historic events... incomparable to watching it on a little box. The memories are worth it.

QW

QwazyWabbit wrote: We went to the gate on a whim and the guard waved us through.

Lucky sob 🙂 Wonder if that's still possible now. I was a little surprised at how close to the Edwards runway there seemed to be a highway.. at least it seemed to have to much traffic to be part of the base.

QwazyWabbit wrote:
I left that to the CBS guys. They asked the dumbest questions though.

Well... that has not changed. And its not just CBS either.

QwazyWabbit wrote:
got to sit in the cockpit of the F16 in the hanger... but that's another story.

Tight huh? One of the pilots in our squadron let me sit in the back of a dual when he had to do an engine test, in a shelter. You can feel the power even when it's not moving.

Thanks for the replies folks. Sounds to me like it is worth the drive. I think that I will purchase the tickets tomorrow!

Hey Tommy, I can drop by Heekree and pick ya up if you want 🙂

Having lived in Florida for many years I've seen the Shuttle go up many times. It really is very, very cool. Also the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex is a must see.

Snake wrote: [quote=QwazyWabbit]We went to the gate on a whim and the guard waved us through.

Lucky sob 🙂 Wonder if that's still possible now. I was a little surprised at how close to the Edwards runway there seemed to be a highway.. at least it seemed to have to much traffic to be part of the base.

Some bases here are what we call "open bases." I went through basic training at such a base. Public roads ran right through it. Traffic would be stopped when troops were marching through. Every once in awhile you'd get some idiot who was in a hurry and would test the limits of the men. Care to see what happens when you piss off 200 armed troops?

Snake wrote: [quote=QwazyWabbit]
got to sit in the cockpit of the F16 in the hanger... but that's another story.

Tight huh? One of the pilots in our squadron let me sit in the back of a dual when he had to do an engine test, in a shelter. You can feel the power even when it's not moving.

That's what she said (to me)!!!

Tommy

Grew up in Orlando

Its worth the drive Jarg, nothing like it.

the space centers like Chicken said, must see.

The launch is now for Aug. 8th @ 6:30 PM. I have decided to leave Monday and I have challenged myself to get there using no interstate highways. Gonna plan out the trip today. Should be fun.

Any chance if you video it of posting it? My son would love to see it and I am not gonna get trip to US to take him to see it. 😈

I will probably not shoot a video of the launch. Even if I did, I doubt that it would be very good. NasaTV shows the launch live on the internet. The quality is really good as well.

Go to http://www.nasa.gov for details.

Thanks jarg I'm sure he will love it. 😈

ahh lucky,ive always wanted to see one