Shuttle Launch Viewing

I was thinking of taking the family down to see the shuttle launch tomorrow night ( tonights launch was canceled). Any one got a good place to view it or any ideas where to go.

 

rent a video, it has been scrubbed until thursday night.

 

Greetings Steve,

It depends on how far south you want to travel... closest you can get will be @ 50 and US1 in Titusville. I've watched the liftoff from Jacksonville, and have talked with people from Ft. Lauderdale that have seen it from there.

Here is a view from my condo in Cocoa Village and I am about 18 miles SW of the launch site, to give you some distance perspective. I can also hear the rumble at this distance as well.

This Saturday night is an Atlas rocket launch, and here is a photo of the
Delta rocket that went off this past Friday.

Link to launches...
http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

Good luck and hope the kids get to see the show !
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What is the ETD for the launch???

 

Thrusday night at 9:00 EST I think is the new launch ETA

 

Now looking at 7:43 on Sunday night ....

 

One of the best seats in the house is on the SunCruz Casino cruise ship out of Port Canaveral.

I did that for one of the evening launches a couple of years ago and it was spectacular! Night turned into day it was so bright!

 

I was planning on running up to Orlando Monday morning, but might detour to Cocoa or thereabouts Sunday night to try to catch the launch.

Of course, the worst part is you never know until the last minute if the launch is going to happen or be scrubbed.

Unless you want to pay to go into the viewing area on Cape Canaveral - the place to be is Route 1 in Titusville.

Looking for cheap hotel rooms now.

Scottie

 

Scotty, try the Hampton Inn or the Fairfield Inn & Suites (brand new), both are on Hwy 50 and I-95. Some other hotels have an event "surcharge" (double the price).

 

Searching out rooms I came up with a B&B called Casa Coquina. It is one block off 1a and has a large deck facing the river.

Not exactly the "inexpensive" suite type place I originally had in mind, but what a nice looking place and what good people.

Took the Black Pearl suite (which is actually two bedrooms and two sitting rooms, with a view out the third floor window towards Cape Canaveral.

It was $160 and $15 for the extra guest - but includes a REAL breakfast. And the place is so ugapatch / girlie heaven that both Shelly and Hanna are already oohing and ahhing.

Now if NASA would only commit to getting the bird in the air Sunday night.

Scottie

 

the main road from the west will not let you get close, but the visitor center is very nice and if you can, take the tour, buy tickets on line first, they sell out. Surprised by all the gators on base.

 

It's crazy - we can see the thing go up all the way over here on the other coast. I remember once I was driving on I-4 eastbound at night when it went up. I must have been a few miles west of Orlando and it was a pretty spectacular thing to see while in my car.

RMX

 

Also, there's a Warbird show at the Space Coast Regional Airport.

http://www.vacwarbirds.org/
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Well, as the earth turns about 900 mph, the shuttle should theoretically be over the west coast in about 1/8 of an hour, or 7.5 minutes... The curve that appears like the shuttle is turning is actually the earth turning under the shuttle (from what I have read). I have seen it from as far south as Homestead.

BT

 

Night launch is spectacular. Was fortunate enough to have Supplier ID for first one, sat just on bank of lagoon next to the count down clock. Scottie, you selling beds at the B&B?

 

Just got back from a party with the STS 127 crew and a few others... all is looking good for the Sunday launch, but the big test will be when they refuel the tank and check for leaks... keep the fingers crossed !!

 

Wade,
Hope you have a great time at the Air show.... doors open at the condo @ 6 if ya'll wanna come down to watch the launch... Charlie will be here, and my usual cast of characters...

 

Just went outside and watched the vapor trail going up...from the other side of the state!

Very cool!

 

It was a great launch to watch from Palm Beach!
The fire trail was bigger and brighter than any I have seen before.
Good times...

BT

 

Crap! I just missed my second one in two years but a couple of days! I'll be in FL for the 12 hours of Sebring on Tuesday and was hoping they'd scratch again....

 

watched the launch standing ankle deep in the ocean on Daytona Beach. VERY cool.

 

I've never seen a launch until tonight. I'm in Ft. Lauderdale and could see it crystal clear. Absolutely amazing.
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Here's some from up close.... close enough to feel the ground shake.

First is moments after lift off.
2nd is booster cutoff.
3rd is the vapor trail as the shuttle lifted high enough in the sky to catch the setting sun's rays...

This was the 125 launch and Discovery's 36th.....
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Terrific pictures. I'm guessing the distinct changes in color of the trail behind the shuttle are the different stages?

 

Thanks for the photos we could not make it Sunday as I had some appraisals I had to get done for court on Tuesday.