Watching the Shuttle launch?

Question

We're planning on traveling to the Orlando area in May for the shuttle launch....I've been promising myself to see a launch live since watching Alan Sheppard on a B&W TV, and there aren't too many launches left!

Going on the assumption that traveling by private car to KSC on a launch day is madness and chaos, I'd like to ask people's experiences with services doing trips to Kennedy to see a launch, " the closet public access" and all that..there are dozens of tour operators on line offering this service.....who's the best? What is "closest public access"? Your experiences?

bob from Orlando · Accepted Answer

hello
for me I live in orlando and when i make the trip out to see it I usually go to titusville. its the eastern end of rt 50. you would need to be there at least 4-5 hours prior to launch. usually you can find parking on the side of the road in that area. then your like 8 miles away.you will feel the ground shake and hear it. but the dats they set today can change big time due to wearther or other problems. i am planing on doing the feb 7 launch that means us making a road trip at 1 am to see it.

fifthwheel948 · Answer

If you are that set on seeing a launch, I would suggest that you research a decent motel in the area and spend the night there rather than try to drive on a given launch date. There are good motel and hotel web sites that you can use. Get the address of the place from the site and then enter it onto a site like Bing maps or mapquest to see how close you are to KSC. I assume you know that all of your plans can end up ruined if the weather is bad or Nasa has to delay the launch. You're only going to be there for your vacation but they can delay the flight for any number of reasons. I hope it works out for you.

? · Answer

area View Park is placed below 15 miles rapidly for the time of from the launch pads. placed 5 miles North from HWY 50 off of US1 on vast street on HWY 406 (backyard street) off of Indian River street. Get there a minimum of three hours early in case you like a place to park. Years in the past you need to in simple terms pull off A1A and park yet they positioned an end to that. j

Joe · Answer

You might find a good viewing spot on, or near, one of the beaches south of the cape.

If you'll be content with following the ship after it's cleared the tower, anywhere within 50 miles will do.

Years ago, I watched a night launch from my hotel room in Melbourne, about 40 miles away, line-of-sight.  Spectacular, and I kept it in view until SRB sep.  (Mission was going into a polar orbit.)

Good luck to you!

Anonymous · Answer

I'm from the UK and I saw a shuttle launch there once. It was amazing! We took buses, and there were so many I got on the wrong one and lost my family and a policeman took me in his car to find them!

This was quite some time ago.

Anonymous · Answer

well, you can call NASA and ask for more details abt that...not hurt a try, rather than asking here.

Watching the Shuttle launch?

6 Answers