Author Topic: Visiting KSC  (Read 3962 times)

Offline steveb23

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Visiting KSC
« on: 10/21/2007 08:30 pm »
Hi guys and girls,

I appreciate this website is probably not the best place to ask this question as its off topic a bit - but since I have asked the KSC visitor center themselves and got no response this is the next best place for me to go for an answer.

At KSC there is an up close tour that supposedly takes you to view the launchpads 39A and B. I'm due to arrive in florida around mid-november, which should be after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. What I'd like to know is - if the shuttle is there is this tour then restricted so you don't get the usual up close viewing of the pad? If it is restricted I might as well go earlier when the shuttle isn't there.

Thanks for any help and moderators feel free to delete this if you feel its not appropriate.

I'm really interested in the whole spaceflight thing, and the insight this site gives is amazing! Thanks guys!

Steve

Offline MechTech

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #1 on: 10/21/2007 09:38 pm »
I would imagine PadB would still be viewable . The Visitor center has a tower that you can view both Pads A and B from . Perhaps not from the fence close but a good view of both pads with A being closer . It overlooks the MSS parksite , and if rollout has happened the Crawler might be parked there for a good view also .

Offline psloss

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #2 on: 10/21/2007 09:42 pm »
Quote
steveb23 - 21/10/2007  4:30 PM

At KSC there is an up close tour that supposedly takes you to view the launchpads 39A and B. I'm due to arrive in florida around mid-november, which should be after Atlantis rolls out to the pad. What I'd like to know is - if the shuttle is there is this tour then restricted so you don't get the usual up close viewing of the pad? If it is restricted I might as well go earlier when the shuttle isn't there.
I last did that tour in May and the STS-117 shuttle was on Pad A at the time; the tour did stop out at a site along the beach somewhat close to both pads (a bit closer to Pad B).  My guess is as long as Pad B is open and there's nothing hazardous going on in the area, the tour should stop there.  I asked specifically about next year when both pads are planned to be occupied (during pad processing for the Hubble servicing mission) and I inferred from the guides that the tour wouldn't be allowed in that area in that case.

Still, that's a guess...hopefully someone else here has more recent information.

(I'd still suggest asking if the tour will stop there when you get to the Visitor Complex on the day you go.)

Offline steveb23

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #3 on: 10/21/2007 10:03 pm »
Thanks for your replies guys!

I've done the tour a couple of years back and at that point (I think) there was like a concrete elevated platform in the middle between A and B which gave a really good view (see view from attached pic). I assume this would not be open?


Offline psloss

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #4 on: 10/21/2007 10:14 pm »
Quote
steveb23 - 21/10/2007  6:03 PM

I've done the tour a couple of years back and at that point (I think) there was like a concrete elevated platform in the middle between A and B which gave a really good view (see view from attached pic). I assume this would not be open?
No, that's the site I was referring to...don't have anything to post from May, but I posted some screengrabs from June '06 when the STS-121 shuttle was on Pad B:
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=2667&start=16#M41025

That little area is fairly easy to spot on Google Maps if you look along the beach road between the pads...

Offline steveb23

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #5 on: 10/21/2007 10:44 pm »
Cool. Thanks psloss.

That clears it up for me then - I'll book a tour for when Atlantis will hopefully be on the pad - view should be good enough!

Thanks for your help!

Steve

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #6 on: 10/22/2007 12:24 am »
Be aware, in case you are not already, that the orbiter will most like be essentially hidden by the rotating service structure, as it was the day I took the attached photo of a Discovery stack.

 - Ed Kyle

Offline parham55

Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #7 on: 10/22/2007 12:34 am »
These are pictures from the up close tour back in January.  The first (if all goes well) is Pad A from the bus as we drove by, the second is Pad A from the place where you can get out between the pads, and the last is of Pad B from the same location.
Rob

Offline Jones36

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #8 on: 10/23/2007 03:13 am »
I went back in July when Endeavour was on 39A, dress rehearsal day. 39A was off limits.
Here is a pic I took at 39B

Offline Hoppytje

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #9 on: 12/09/2013 01:24 pm »
Next March I'm going back to visit KSC. The last time I was there was in 2005. Back then I did the Then and Now tour and the Up Close? tour.

It seems this time around there are more tours that you can follow. (inside VAB? etc)
I've convinced the family to spend four days there. (we are all really crazy about space, so even the most dull tours aren't a problem for us  :)

How would you plan those four days? Or any other tips/advice?

Thanks,

Offline p51

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #10 on: 12/09/2013 04:44 pm »
Don't miss the Valiant Air Command's airplane museum, just up the highway from the hall of fame building. It's a really good aviation museum!
"The years forever fashion new dreams when old ones go. God pity a one-dream man."
-Robert Goddard

Offline Ronpur50

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Re: Visiting KSC
« Reply #11 on: 12/10/2013 01:05 am »
See this thread for some recent discussion.

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=33239.0

I was just there last week again, and the basic tour just drives around the pads and does not stop until you get to the Apollo/Saturn V Center.  In July, we took the Mega Tour that went inside the VAB and stopped three times around the pads and at a viewing stand near SpaceX.  It was great!  And of course, Atlantis :)
« Last Edit: 12/10/2013 01:07 am by Ronpur50 »

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