You're going to hear this from many different people, but I'll go ahead and say it: don't think of this as a trip to see a shuttle launch, think of it as a Florida vacation that happens to coincide with a shuttle launch. Best to have backup activities that you can fall back on, and the Orlando area offers plenty of them.
Jorge,
Thanks for the info on delays because of cryo boiloff -- that was the detail I was looking for.
And yes, I have heard/read that comment before and I've already made the conscious decision to leave the big camera gear at home so I can
watch the launch rather than be concentrating on a viewfinder and running the camera.
But at the same time, this particular trip is all about the space content for us. We had originally planned to do the Smithsonian this year, but realizing that we had a chance to visit KSC while the shuttle program is still running we decided we make what efforts we could.
The fact that there should be a launch while we are there is indeed icing on the cake. We have the luxury of scheduling flexibility, but not unlimited time. So when it came time to change the flights, I figured why not do what I could to make sure we were still in town for the launch even if we didn't get to be on-site.
Worst case scenario -- I still get to sit on the beach in the sun for 10 days rather than suffering overcast and rain in Oregon!
Thanks again!
