STS-134 Endeavour: Viewing (Going to launch, landing etc.)

[spacedog71]

Already heard a rumour that the flight will be delayed until April 23...something to do with AMS....

boy, that's a tough call.

i'll be lucky to have even a single full day of leave saved up by mid-april so soon after the trip for STS-133. i figured i was going to have to put all of my eggs in one basket and fly in too late on the 18th and back out too early on the 20th and really, really hope it launched on the first try.

and a five-minutes-before-sunset launch sounds incredible. completely different lighting conditions than the others i've seen and photographed. fantastic. sounds great. let's do it.

but... slipping to saturday would hand me two launch attempts i don't have to negotiate with the office. (6:10-ish on saturday afternoon and 5:50-ish on sunday afternoon.)

a launch that i have a much better chance of actually being able to attend, even a less photogenically interesting one with weekend rates and weekend crowds*, beats the alternative, i suppose.

so, "sigh... yay?"

...of course, AMS has already proven so cantankerous, any slippage at all is a pandora's box we may regret having to open. then again, i personally vastly prefer night launches, so ever since STS-133's extra tank work pushed it and STS-134 back into the daylight, i've been kind of secretly hoping that STS-134 and/or STS-135 would eventually slip back past sunrise...

* figure moving the launch outside of business hours and into a family friendly timeframe like "late afternoon" automatically adds at least ninety minutes to the drive back to orlando after the launch, since there'll just be that many more cars getting to go to cocoa beach and titusville.

[rockinzelda]

Thanks for the info, I would also love a night launch!!!  We are bringing our camper and staying in Mims, already have reservations, so I am not too worried about traffic, but that is about the only thing I'm not worried about.. LOL

[Bubbinski]

I've viewed launches from the AHOF, KSCVC, and Causeway.  Although the trees did block the view at the AHOF, I was able to get little glimpses of the launch pad and shuttle through the trees and I did catch main engine ignition (STS-104 - 5 am launch).  I do like KSC VC better since it's closer and the view is about the same.  But the causeway is best out of the three by far.

If I don't score causeway tickets I'll try Space View Park.  I understand there is a clear view to the pad though it's further out than the causeway.

As far as any delays I'm going to assume we're go for 4/19 unless I see something otherwise from the launch processing threads or L2.  If it is the 23rd it's not that bad as I can extend my trip to accommodate it.  If it slips to the next work week or after I'm going to have to ask around at work to adjust my time off, adjust my reservations, etc. and it may or may not be possible.

[beef5stew]

IF you are lucky enough to get congressional tickets, you'll get an email about 2.5 weeks before launch, and a "formal" invite in the mail about 1.5 weeks before launch.  I was in teh same boat for STS-119, but when my senator came through, I Sold my causeway tickets on here for face value.

I am also on the waiting list.  My senator told me "it doesn't look good".

I signed myself and my husband up as well. I put my name in with my senator in January 2010 for launch tickets to STS-134. Does anyone know if they notify the congressional people before the tickets go on sale to the public? I am sure if I get my tickets from my senator I could always sell my tickets that I bought from KSC and at least get my $$ back but I would rather leave those tickets open for someone else if I am in fact getting some from my senator.

Of course this is all assuming I get tickets from anywhere! 

[msc]

but... slipping to saturday would hand me two launch attempts i don't have to negotiate with the office. (6:10-ish on saturday afternoon and 5:50-ish on sunday afternoon.)

Hey all!  Noob here, first post!  I am intrigued by this mention of specific potential launch times.  Are these windows published somewhere?  How do you know when it would be launched if it were to be moved to 4/23-4/24?

This is the kind of information I am most interested in - knowing the launch windows - it would make it a lot easier to "try" to plan a trip.  Let's say it says on 4/19 for now.  if that has to be scrubbed for weather, when is the next launch opportunity?  4/20?  4/21?  I am guessing you can't just assume that the next available opportunity is the next day.

Info like that would be helpful, I think, in making hotel reservations - do I plan on staying there for two days or four, or five? 

Gaaaaa!!!  This is my first time trying to see a launch at it's nerve-wracking! 

[nathan.moeller]

Hey all!  Noob here, first post!  I am intrigued by this mention of specific potential launch times.  Are these windows published somewhere?  How do you know when it would be launched if it were to be moved to 4/23-4/24?

This is the kind of information I am most interested in - knowing the launch windows - it would make it a lot easier to "try" to plan a trip.  Let's say it says on 4/19 for now.  if that has to be scrubbed for weather, when is the next launch opportunity?  4/20?  4/21?  I am guessing you can't just assume that the next available opportunity is the next day.

Info like that would be helpful, I think, in making hotel reservations - do I plan on staying there for two days or four, or five? 

Gaaaaa!!!  This is my first time trying to see a launch at it's nerve-wracking! 

Welcome to the site!

Launch on 4/19 is set for 7:48 pm (very easy to find launch times).  For subsequent days, the launch window will move roughly 24 minutes earlier each passing day.

Typically what the launch team does is this - Try two days in a row, stand down for a day-long break and then repeat.  Of course, that depends on the reasons for scrubs.  If it's weather, you're usually looking at a 24-hour turnaround.  If it's more serious like a technical issue, it could be a turnaround of 48 hours or more.

For hotels - Give yourself a few days on either side of the window so you can visit the center and see the stack on the pad before launch and have several days after the scheduled launch date in case they scrub.  If they launch right on time, there are a few other things to do after launch like watch the solid rocket boosters come back into port, which happens in public areas.

Best of luck with your trip planning!  You'll find this thread (and previous threads for STS-133, STS-132, etc.) VERY helpful.  Lots of launch viewing veterans here!

[Davejfb]

A bunch of information i can work with. Thanks for that guys. But still remainds the question. On th AHOF can you hear the NASA commentary so you can follow the launch? If i chose to go there and it is not i have to get my iphone working so i get my updates there from this site.

[nathan.moeller]

A bunch of information i can work with. Thanks for that guys. But still remainds the question. On th AHOF can you hear the NASA commentary so you can follow the launch? If i chose to go there and it is not i have to get my iphone working so i get my updates there from this site.

To be honest - I honestly didn't care about the commentary during the countdown, much less during the launch.  Not sure if AHOF has it or not, but if you need it, I can promise there will be plenty of people around following updates in some way, form or fashion.

[Davejfb]

A bunch of information i can work with. Thanks for that guys. But still remainds the question. On th AHOF can you hear the NASA commentary so you can follow the launch? If i chose to go there and it is not i have to get my iphone working so i get my updates there from this site.

To be honest - I honestly didn't care about the commentary during the countdown, much less during the launch.  Not sure if AHOF has it or not, but if you need it, I can promise there will be plenty of people around following updates in some way, form or fashion.

Thanks Nathan for the information. And yeah it's true. I like to follow the countdown, but when it's time for T-0 it's time for film and photo's of the launch. And watch offcourse!

[spacedog71]

Any update to the rumor about moving launch to 4/23?

NSF doesn't hold news on stuff like that. Plus this is the viewing thread where you talk about camera settings, hotels, etc that don't change with date changes.

Updates to the shuttle processing will be in the thread next to this - the 134 processing thread.

when you put it that way, it sounds like you want them to take their questions over there. doesn't it seem as though this thread is a better place for the "should i buy my plane tickets yet? how about now? now? what about now?" commiseration that's going to inevitably flood this corner of NSF over the next few weeks?

personally, i'd *much* rather the processing updates thread was filled with, well, processing updates, by people who actually had updates on processing to report, leaving this to be the corner for more general questions about the actual nuts and bolts of, well, "going to launch, etc."

if we're not going to pin a bunch of here's what "if the launch is scrubbed after you have taken the bus to the causeway" really means frequently asked questions to the top of the shuttle specific sections (which i still think is a fantastic idea), then we sort of doom this thread (and its STS-135 equivalent) to become another 80+ page juggernaut of ... the same questions, over and over.

i do see your point -- personally, i'd love it if there had been a separate, moderated, orbiter- and mission-independent "advanced topics for experienced launch viewers returning to central florida" thread established several launches ago, so we could finally get to the bottom of whether ISO 500 or 640 was the best happy medium between ISO 400 or 800 for daytime causeway photography (depending on cloud cover) -- but it seems as though we really need some place for all of the "it's my first launch and i have questions!?!?!?" posts to go.

as long as this is a volunteers-in-their-spare-time shop, options are going to be limited. once atlantis lights up in a few months, it's all past tense anyway -- sure, in a perfect world people would be curious about whether the word "search" at the top of the page did anything when you clicked it, and in a perfect world there'd also be a downloadable "DON'T BUY PLANE TICKETS YET / OKAY, GO AHEAD AND BUY PLANE TICKETS" magic 8-ball app for iphone and android that would filter at least some of the noise from the signal.

[jeff44663]

Hey everyone, this is my first post here so I hope I'm doing this correctly.  I was at the STS-125 (the final Hubble Servicing Mission) launch in May, 2009 (the only launch I've ever seen in person) and observed it from the AHOF.  Regarding the launch commentary, George Diller was doing it then, so it was good to keep up with the progress of the preparations.  Inside the AHOF, there is a theatre, and they started out showing an older space documentary over and over on the screen.  Then an hour or so before the launch, they switched it to live NASA-TV coverage, so it was possible to keep up with it there while still inside in air conditioned comfort (it was quite hot outside at the time)!  A few minutes before launch, I went outside to observe, and there was another large screen set up outside, although I could not hear the commentary due to all of the crowd noise, however there was an astronaut outside on a stage with a PA system describing all of the events right up to T-0.  I registered yesterday for the opportunity to view STS-134, as I plan to go to KSC with my 17-year-old son (on spring break from school), so we'll see!  We're going to go regardless and we'll watch it from somewhere, pending no delays.  Anyway, I hope this info helps with the AHOF commentary questions.

A bunch of information i can work with. Thanks for that guys. But still remainds the question. On th AHOF can you hear the NASA commentary so you can follow the launch? If i chose to go there and it is not i have to get my iphone working so i get my updates there from this site.

To be honest - I honestly didn't care about the commentary during the countdown, much less during the launch.  Not sure if AHOF has it or not, but if you need it, I can promise there will be plenty of people around following updates in some way, form or fashion.

Thanks Nathan for the information. And yeah it's true. I like to follow the countdown, but when it's time for T-0 it's time for film and photo's of the launch. And watch offcourse!

[rdale]

when you put it that way, it sounds like you want them to take their questions over there. doesn't it seem as though this thread is a better place for the "should i buy my plane tickets yet? how about now? now? what about now?" commiseration that's going to inevitably flood this corner of NSF over the next few weeks?

Yes, leave that here My point is that actual announcements on date changes and processing issues will be posted there, so asking for clarification on a rumor will get lost in the shuffle here.

Actually you have a good idea with a pinned-up thread. But with only two more launches to go, I think the barn door already shut...

[msc]

Hey all!  Noob here, first post!  I am intrigued by this mention of specific potential launch times.  Are these windows published somewhere?  How do you know when it would be launched if it were to be moved to 4/23-4/24?

This is the kind of information I am most interested in - knowing the launch windows - it would make it a lot easier to "try" to plan a trip.  Let's say it says on 4/19 for now.  if that has to be scrubbed for weather, when is the next launch opportunity?  4/20?  4/21?  I am guessing you can't just assume that the next available opportunity is the next day.

Info like that would be helpful, I think, in making hotel reservations - do I plan on staying there for two days or four, or five? 

Gaaaaa!!!  This is my first time trying to see a launch at it's nerve-wracking! 

Welcome to the site!

Launch on 4/19 is set for 7:48 pm (very easy to find launch times).  For subsequent days, the launch window will move roughly 24 minutes earlier each passing day.

Typically what the launch team does is this - Try two days in a row, stand down for a day-long break and then repeat.  Of course, that depends on the reasons for scrubs.  If it's weather, you're usually looking at a 24-hour turnaround.  If it's more serious like a technical issue, it could be a turnaround of 48 hours or more.

For hotels - Give yourself a few days on either side of the window so you can visit the center and see the stack on the pad before launch and have several days after the scheduled launch date in case they scrub.  If they launch right on time, there are a few other things to do after launch like watch the solid rocket boosters come back into port, which happens in public areas.

Best of luck with your trip planning!  You'll find this thread (and previous threads for STS-133, STS-132, etc.) VERY helpful.  Lots of launch viewing veterans here!

Thanks for the info. I hate that I waited so long to attempt my first viewing and let myself get caught up in the craziness of these swan song launches. Oh well!

I'm going to start plowing through the sts-133 viewing thread when I get home from work.....

[Chris Bergin]

Yeah, we don't work on rumors. We work on internal KSC schedules. I will check on the launch date status.

[robertross]

Okay, I was bad...I registered for a chance at STS-134 
I'm loving Florida WAY too much...hehe

[nathan.moeller]

Okay, I was bad...I registered for a chance at STS-134 
I'm loving Florida WAY too much...hehe

You and me both (except I'm still working toward STS-135)

[nathan.moeller]

Thanks for the info. I hate that I waited so long to attempt my first viewing and let myself get caught up in the craziness of these swan song launches. Oh well!

I'm going to start plowing through the sts-133 viewing thread when I get home from work.....

My pleasure!  And if it helps - STS-132 was, at the time, my last chance at seeing a launch so I did everything I could to get there!  It was a dream almost eight years in the making and it became a reality.

And yes, the STS-133 has the best information yet, as more people attended this launch than ever before.  I can't imagine what STS-135 will look like!

[mslade]

IF you are lucky enough to get congressional tickets, you'll get an email about 2.5 weeks before launch, and a "formal" invite in the mail about 1.5 weeks before launch.  I was in teh same boat for STS-119, but when my senator came through, I Sold my causeway tickets on here for face value.

I am also on the waiting list.  My senator told me "it doesn't look good".

Do you get notification either way or do you only get the email if you are getting tickets?

[beef5stew]

IF you are lucky enough to get congressional tickets, you'll get an email about 2.5 weeks before launch, and a "formal" invite in the mail about 1.5 weeks before launch.  I was in teh same boat for STS-119, but when my senator came through, I Sold my causeway tickets on here for face value.

I am also on the waiting list.  My senator told me "it doesn't look good".

Do you get notification either way or do you only get the email if you are getting tickets?

That may depend on your congressman.  The only notification I got that I did not get tickets was watching the shuttle go up on TV.

[ShuttleShel]

IF you are lucky enough to get congressional tickets, you'll get an email about 2.5 weeks before launch, and a "formal" invite in the mail about 1.5 weeks before launch.  I was in teh same boat for STS-119, but when my senator came through, I Sold my causeway tickets on here for face value.

I am also on the waiting list.  My senator told me "it doesn't look good".

Do you get notification either way or do you only get the email if you are getting tickets?

That may depend on your congressman.  The only notification I got that I did not get tickets was watching the shuttle go up on TV.

LOL!

I have been emailing the rep for my senator off and on since 1/10 when I first asked for the tickets. Every time there is a change of launch date I email and make sure I am still on the list. I am sure I am annoying but they won't forget me!!  She did tell me back in 1/10 when she first talked to NASA to request tickets and give my info that I had a good chance since I was asking so far in advance. At that time it was supposed to go up 7/29/10 before Discovery but with all the schedule changes and it getting moved after Discoery I am leery. My rep told me NASA said it didn't matter it was first come, first serve and it looked good but I don't want to get my hopes up! I was told I'd hear about a month prior to launch. If I don't hear anything I will email again and verify! We'll see I guess!