Author Topic: STS-119: Viewing Thread (Launch and Landing) (Read 75098 times)

jacqmans · « **Reply #40 on:** 01/30/2009 01:15 pm »

Quote from: iamlucky13 on 01/30/2009 06:45 am

That should be really cool, as I've scheduled my close-up tour for about that time.

The up close tour only stops at the back site of pad 39A, so you will not see the Shuttle during the bus stop, only when the bus drives by... the normal no extra money tour stops in front of 39A so if you want to see the Shuttle take that tour...but I do not know if that normal tour will ride at that time....

See photo take by me during the up close tour last november...

jeff2space · « **Reply #41 on:** 01/30/2009 01:23 pm »

Quote from: iamlucky13 on 01/30/2009 06:45 am

Does anyone know if any audio or video (like NASA TV) is provided during viewing from the visitor's complex to help keep track of what's going on? If not, is there an audio broadcast and on what frequency so I can get an appropriate scanner?

KSCVC does set up a jumbotron screen near the rocket garden to broadcast NASA TV video and audio.

mainengine · « **Reply #42 on:** 01/30/2009 08:58 pm »

Quote from: jacqmans on 01/30/2009 01:15 pm

The up close tour only stops at the back site of pad 39A, so you will not see the Shuttle during the bus stop, only when the bus drives by... the normal no extra money tour stops in front of 39A so if you want to see the Shuttle take that tour...but I do not know if that normal tour will ride at that time....

See photo take by me during the up close tour last november...

Really nice picture.
But I think/know there's no tour beyond VAB after hypergolics loaded into Orbiter.

ChrisGebhardt · « **Reply #43 on:** 01/30/2009 10:47 pm »

Quote from: mainengine on 01/30/2009 08:58 pm

Really nice picture.
But I think/know there's no tour beyond VAB after hypergolics loaded into Orbiter.

No. Tours continue past the VAB after Hyper load. If they didn't Jacques would not have gotten that picture or tour since Endeavour's hypergols were loaded at Pad-B for STS-126 -- and the fact that he took that tour 3 days or so before launch.

Ford Mustang · « **Reply #44 on:** 01/30/2009 10:56 pm »

There are no up-close tours prior to RSS retraction, I believe the last day is L-2, before RSS retraction. Please correct me if that's wrong.

mainengine, there would be nobody allowed, besides essential pad and launch personnel, past the VAB when the vehicle is being loaded with fuel.

Here's another picture from the Up Close tour from STS-126, taken by Larry Sullivan (lsullivan411) from Max-Q Entertainment. Please go here to see the full image. It's big (4mb), so not recommended for dial-up users.

floron · « **Reply #45 on:** 01/31/2009 07:04 am »

hmm. I've got an up-close tour booked for the day before launch...i think i better give the visitor center a call tomorrow to make sure it's still running.

jeff2space · « **Reply #46 on:** 01/31/2009 02:19 pm »

Quote from: floron on 01/31/2009 07:04 am

hmm. I've got an up-close tour booked for the day before launch...i think i better give the visitor center a call tomorrow to make sure it's still running.

I'm sure the tours are still running the day before launch. The question would be how close to the pad they will take you. Depending on the current pad operations, the tour may stop at the LC-39 Observation Gantry rather than driving past the pads and stopping at the camera stop between the pads. The tour would still go to the causeway, the VAB, the SLF, and finally the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

actionuiuc · « **Reply #47 on:** 01/31/2009 03:40 pm »

Has anyone had their tickets mailed out yet?

Brian

jeff2space · « **Reply #48 on:** 01/31/2009 04:13 pm »

Quote from: actionuiuc on 01/31/2009 03:40 pm

Has anyone had their tickets mailed out yet?

Brian

Yes, my LTT tickets arrived two days ago.

CJones5461 · « **Reply #49 on:** 02/01/2009 03:02 pm »

Does anyone know how soon after a launch the up close tours resume? This is my first time viewing a launch and first trip to KSC in nearly 20 years. I would love to take the up close tour but my travel plans will make it impossible to do before launch. Thanks for any info. Also, if some of you all do plan a lunch or dinner for forum members, love to meet some of you all, if you don't mind a noob poking around! Like to say thanks in person for all I've learned since becoming a member. That and prove to my wife that L2 is not just some strange addiction that only I have!

floron · « **Reply #50 on:** 02/01/2009 09:50 pm »

a fellow n00b would also be interested in meeting up at some point...

i'm rolling into town on the evening of the 10th, and can stay until the following Sunday if the launch is delayed...

lsullivan411 · « **Reply #51 on:** 02/02/2009 09:09 am »

Quote from: CJones5461 on 02/01/2009 03:02 pm

Does anyone know how soon after a launch the up close tours resume? This is my first time viewing a launch and first trip to KSC in nearly 20 years. I would love to take the up close tour but my travel plans will make it impossible to do before launch. Thanks for any info. Also, if some of you all do plan a lunch or dinner for forum members, love to meet some of you all, if you don't mind a noob poking around! Like to say thanks in person for all I've learned since becoming a member. That and prove to my wife that L2 is not just some strange addiction that only I have!

Typically they will run the day before, then the day after launch - not launch day itself. Interestingly the KSC website shows tickets available for the Up Close tour at 12:40pm on the 12th - so with the early morning launch they may run it that day. I recommend calling them, you can get the number off their website.

Highly recommend trying to get there before launch if you can, and see the stack on the pad, for the first time visitor it's an awesome sight - even though it's only the back of the tank and boosters.

Also of note, when I was there in November I had booked a particular day for the tour, and got a call about a week ahead saying they were not going to run tours for that day - so I had to pick another day, so they can change last minute.

capt doufos · « **Reply #52 on:** 02/02/2009 02:08 pm »

Hi,

I have a couple of question I think you will be able to help me with.

I have bought some launch tickets, unfortunatley not LTT tickets. I was on as soon as sales opened and still didn't manage to get any

We are on holiday from the UK and we are touring Florida, we get into Orlando on the 11th having come up from Naples. I have just got the tickets and the Pass says to be there at 2am!!! I thought I had originally read you needed to be there at least 2 hours before the launch.

Is arriving 5 hours early really needed? It means we will have to leave orlando at Midnight, and go a whole night with no sleep having had a 3-4 hour drive the day before.

One last thing is, how much better is the view from the KSC than Titusville? I am pretty miffed at not getting onto the causeway, and not being able to see the shuttle on the pad. Do you think it is worth viewing at the KSC with no direct view? or Is Titusville just as good?

Any help is much appricated.

Jonathan

mainengine · « **Reply #53 on:** 02/02/2009 03:39 pm »

Quote from: ChrisGebhardt on 01/30/2009 10:47 pm

Quote from: mainengine on 01/30/2009 08:58 pm

Really nice picture.
But I think/know there's no tour beyond VAB after hypergolics loaded into Orbiter.

No. Tours continue past the VAB after Hyper load. If they didn't Jacques would not have gotten that picture or tour since Endeavour's hypergols were loaded at Pad-B for STS-126 -- and the fact that he took that tour 3 days or so before launch.

Oh, sure, that's right. Sorry
Didn't mean hypergolics but cryogenic reactants for the fuel cell storage tanks. This happens at about T - 27 hrs. In my experience there are no tours after that to the LC 39 gantry. I've been there several times and took similiar pics of the Shuttle on the up-close tour from the observation point beetween the pads. But never allowed to go even to the LC 39 gantry after cryo loading began.
But: maybe they changed the rules. Please let me know !

mainengine · « **Reply #54 on:** 02/02/2009 03:47 pm »

Quote from: capt doufos on 02/02/2009 02:08 pm

Hi,

I have a couple of question I think you will be able to help me with.

I have bought some launch tickets, unfortunatley not LTT tickets. I was on as soon as sales opened and still didn't manage to get any

We are on holiday from the UK and we are touring Florida, we get into Orlando on the 11th having come up from Naples. I have just got the tickets and the Pass says to be there at 2am!!! I thought I had originally read you needed to be there at least 2 hours before the launch.

Is arriving 5 hours early really needed? It means we will have to leave orlando at Midnight, and go a whole night with no sleep having had a 3-4 hour drive the day before.

One last thing is, how much better is the view from the KSC than Titusville? I am pretty miffed at not getting onto the causeway, and not being able to see the shuttle on the pad. Do you think it is worth viewing at the KSC with no direct view? or Is Titusville just as good?

Any help is much appricated.

Jonathan

The earlier the better.
You must calculate the heavy traffic before a launch. And there is something to see on the big screen at KSC. To be there early is better than to watch the launch out of your car on Beachline Expressway like a friend of mine experienced last November.

The Engine Start and Shuttle liftoff will be a little bit obstructed from KSC. I think there is a picture of this anywhere in the forum but not sure. There is a dense tree line around the visitor center like this one at the picture (this is the press site with the back of the countdown clock - only for illustration !!)

ChrisC · « **Reply #55 on:** 02/02/2009 05:58 pm »

Two things to add regarding viewing and tours:

1. Well known to regulars here, photographer Ben Cooper has an awesome write-up on viewing options here, including the poor visibility from the KSC visitors center prior to launch: http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html

2. During my ill-fated STS-122 trip in Dec 2007 (ECO sensor scrub), I had Up Close tour tickets for the day after nominal launch day. On that first launch day, they did the first 24 hour scrub (at 9:00 am), and within an hour KSC Tours was calling me on my cell phone to rebook my tour that was now going to conflict with the next day's launch attempt. And I was able to rebook for that same day! Quite impressive turnaround time on their part -- the whole experience made me feel like a VIP. Which I am of course

I'll be down there again next week. If it scrubs then I may be jinxed.

iamlucky13 · « **Reply #56 on:** 02/03/2009 11:03 am »

Quote from: mainengine on 02/02/2009 03:39 pm

Oh, sure, that's right. Sorry
Didn't mean hypergolics but cryogenic reactants for the fuel cell storage tanks. This happens at about T - 27 hrs. In my experience there are no tours after that to the LC 39 gantry. I've been there several times and took similiar pics of the Shuttle on the up-close tour from the observation point beetween the pads. But never allowed to go even to the LC 39 gantry after cryo loading began.
But: maybe they changed the rules. Please let me know !

Hmmm...I would seriously hope the KSC visitor's center staff would be familiar enough with KSC operations to know this. I made certain when I bought my tickets to clarify to the gentleman from customer service that I was interested in doing the close-up tour the day before launch (about T-20 hours). He didn't mention anything being cut from the tour. I sure hope you're wrong; I was planning on the pad being the highlight of the tour.

mattcham · « **Reply #57 on:** 02/03/2009 10:09 pm »

I have tickets to view the launch from the causeway. I hear the security is very tight this year and was wondering if they have historically banned any particular items, like large camera tripods, long telephoto camera lenses, or backpacks. Has anybody here been to a causeway launch viewing?

TJL · « **Reply #58 on:** 02/03/2009 10:13 pm »

QUOTE..."One last thing is, how much better is the view from the KSC than Titusville? I am pretty miffed at not getting onto the causeway, and not being able to see the shuttle on the pad. Do you think it is worth viewing at the KSC with no direct view? or Is Titusville just as good"?

This picture, taken from Titusville of STS 120, is a good example. If you were watching from the Visitors Center, you would just about be able to see the vehicle at this point. It all comes down to whether or not you want to see the first 10 seconds or so of the launch.

mceddiemac · « **Reply #59 on:** 02/03/2009 10:42 pm »

Quote from: mattcham on 02/03/2009 10:09 pm

I have tickets to view the launch from the causeway. I hear the security is very tight this year and was wondering if they have historically banned any particular items, like large camera tripods, long telephoto camera lenses, or backpacks. Has anybody here been to a causeway launch viewing?

You should be OK with those. I've seen guys out there with 500mm and 600mm primes with the large tripods and gimbal type heads and the ones I've talked too said they had little to no issues with security. The few things you cannot bring is very large bags, very large backpacks or the roller board suitcases.