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#540
by
Yegor
on 05 May, 2010 02:29
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Hi everybody,
I am planning to go to STS-132 (my first launch), and so far I have visitor center tickets, and I am still hoping that I might find some Causeway tickets (if anyone has any ideas, let me know!).
Assuming I get them somehow, can any of the more experienced launch goers give me an idea of how much time you need to give yourself to get from the VC, on the buses and out to the causeway? In other words, at what time in the morning before the launch should you make sure you leave the VC?
Thanks in advance,
Mark
Try to call florida dolphin tours: 407-352-4646
http://www.floridadolphintours.com/?q=node/12They were the last who had bus tour Causeway tickets last week.
The price is $121 and you travel to NASA Causeway with a tour bus.
If the Shuttle flies away from the first attempt you are lucky, if not read two spacedog71 and john_raiders posts above.
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#541
by
spacedog71
on 05 May, 2010 04:51
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here's the KSCVC operating timetable from sts-129 in november 2009, when atlantis launched at 2:28 pm ET. you can probably expect a very similar schedule on may 14th (and so on): visitor center open from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm that day, etc.
note that the last bus out to the apollo/saturn v center and international space station leaves at 8:45 am; people will probably be corralled out of there and bused back to the KSCVC around 10:00 am. the grassy area directly across from the gift shop at the apollo/saturn v center, with the bleachers to the right, is a private VIP viewing area cordoned off from the rest of the banana creek VIP viewing area, which you can see out the doors by the thruster side of the saturn v rocket display.
they'll be busing you out early in the morning so they can bus the VIPs in, but prior to that, there's (probably - your mileage may vary) nothing stopping you from walking out to the river's edge and taking some photos of launch pad 39A -- the closest shots you'll be able to take of the launch pad on launch day without VIP tickets of your own. the scaffolding obscures virtually everything but the very tip of the external tank, but it's still an impressive sight.
at the moment, the IMAX films are the newly released hubble 3D and magnificent desolation: walking on the moon 3D. note that the IMAX films are free included with admission. i strongly recommend you take in a viewing of hubble 3D while you're at the KSCVC, for the STS-125 launch scene alone -- which includes audience shots from the banana creek viewing area.
for my part, i'll probably do what i did in november -- get up while it's still dark and sacrifice my hotel's continental breakfast so i can stop by space view park in titusville and get pictures of the launch pad just as the rising sun hits it from the other side of the river at 6:33 am (nap in the KSCVC parking lot to follow).
main stage -- rocket garden
nasa's televised launch coverage on a jumbo screen with special launch presentations
10:00 am live launch status update and astronaut encounter
11:00 am live launch status update and astronaut encounter
12:00 pm live launch status update and astronaut encounter
1:00 pm live launch status update and astronaut encounter
2:00 pm live coverage of final countdown
kennedy space center bus tour
apollo/saturn v center and international space center
pre-launch: first departure 6:30 am - last departure 8:45 am
live launch coverage
launch status center: 6:00 am - 5:00 pm
astronaut encounter theater: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
launch status briefings -- launch status center
10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm
space station 3D -- IMAX theater
6:30 am, 7:00 am, 7:30 am, 8:00 am, 8:30 am, 9:00 am, 9:30 am, 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, 11:30 am, 12:00 pm, 12:30 pm, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 3:30 pm, 4:00 pm, 4:30 pm, 5:00 pm
shuttle launch experience
pre-launch: 6:00 am - 1:45 pm
post-launch: 2:45 pm - 6:00 pm
"a new journey has begin: constellation" at astronaut encounter theater
continuous showings from 6:30 am - 9:30 am and 4:30 am - 5:45 am
spaceperson photo opportunity
10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 5:00 pm
robot scouts
6:00 am - 6:00 pm
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#542
by
Astro_yyz
on 05 May, 2010 15:51
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That so great, Spacedog 71, of you to lay it out like that. I was at the launch of 130, and of 122 before that, and was pleasantly surprised how much was open and operating in the hours before launch.
For 130, we spent quite a bit of time at the Saturn V centre at the edge of the water just looking at the launchpad (for 130 this was in the middle of the night, and the way that the launchpad was lit was quite stunning).
If you're going to the causeway, pee before you get in line - we were waiting for a long time to get on a bus.
Here's a report that some friend and I wrote after our launch experience in Feb. Scroll down a bit to see the launch day activities and pics:
http://toronto.rasc.ca/content/STS130rep1.shtml
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#543
by
dougmichel
on 05 May, 2010 16:12
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About what time will the causeway buses for both KSC and tours start boarding? Want to get some idea about how much we can get in before we should be in line.
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#544
by
Astro_yyz
on 05 May, 2010 16:31
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I believe we were standing in line around 1am for at 4am launch, so about 3 or 4 hours prior..... We had arrived at the KSCVC around 9pm, which gave us a few hours before to do KSC tours, etc..... Note that the "normal" bus tour around the facilities did not go to the gantry that night. We basically just went to the Saturn V centre and back, walked around the KSC, ate, sat in front of the large screen near the rocket garden and listened to talks and generally absorbed the vibe.
Car placards that you receive with your tickets will also tell you about what time to arrive, but for a 2.19pm launch, you'll be on the bus around 11, so I'd try to get to KSC as early as possible that day...... I think I read it will be open around 6am?
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#545
by
spacedog71
on 05 May, 2010 16:56
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About what time will the causeway buses for both KSC and tours start boarding? Want to get some idea about how much we can get in before we should be in line.
you'll definitely want to be ready to get in line around eleven am or so.
the documentation that came with my KSCVC causeway ticket says 2-3 hours before launch. i seem to remember both of my gator trips also having a meet-up time at about the three hour mark.
for STS-131's 6:21 am launch i'd purchased "dinner" (breakfast) with an astronaut, which ran late enough to make me quite anxious about the time. didn't get back out to the car to get my gear and through the metal detectors and back into the causeway line until 4:15 am, which had stretched all the way past the nasa logo statue by the front entrance to the front of astronaut encounter. didn't get through the (unbelievably long) line and out to the causeway until 5:30 am, all the way in the back, right against the outer eastern edge of the causeway's roped off area. i don't plan on ever cutting it THAT close again.
another protip: while the causeway does have intermittent local concessions like tents and trailers selling hot dogs and chips and souvenirs, it seems to be all local church groups and organizations. when you board a bus for the causeway you've stepped away from any kind of standardized pricing, quality control, or official merchandise.
doesn't mean every cheeseburger at the causeway will necessarily be room temperature and every unlicensed toy "space orbiter" will necessarily fall apart before you get it home, but if you have your heart set on an official STS-132 t-shirt, you might have better luck (and vastly shorter lines) at the kennedy space center gift shop at the airport on your way into orlando.
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#546
by
yorky10
on 05 May, 2010 17:21
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Is anyone on the 5:55am Dolphin Tours bus from the Quality Inn International?
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#547
by
sanfordshazam
on 05 May, 2010 18:03
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doesn't mean every cheeseburger at the causeway will necessarily be room temperature and every unlicensed toy "space orbiter" will necessarily fall apart before you get it home, but if you have your heart set on an official STS-132 t-shirt, you might have better luck (and vastly shorter lines) at the kennedy space center gift shop at the airport on your way into orlando.
Strongly agree here...get your official STS-132 souvenirs at the airport KSC shop on your way IN. If you wait until you are flying out they will likely be sold out.
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#548
by
dougmichel
on 05 May, 2010 18:13
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I am on the 5:40 dolphin bus from Comfort Inn LBV just in case anyone else on here is on that one.
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#549
by
ChrisC
on 05 May, 2010 19:37
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I'm heading down next week to see the launch, the last one for me personally. I've got my own arrangements all set up but I just wanted to say ...
WOW
... thanks spacedog71 for your excellent posts here!
AFTER this launch, someone should digest all of this information (especially the scrub/LTT info) and make one single reference post that people can point to. Because it's only going to get crazier in these viewing threads for the last couple missions. You guys are chewing your limbs off in here with all the stress and rumor and misinformation
For example, I always point people to Ben Cooper's page:
http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html... but that doesn't go into the details of how exactly causeway tickets are handled in event of a scrub.
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#550
by
spacedog71
on 05 May, 2010 20:05
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heh. thanks chris. good to hear.
someday i will illustrate the whole bloody saga about STS-119's scrub and STS-127's scrubs and STS-128's scrubs and how it took five flights to florida before i got to see a single freaking shuttle launch. (it's been kind of a rough year).
in the meantime, of course, i've become very, very well acquainted with the process and its various permutations therein. happy to give back.
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#551
by
Astro_yyz
on 05 May, 2010 20:54
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Huh! Don't get me started of STS-127's 4 scrubs! I traveled to Florida twice from Toronto for that launch, and never saw it with all those scrubs. Hydrogen tank, weather, lightning, weather, and oh yeah, weather.
Let's hope all goes well for 132, and I hope all the first time launch goers have a wonderful time.
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#552
by
smith5se
on 05 May, 2010 20:58
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So, not going to be able to watch STS 132 from KSC as I didn't get selected for the KSC tweetup BUT I did get selected to go to JSC May 19th for the MCC tweetup during Atlantis's final mission. Just bring tears of joy to my eyes; now to figure out the logistics of getting out there and if its do-able in the middle of my FL vacation LOL
Anyone else here register for these tweetups?
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#553
by
cd-slam
on 05 May, 2010 23:24
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So, not going to be able to watch STS 132 from KSC as I didn't get selected for the KSC tweetup BUT I did get selected to go to JSC May 19th for the MCC tweetup during Atlantis's final mission. Just bring tears of joy to my eyes; now to figure out the logistics of getting out there and if its do-able in the middle of my FL vacation LOL
Anyone else here register for these tweetups?
Yes! I'm going for the STS-132 tweetup at JSC; they sent me a confirmation email today. Happiness...
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#554
by
Thorny
on 05 May, 2010 23:30
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Huh! Don't get me started of STS-127's 4 scrubs! I traveled to Florida twice from Toronto for that launch, and never saw it with all those scrubs. Hydrogen tank, weather, lightning, weather, and oh yeah, weather.
I'm another victim of 127's scrubs. Went home to Florida with nearly two weeks to see 127 go. Still missed it. Saw LRO launch, though... for about ten seconds, then vanished into clouds.
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#555
by
STS134
on 06 May, 2010 01:51
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I nominate Spacedog as the DOG OF DAWGS. You are so awesome to take the time to share your knowledge and experience to help us-total strangers! Thanks.
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#556
by
Jason Davies
on 06 May, 2010 03:20
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#557
by
Furner
on 06 May, 2010 12:45
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Just wanted to check, is anyone that is holding causeway tickets not planning on going? I am still interested in buying LTTs if I can get a decent deal on it.
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#558
by
mksys
on 06 May, 2010 15:00
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Just wanted to check, is anyone that is holding causeway tickets not planning on going? I am still interested in buying LTTs if I can get a decent deal on it.
Yes, I am in need of two causeway tickets as well, if someone is interested in selling tickets they won't be using...
Best Regards,
Mark
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#559
by
parmstro
on 06 May, 2010 15:31
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someday i will illustrate the whole bloody saga about STS-119's scrub and STS-127's scrubs and STS-128's scrubs and how it took five flights to florida before i got to see a single freaking shuttle launch. (it's been kind of a rough year).
Maybe this will make you feel better: I have been at KSC for 21 scrubs and one abort. And I don't work at KSC and I've never lived in Florida. Going there is 2000+ miles round trip for me. There should be a support group for folks like us...
