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#1240
by
gchockry
on 07 Jul, 2011 04:05
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For those who want to get a sense of what a launch looks like from the Causeway,
please check out my YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/gchockryVideos of the last two space shuttle launches viewed from the Kennedy Space Center, East Causeway.
Available in resolutions including 720p HD and 1080p HD.
Turn up the volume to experience the Roar and Crackle, 6 to 7 mile travel-time delay.
Sorry for the length (8 and 12 minutes). I wanted to include the total experience and tell a story.
I have been meaning to share the experience. Spent the 4th of July weekend pulling it together.
Had to figure out my video editor (MS Live Movie Maker), YouTube, copyright, DRM, etc.
Uploaded it just before I had to travel to Florida for STS-135. Just arrived in Orlando. Enjoy!
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#1241
by
stuart_wildcat
on 07 Jul, 2011 05:23
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And i did check the processing thread and they indicated a scrub inside t-4 MAY cause a 48 hour scrub. But that tells me a saturday attempt is still on the table.
Just worth mentioning for those that may not be aware...
Remember that T-4 hours is NOT 4 hours before launch. That is 4 hours left in the countdown clock which has several built-in holds. I'm not sure exactly when that would be but probably sometime 1-3 hours before sunrise. L-4 (Launch-4) would be 4 hours before launch in "regular time" for the rest of us.
Probably safe to say that if the sun is up and a scrub is called we are PROBABLY going to be looking at a 48 hour turnaround.
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#1242
by
80n80n
on 07 Jul, 2011 08:44
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Can someone give me some advice regarding the following scenario.
We have four Gator causeway tickets. Two of my group can't make the launch on Friday, but would be able to make any relaunch attempt on Saturday or Sunday.
If the Friday launch is scrubbed, but goes down to the wire, will my friends be able to use their original unused LTT tickets or will we need to repurchase four LTT tickets for the next attempt?
What's Gator's policy for unused LTT tickets if the first launch date is scrubbed?
If their policy is the same as it was for STS-133 (I'm sure it is) then the rule is if the bus comes to your pickup location, the transportation part of your Gator ticket is considered used, regardless of whether you are actually there to board the bus or not. You will have to pay (usually somewhere around $25-30 I think) for the transportation part of the next attempt, and for each attempt thereafter where the buses are actually dispatched to the pickup locations.
Their theory for that is that they have to pay for the buses regardless of if the launch goes off as planned or is scrubbed. And they send out the buses based on the number of people who have signed up for each particular pickup location. So even though your friends won't be there on Friday, space for them was still allocated on the bus--therefore even if they don't show up they are paying for that space.
Thanks for that information. However it didn't fully answer my question, at least the part that I was most interested in.
When the coach goes to the causeway the LTT tickets are considered to be used and if there's a scrub then they have to be repurchased.
Do I have to repurchase LTT tickets for my friends even though they didn't use theirs. Can they just use the unused tickets from first time around for the second attempt?
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#1243
by
Nick
on 07 Jul, 2011 10:50
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SRB ships in general will return L+2 or later. If they have very clear and calm seas, they could be faster than that, but it's rare.
A site I have found that is good for tracking the ships - http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=337942424 (Freedom Star)
http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?MMSI=338990000 (Liberty Star)
However -- you will not see tracking until within range of the shore, maybe a few hours prior to port entry -- and there is no guarentee they will show up until very late, but so far the site has been pretty good the times I've tracked ships.
Obviously if we find out any confirmed times, we'll be sure to post them here -- I think many of us plan on trying to get there for the ships return.
Thanks for this - and to the others who replied.
Someone said to go to Jetty Park. I saw Freedom Star come back in after 129, from what I thought was the Canaveral lock at the west end, and I was 15-20 feet from the ship/SRB.
The only way of getting closer would have been to jump in the lock...
Anyway, fingers crossed!
Nick
P.S. My flight from London made landfall a few miles north of KSC yesterday. Fabulous view of the VAB, landing strip and a certain bird on the pad. My guardian spirit must have been on my shoulder when I chose a window seat on the left hand side of the aircraft, because I usually sit on the right....
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#1244
by
spacedog71
on 07 Jul, 2011 10:53
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Thanks for that information. However it didn't fully answer my question, at least the part that I was most interested in.
When the coach goes to the causeway the LTT tickets are considered to be used and if there's a scrub then they have to be repurchased.
Do I have to repurchase LTT tickets for my friends even though they didn't use theirs. Can they just use the unused tickets from first time around for the second attempt?
if i buy a movie ticket online, and then don't show up for the actual screening i've paid for, can i show up the next day and ask the manager to let me in to a subsequent screening for free, because, after all, that movie ticket i bought is "unused"? (hint: no.)
what about a hotel room i didn't actually stay in or an airplane i didn't actually board? (assuming i paid for a hotel rom or an airplane seat that had
"This package is 100% non-refundable" written in large letters at the checkout page?)
there's no "unused" in this context. friday's tickets expire on friday, whether you show up or not. if you want to buy a ticket on a bus for an attempt on sunday, you have to pay for it, because that's where the money for sunday's bus's fuel and driver comes from.
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#1245
by
JDA
on 07 Jul, 2011 11:23
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Heading out to KSC now-long trip from England yesterday! Still have two Gator causeway tickets available at cost. Can be reached here. Will still swap for today and tomorrow tickets for today also! Fingers crossed for launch and hope to see some of you there :-)
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#1246
by
solaria
on 07 Jul, 2011 13:15
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I just got on today and tomorrow tour, for 11.20am. Good luck, find guest relations queue on the right just after security. Anyone else around to meet up at KSC today? Am in crew t-shirt, white with mission patch in sparkly silver and gold!
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#1247
by
bookemdano
on 07 Jul, 2011 13:28
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I just got on today and tomorrow tour, for 11.20am. Good luck, find guest relations queue on the right just after security. Anyone else around to meet up at KSC today? Am in crew t-shirt, white with mission patch in sparkly silver and gold!
Wow, cool! I think RSS retract is supposed to be 12pm now, so I wonder if yous wil be the last today & tomorrow tour until after the launch attempt tomorrow. Enjoy it!!!
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#1248
by
wolfpack
on 07 Jul, 2011 13:34
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Way earlier in the thread someone posted about the SRBs: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=23562.msg715795#msg715795
L-1: Visit/tour KSC and the surrounding area (go early because tours stop sometime in the afternoon on this day)
L0: Watch launch (it will consume your entire day, guaranteed)
L+1: Recover from the launch experience
L+2: Go to Jetty Park and watch the SRBs come back (plan on waiting around for a while for them to show up)
L+3: Go to the Jetty Park locks and get within 25 feet of the SRBs (be there at 6am, as they go through early)
Also, is there any way to get up close to the shuttle the day before launch? Even if it's from a mile away I would be happy just to see it standing there.
That post that suggested L+2 to go see the SRB recovery ships was from 3/30. I believe at that time the launch was still scheduled for late June and the launch time therefore much later than it is now. Since the launch moved up several hours I think it might be more likely that SRB recovery ships come by Jetty Park in the L+1 timeframe.
I was hoping that someone might have confirmation of this hunch but perhaps that is wishful thinking. The trouble is going to be convincing the rest of the people staying with us for the launch to head out from Orlando again if I'm not sure of the time the SRBs would be coming back in. Even harder if the weather throws delays at us so we have already done quite a bit of driving over a few days.
There's a document on the L2 side (I won't repost it), but SRB retrieval is scheduled for day L+2, probably late in the day.
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#1249
by
solaria
on 07 Jul, 2011 13:36
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They claimed 2.20pm tour would get a/b pad stop, but I didn't risk it (also view from coast is ET and SRBs anyway). Will try regular tour and hang out at viewing gantry IF it still goes there this afternoon.
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#1250
by
msc
on 07 Jul, 2011 15:00
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And i did check the processing thread and they indicated a scrub inside t-4 MAY cause a 48 hour scrub. But that tells me a saturday attempt is still on the table.
Just worth mentioning for those that may not be aware...
Remember that T-4 hours is NOT 4 hours before launch. That is 4 hours left in the countdown clock which has several built-in holds. I'm not sure exactly when that would be but probably sometime 1-3 hours before sunrise. L-4 (Launch-4) would be 4 hours before launch in "regular time" for the rest of us.
Probably safe to say that if the sun is up and a scrub is called we are PROBABLY going to be looking at a 48 hour turnaround.
They are talking about L-4 as the decision point, not T-4. They were just talking about it in the presser that just ended.
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#1251
by
JDA
on 07 Jul, 2011 15:13
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No t&t tour tickets left at guest relations :-(
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#1252
by
DrGuano
on 07 Jul, 2011 15:37
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Cruising at FL 350 east of ATL on our way to MIA and then back to MCO. Looking forward to seeing some of you at the home of the Krabby Patty tonight! Anyone need a ride from the HI Crowne Plaza at MCO?
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#1253
by
DrGuano
on 07 Jul, 2011 16:17
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We just overflew the Cape. We could see the Skid Pad off to starboard but Atlantis was hiding under the cloud deck. Now we are entering some weather north of MIA. See some of you is evening!
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#1254
by
solaria
on 07 Jul, 2011 16:22
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Well if it helps, we weren't allowed out at the Causeway, could barely even see the VAB! We aren't getting A/B stop either as they are in "phase 2" which means lightning detected somewhere in area. Just got to viewing gantry and can only see grey mist, no shuttle! So you saved $20!
No t&t tour tickets left at guest relations :-(
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#1255
by
MATTBLAK
on 07 Jul, 2011 16:49
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inside the KSC Press building and it has been shaken by deafening thunderclaps!! Rain has been pounding on and off the windows. Saw Charlie Bolden dashing for his car with an umbrella.
Rain, rain go away -- come again another day.
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#1256
by
stuart_wildcat
on 07 Jul, 2011 16:54
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And i did check the processing thread and they indicated a scrub inside t-4 MAY cause a 48 hour scrub. But that tells me a saturday attempt is still on the table.
Just worth mentioning for those that may not be aware...
Remember that T-4 hours is NOT 4 hours before launch. That is 4 hours left in the countdown clock which has several built-in holds. I'm not sure exactly when that would be but probably sometime 1-3 hours before sunrise. L-4 (Launch-4) would be 4 hours before launch in "regular time" for the rest of us.
Probably safe to say that if the sun is up and a scrub is called we are PROBABLY going to be looking at a 48 hour turnaround.
They are talking about L-4 as the decision point, not T-4. They were just talking about it in the presser that just ended.
L-4 does make more sense as it is a time more people will be "familiar" with. Still means that unless we have weather trouble with RSS retract or tanking and we get past around 7:30-8 AM we are likely to see 48 hour delay if there is one.
I won't be there but I think there needs to be a group "sunshine dance" (instead of rain dance) at the NSF dinner tonight!
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#1257
by
shuttlefanatic
on 07 Jul, 2011 17:23
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inside the KSC Press building and it has been shaken by deafening thunderclaps!! Rain has been pounding on and off the windows. Saw Charlie Bolden dashing for his car with an umbrella.
Rain, rain go away -- come again another day.
Now wait a minute... other than RSS retract, it's welcome to rain all it wants today...
don't come again tomorrow!
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#1258
by
Chris Bergin
on 07 Jul, 2011 17:25
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Charlie Bolden dashing for his car with an umbrella.
Avoiding the temptation for a joke there
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#1259
by
rdale
on 07 Jul, 2011 17:26
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No worries - it'll be back tomorrow
