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#1320
by
mirak
on 13 Jul, 2011 01:06
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My family and I went to dinner tonight in Cocoa Beach. My wife saw an older man with an STS-135 mission patch pinned to his shirt, and she asked him if he had seen the launch. Came to find out that he is Rex Walheim's father - so yes, he did see the launch (said he wasn't nervous at all)!
We talked for a few minutes about his son and the mission, and then Mr. Walheim unpinned the mission patch (which Rex's wife designed) and gave it my 3 year old son. I couldn't believe it, but he insisted. Just a really delightful family. These astronauts aren't just heros, they're good people with good families.
Anyway, it was the perfect ending to a fantastic vacation. Against all odds, we saw our first and final shuttle launch on Friday, saw an SRB towed back in on Sunday, and then met the parents of one of the astronauts!
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#1321
by
mahannd
on 13 Jul, 2011 02:13
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After that post I guess ill share a story too. Although i was not able to make it back to the launch I was able to have an experience that was just as memorable and a first for me. This is going to be wordy so apologies in advance.
Sunday morning we went to breakfast at mcdonalds in cocoa beach and after going to get some napkins a gentleman asked for some as well. He was a man looked to be in his 50-60s (sorry if this is way off) and was wearing a light blue polo after a second glance i saw something very familiar, a little picture of a rat with a hardhat and Pad Rat below it, and instantly i knew this was going to be an exciting. He said thanks for the napkins and I said sir i need to know, are you one of THE pad rats? and he said yes he was. His name was Art Willett, a retiree who was the longtime supervisor of the launch pad crew and had been there since STS-1. I think my heart skipped a beat. I shook his hand with a big smile and began talking about the launch, the end of the program and some of his memories and thoughts (as my breakfast got cold). He was very friendly and open to discussion. I told him I was headed to jetty park to see Liberty Star and the right SRB come in. He said hw as going there too and told me he had to go get something and he came back and handed me his copy of the official STS-135 press kit and a personal photo of discovery landing. I made the mistake of not getting a way to keep in contact with him, so Art if you see this or someone passes the message along PM me! Shortly after i headed down to the jetty to watch the show. There were a lot of people there for the same reason and we watched and waited to follow it down the port, to the dock, to the locks so it was a continuous stream of cars moving from place to place. Once we arrived at the drawbridge myself and a few other enthusiasts decided since the srb was on the left side of Liberty we needed to be too, and this required climbing a rock embankment leading up to the 401 bridge, crossing the bridge with traffic and getting positioned on the sandy hillside. Before we got there, there was only two nasa camera men and we later found out that it was a restricted area and basically we were going to be arrested if we didnt back up behind the drawbridge, which we did then went right back to where we were when she got closer haha, but we got our pictures, and avoided jail. Afterwards we went to Fishlips nearby with a few people we met during the process. So all in all it was a success and definitely a unique experience.
Cheers!
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#1322
by
jsmjr
on 13 Jul, 2011 21:16
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My partner and I went down to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, to watch the launch. There were a few folks who made a special visit, and lots of families with kids, who probably just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Several reporters and TV camera crews were present, including a team from mainland China's English-language news network. Jamie was interviewed by CNN.com:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/08/air.space.museum/index.html (He's always the one who makes the news.)
I snapped a few photos of the event which can be found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsmjr/tags/airandspace/
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#1323
by
Alpha Control
on 13 Jul, 2011 22:00
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My partner and I went down to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC, to watch the launch. There were a few folks who made a special visit, and lots of families with kids, who probably just happened to be in the right place at the right time. Several reporters and TV camera crews were present, including a team from mainland China's English-language news network. Jamie was interviewed by CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/07/08/air.space.museum/index.html (He's always the one who makes the news.)
I snapped a few photos of the event which can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jsmjr/tags/airandspace/
Nice pictures. The projection screen they set up is huge! A lot bigger than my TV.
I think that in our town, if you're going to watch a launch, the Air & Space musem is the best place to be. There's a great camaraderie that everyone shares. I would have been there too (I only live six blocks away), but I was at my parent's house, explaining everything to my dad.
I was glad to do that, but the atmosphere at Air & Space would been great.
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#1324
by
jsmjr
on 14 Jul, 2011 12:53
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Nice pictures. The projection screen they set up is huge! A lot bigger than my TV.
The only problem is that all the chattering makes it hard to follow the NASA TV audio (212 and PAO commentary). It's a lot like being at the Causeway!
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#1325
by
debrarr
on 14 Jul, 2011 18:55
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#1326
by
Sarah
on 15 Jul, 2011 17:09
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I have throughly enjoyed these last three launches and all the people I have met along the way. I have formed friendships with people from all over the world who are shuttle crazy like myself. It's really sad that it's all over now. Although Discovery gave us the most headaches, she did give us the best launch of the final three. It was great to see her all the way through SRB sep. I would put Atlantis launch second and Endeavour third. Endeavour had a really low cloud ceiling. She was out of view in about 15 seconds.
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#1327
by
mgoblue94
on 15 Jul, 2011 21:09
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The last one is a truck we saw on the drive back from KSC (which took 7 hours!). Such a good job on that!
7 HOURS?!
It took me less than 2 hours to get back to MCO (Thank You TRAFFIC MAPS on GOOGLE)
Here was my day in Florida on 7/8!
Times are Eastern Daylight Time
3:30AM arrived at MCO (3.5 hours late due to T-storms in Denver, CO)
4:45AM arrived at Parking lot off US 1 in Titusville
7:30AM Depart parking lot for Causeway
8:30AM Arrived at Causeway location
11:29AM Launch of STS-135
11:45AM Back on Bus
12:00PM Bus is rolling
1:56PM Bus arrives at Parking Lot
3:45PM I arrive at MCO
4:45PM Board standby flight back to Denver, CO
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#1328
by
shuttlefanatic
on 16 Jul, 2011 04:25
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7 HOURS?!
It took me less than 2 hours to get back to MCO (Thank You TRAFFIC MAPS on GOOGLE)
Wow, you had an efficient trip - only 14 hours on the ground in Florida! For what it's worth, here's my trip timeline (based on photo and text timestamps):
(All times EDT)
Friday, 12:45AM - Flight arrives at MCO
1:15AM - Left MCO in rental car.
1:45AM - Stuck in traffic jam outside of Festival Bay FDT pickup site.
2:00AM - A guy from my flight texts me that MCO is out of rental cars. He's stranded with no easy way to get to the coast for launch
2:40AM - Finally get parked at Festival Bay. Backup mostly due to the single file $10 fee taker
3:00AM - Board FDT Bus
4:15AM - Arrive KSCVC. 5:30 lineup time for Causeway, but most people just get right in line.
6:00AM - Bus boarding line starts moving
6:40AM - Board bus.
7:40AM - Bus rolls for Causeway
11:26AM - Launch! No wait...
11:29AM - Launch!
11:45AM - Back on bus
12:05PM - Bus starts rolling. We have a minor mechanical problem.
12:20PM - Bus leaves causeway.
12:35PM - Bus passes KSCVC
1:15PM - Bus passes AHOF
2:15PM - Bus passes I-95 bridge
3:00PM - Bus gets to SR528. An accident on the other side of the highway seemed to be contributing to a lot of the backup at the junction.
5:00PM - Bus arrives at Festival Bay.
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#1329
by
wjbarnett
on 16 Jul, 2011 11:24
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11:26AM - Launch! No wait...
11:29AM - Launch!
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#1330
by
DrGuano
on 16 Jul, 2011 14:53
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I emailed my wife (who is in Peru, visiting Macchu Pichu) to say that since the shuttle program was ending, I wanted to go to Baikonur to watch a manned Soyuz launch.
Within minutes, she somehow found internet access on the Incan trail to reply, "Don't even think about it!!!!!!"
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#1331
by
leetdan
on 16 Jul, 2011 15:48
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Well, I made the mistake of betting on the weather against Atlantis, so I missed the launch completely (couldn't even see the trail from my office in Maitland). There's no way I'm missing the landing, the problem is I've never tried to see one up close. Space View park looks like the best spot for either runway, but I was hoping to get some feedback from somebody that has more experience. First opportunity is between nautical and civil twilight, so I'm hoping I'll be able to catch a glimpse of her on the way down.
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#1332
by
MadameConcorde
on 16 Jul, 2011 17:22
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I emailed my wife (who is in Peru, visiting Macchu Pichu) to say that since the shuttle program was ending, I wanted to go to Baikonur to watch a manned Soyuz launch.
Within minutes, she somehow found internet access on the Incan trail to reply, "Don't even think about it!!!!!!"
I happened to meet two French chaps on my flight from MCO to IAD who had gone to Baikonur to see a Soyuz launch. I showered them with questions. They thought it was a great experience if one is ready to pay the price.
You can watch a Soyuz astronaut launch from only 1,5 Km away from the pad. You will be in the same place with the astronauts families and see the astronauts from only a few meters but be prepared to pay 3,000 Euros ex-Moscow for the privilege.
This will take care all the permits, transfers, hotel nights and food, your visits to museums and other sites such as the International Space School. You will see the Soyuz from a few meters while it it transported to the launch pad and tour the launch pad one hour after the launch.
On the last day you will be taken to the Cosmonauts hotel.
You will need to take care of your own flights to Domededovo where you will meet with the local correspondent who will hand you your plane tickets to Krainy where you will be met after your flight and be handed all your vouchers for your 5 days/4 nights trip to attend the launch.
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#1333
by
stuart_wildcat
on 16 Jul, 2011 19:46
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Well, I made the mistake of betting on the weather against Atlantis, so I missed the launch completely (couldn't even see the trail from my office in Maitland). There's no way I'm missing the landing, the problem is I've never tried to see one up close. Space View park looks like the best spot for either runway, but I was hoping to get some feedback from somebody that has more experience. First opportunity is between nautical and civil twilight, so I'm hoping I'll be able to catch a glimpse of her on the way down.
I've not tried it myself but everyone who has asked in the past says seeing landing is extremely hard. Seeing anything in the twilight will probably be even more so.
One of the problems is that the shuttle dives down about 3-4 times the angle of commercial jets on landing. That means you would probably have to be pretty close to the landing strip to be close enough for it to be low enough to try and see.
The thing that you would be able to notice on the landing is the double sonic booms. The best bet is to be somewhere that would be near the flight path to hear these and then go inside someplace to watch the rest on NASA TV. We first heard the sonic booms one night when we were moving into our house and thought something had hit the house. We didn't follow shuttle landings at the time and didn't know there was one happening but we started to after that!
Others that have tried can refute this info if they wish. I just know that everyone who has asked about it the last few flights has gotten similar feedback.
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#1334
by
DwightM
on 18 Jul, 2011 00:48
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#1335
by
janmb
on 18 Jul, 2011 02:17
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Planning on trying to get as much out of the landing as possible since I'll be in Orlando that day anyway... Any suggestions on best (less poor) spotting locations?
I assume there will be an ascending node landing as "usual". At what time will we know with any level of certainty what direction they will be landing in (which runway)?
Any "landing spotting" tips would be highly appreciated. I realize it's hard to get any decent view at all, especially considering the landing facility itself being sadly off limits, but it should be possible to get under that ground track somewhere quite close, shouldn't it?
Thanks.
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#1336
by
shuttlefanatic
on 18 Jul, 2011 02:59
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Planning on trying to get as much out of the landing as possible since I'll be in Orlando that day anyway... Any suggestions on best (less poor) spotting locations?
...
I realize it's hard to get any decent view at all, especially considering the landing facility itself being sadly off limits, but it should be possible to get under that ground track somewhere quite close, shouldn't it?
Big caveat: I've never actually watched a landing in Florida.
Note: youtube links intentionally mangled to prevent embedding since there are several.
Your first challenge will be that landing is likely to be in deep twilight, so you may not see anything at all. I'm guessing from the west looking east, you may see a silhouette of the shuttle against the dawn sky as it approaches landing; that may be better than getting under the ground track and looking up. You'll hear the sonic booms approximately 3 minutes before touchdown. At that time, it should be just approaching the HAC, or very nearly overhead. One thought I had was that at that point, 10-12 miles up, Atlantis may catch some lighting, but it's probably still too far before sunrise for that. I ran some rough numbers, and sunrise at 12 miles is approximately 17 minutes earlier than sea level.
They can change runways pretty late in the game - I'm not sure of the exact cutoff, but as late as 15-30 minutes prior to touchdown. However, given a stable weather situation, they will probably have the runway established pretty early on.
Runway 15 is probably better for viewing. Spaceview Park or other sites along the Indian River would probably be good. (See ---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av6Ot6eTWsc). There is also this video (---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlfkBbUnjlU) from the intersection of SR 402 and SR 3 - you'll want to probably verify road access out there - you may have to approach from Haulover Canal.
Runway 33 approaches would be tougher, as the HAC would take Atlantis out over the water. Assuming access is open to the KSCVC parking lot, that probably isn't a bad place to watch. (See ---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5tgRasN52E)
Of course, all of those videos were in broad daylight
Keep an eye out for the landing ground track charts, either at the NASA site or here in the NSF forums. That's a good reference to get your bearings.
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#1337
by
jcopella
on 18 Jul, 2011 04:32
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Planning on trying to get as much out of the landing as possible since I'll be in Orlando that day anyway... Any suggestions on best (less poor) spotting locations?
...
I realize it's hard to get any decent view at all, especially considering the landing facility itself being sadly off limits, but it should be possible to get under that ground track somewhere quite close, shouldn't it?
Runway 15 is probably better for viewing. Spaceview Park or other sites along the Indian River would probably be good. (See ---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av6Ot6eTWsc). There is also this video (---http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlfkBbUnjlU) from the intersection of SR 402 and SR 3 - you'll want to probably verify road access out there - you may have to approach from Haulover Canal.
If they land on 15, and if the lighting is decent, this is a great spot:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=28.643114,-80.747441&spn=0.003258,0.00457&t=h&z=18It gives approximately the same view as in the 2nd video that shuttlefanatic posted, but it's west of the flight path, instead of east.
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#1338
by
stuart_wildcat
on 18 Jul, 2011 07:32
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Glad somebody proved me wrong about possibly being able to see landing. In the past when people have asked the comments have all been "it's very tough".
Of course for this mission the lighting is going to be the big enemy. If the weather does not hold up and the first landing day is not available it might be pointless because I believe landing times get earlier each day just like the launches would have done if they are delayed.
There are no lights on the shuttle so it would probably be very difficult to pick up.
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#1339
by
manlymatt83
on 18 Jul, 2011 11:16
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Hi folks,
I've had a pretty big internal debate going on, so thanks for any replies helping me out.
I was on the Causeway for the launch of STS-133, STS-134, and STS-135. All three times; however, I've flown home to Boston afterward and have never actually seen a shuttle land.
Now I know from Spaceview Park you can't really see it land, and the KSC Visitor Center won't be open at 7 AM this Thursday, so seeing it from there would probably also not work. However, they say the "Two sonic booms" and seeing the shuttle land in the distance are an incredible feeling.
So, is it worth it to spend the money on a flight, etc. and go see Atlantis land at KSC on Thursday? Thanks,
Matt
