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#760
by
Champ7AC
on 21 Jun, 2011 20:14
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I would say leave on 7/12 if those are your only two options.
Leaving on 7/12 gives you three launch opportunities assuming 48 hour scrubs each time. Also, the launch time gets earlier each day of delay so hopefully a 6PM flight from Melbourne would be OK even if it launched on 7/12.
That's where I'm leaning right now as well.
Fare difference is insignificant, so between these two would you favor one over the other...?
Daytona Beach departure 6:35 pm
Melbourne departure 6:00 pm
I'm on Gray Line, pickup/dropoff at Crossroads Plaza.
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#761
by
Keyman
on 21 Jun, 2011 20:22
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I would say leave on 7/12 if those are your only two options.
Leaving on 7/12 gives you three launch opportunities assuming 48 hour scrubs each time. Also, the launch time gets earlier each day of delay so hopefully a 6PM flight from Melbourne would be OK even if it launched on 7/12.
That's where I'm leaning right now as well.
Fare difference is insignificant, so between these two would you favor one over the other...?
Daytona Beach departure 6:35 pm
Melbourne departure 6:00 pm
I'm on Gray Line, pickup/dropoff at Crossroads Plaza.
If the price difference doesn't make a difference - later is probably better. Leaves more wiggle room. Odds of traffic being significantly worse one direction or the other are...about the same as the 17-day weather outlook.
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#762
by
Champ7AC
on 21 Jun, 2011 20:33
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I would say leave on 7/12 if those are your only two options.
Leaving on 7/12 gives you three launch opportunities assuming 48 hour scrubs each time. Also, the launch time gets earlier each day of delay so hopefully a 6PM flight from Melbourne would be OK even if it launched on 7/12.
That's where I'm leaning right now as well.
Fare difference is insignificant, so between these two would you favor one over the other...?
Daytona Beach departure 6:35 pm
Melbourne departure 6:00 pm
I'm on Gray Line, pickup/dropoff at Crossroads Plaza.
If the price difference doesn't make a difference - later is probably better. Leaves more wiggle room. Odds of traffic being significantly worse one direction or the other are...about the same as the 17-day weather outlook.
Yeah, and both seem to be about the same drive time from Crossroads. Checking historical traffic (which might also be as reliable as the 17-day wx outlook) on Google Maps there's nothing that jumps out different between the two routes.
And, of course, all that assumes the launch is postponed to the morning of the 12th anyway...
(Flying SW really would simplify this greatly, but I need to keep racking up my DL miles to use on our honeymoon!)
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#763
by
stuart_wildcat
on 21 Jun, 2011 20:42
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I would say leave on 7/12 if those are your only two options.
Leaving on 7/12 gives you three launch opportunities assuming 48 hour scrubs each time. Also, the launch time gets earlier each day of delay so hopefully a 6PM flight from Melbourne would be OK even if it launched on 7/12.
That's where I'm leaning right now as well.
Fare difference is insignificant, so between these two would you favor one over the other...?
Daytona Beach departure 6:35 pm
Melbourne departure 6:00 pm
I'm on Gray Line, pickup/dropoff at Crossroads Plaza.
Is your Gray Line dropoff back in Orlando? Any reason you would need to go back out to Daytona or Melbourne and not just out of Orlando? I don't have any experience with traffic back from the causeway but you might be cutting it close.
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#764
by
Champ7AC
on 21 Jun, 2011 20:54
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Is your Gray Line dropoff back in Orlando? Any reason you would need to go back out to Daytona or Melbourne and not just out of Orlando? I don't have any experience with traffic back from the causeway but you might be cutting it close.
Yup, dropoff is in Orlando.
DAB/MLB is because flights out of Orlando are a lot (> $100/person) pricier... otherwise, nope, no good reason - I'd prefer MCO.
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#765
by
Chris Bergin
on 21 Jun, 2011 21:07
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Unless issues are encountered in the change / retest, there should be no impact to the 7/8 targeted date.
That's what I thought I was gathering from the detailed article... thanks!
That's my article
CR got the context correct, but to note to all, we cover all this in the processing thread (Rollout to S0007). This thread is only for viewing areas and stuff.
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#766
by
Davinator
on 21 Jun, 2011 23:11
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I see someone missed this, but it is about 20 pages behind now.
Repeating my post from the last two missions as there is no faster way to find out what the deal is with a Shuttle launch date/issues than this site.
As someone who goes to every launch, this site has saved me time and time again with the level of info and amount of NASA folk on here.
Here's my tip from STS-135
Follow the STS-135 news articles Chris writes here.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/sts-135/
Follow the STS-135 processing thread here.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=25342.0
And if you can afford 20 bucks, totally reccomend getting L2, as that gets you sat down with the managers and engineers, literally, and there's no faster way to know what's going on. It's more awesome than you could imagine and it funds this great site.
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/l2/
Then you'll also have STS-135 L2: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?board=35.0 because it's not just the presentations, video and images you can't get anywhere else, its the updates. You get to know everything that's going on. They had the MOD FRR yesterday and the full set of presentations, like mission baselines and cool graphics and great info were all on there that morning!
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#767
by
mirak
on 22 Jun, 2011 02:31
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I need some advice on launch viewing options and traffic logistics. My in-laws live on Merritt Island, so that's where I'll be staying. I was not fortunate enough to win Causeway tickets, and the bus tours aren't really my thing. I hear Titusville is "the next best option" but that it's an absolute zoo, and I want to avoid that.
As I study Google Maps, it looks like Road 401 on Cape Caneveral by the cruise ship terminals appears to be a great option. This was also the suggestion I received from the Cape Canaveral Port Authority.
While this looks like a great option based on the map, I have no idea what the traffic conditions will be like. Can anyone offer any advice? Would it be possible for a few in my group to drive out super early with all the gear and stake out a spot, and have the rest of the group park at a more accessible location and walk to us?
In terms of getting there, I think the best route would be to take the Cocoa Beach Causeway from Merritt Island over to Cocoa Beach, then take State Highway A1A up 401. That way, I mostly avoid the 528 causeway. Agreed?
Any advice would be appreciated. I have some knowledge of the geography, but never tried to view a shuttle launch, and I know that this one will be a madhouse.
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#768
by
Champ7AC
on 22 Jun, 2011 02:45
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Final airfare thought before I pull the trigger...
Is it insane to be on a flight that arrives MCO at 12:40 am when I have to be at Crossroads to hop the GL/Gator bus to the Causeway at 2:00 am?
(The good news is the airfare to MCO dropped significantly since this afternoon!)
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#769
by
s7uar7
on 22 Jun, 2011 03:11
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It doesn't give you any buffer if the flight is even slightly delayed. I wouldn't risk it personally.
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#770
by
mahannd
on 22 Jun, 2011 03:28
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Final airfare thought before I pull the trigger...
Is it insane to be on a flight that arrives MCO at 12:40 am when I have to be at Crossroads to hop the GL/Gator bus to the Causeway at 2:00 am?
(The good news is the airfare to MCO dropped significantly since this afternoon!)
I wouldn't risk it either. Simply de-boarding, taking the tram to the main concourse, then the escalators to the parking garage, possibly picking up a rental car and getting to 528 will take 30-45 minutes.
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#771
by
Champ7AC
on 22 Jun, 2011 03:38
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I wouldn't risk it either. Simply de-boarding, taking the tram to the main concourse, then the escalators to the parking garage, possibly picking up a rental car and getting to 528 will take 30-45 minutes.
And that's exactly what I, having never flown through MCO before, needed to know.
Thanks!
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#772
by
stuart_wildcat
on 22 Jun, 2011 03:52
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Is your Gray Line dropoff back in Orlando? Any reason you would need to go back out to Daytona or Melbourne and not just out of Orlando? I don't have any experience with traffic back from the causeway but you might be cutting it close.
Yup, dropoff is in Orlando.
DAB/MLB is because flights out of Orlando are a lot (> $100/person) pricier... otherwise, nope, no good reason - I'd prefer MCO.
Any way to switch pickup locations? Better to drive somewhere early in the morning to get to a pickup location than be stuck in traffic getting back to Orlando just to go back out to the coast for a flight.
If you can't change pickup locations you might go with Daytona. From what I recall that was your later flight and you have a better route on I-4 to Daytone instead of back out on 528 around Cape Canaveral and south to Melbourne.
I would also think about the backup plan if you can't make it back out there in time.
I guess one way to look at it though is that if you are trying to get to the airport after launching on 7/12 we have had just the "right" scrubs for two 48-hour delays to push it to that date. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that!
One thing everyone should remember is that if we stay on track for a 7/8 launch we are in totally uncharted waters for traffic and can't even compare to the last few "last" launches for comparison:
- This one is during the summer when people don't have to worry about getting kids back to school
- The "last last" launch
- Last two launches have had some kind of major delay after the tickets were issued which dropped attendance just a little
- This is the least amount of time between recent missions so the ticket distribution was closer to the launch
- Even though this one has been delayed from the late June date it was not too much delay yet
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#773
by
stuart_wildcat
on 22 Jun, 2011 03:54
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I wouldn't risk it either. Simply de-boarding, taking the tram to the main concourse, then the escalators to the parking garage, possibly picking up a rental car and getting to 528 will take 30-45 minutes.
And that's exactly what I, having never flown through MCO before, needed to know.
Thanks!
Also can take quite a while to rent a car from the Orlando airport. Airport to Crossroads is probably 20-30 minute drive also.
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#774
by
Champ7AC
on 22 Jun, 2011 04:21
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Any way to switch pickup locations? Better to drive somewhere early in the morning to get to a pickup location than be stuck in traffic getting back to Orlando just to go back out to the coast for a flight.
If you can't change pickup locations you might go with Daytona. From what I recall that was your later flight and you have a better route on I-4 to Daytone instead of back out on 528 around Cape Canaveral and south to Melbourne.
I would also think about the backup plan if you can't make it back out there in time.
I guess one way to look at it though is that if you are trying to get to the airport after launching on 7/12 we have had just the "right" scrubs for two 48-hour delays to push it to that date. Hopefully we won't have to worry about that!
One thing everyone should remember is that if we stay on track for a 7/8 launch we are in totally uncharted waters for traffic and can't even compare to the last few "last" launches for comparison:
- This one is during the summer when people don't have to worry about getting kids back to school
- The "last last" launch
- Last two launches have had some kind of major delay after the tickets were issued which dropped attendance just a little
- This is the least amount of time between recent missions so the ticket distribution was closer to the launch
- Even though this one has been delayed from the late June date it was not too much delay yet
Nope, pickup location is fixed but I'm ok with it. Thank you all very much for the insight on the airports and drive time - that's the kind of local info that's extremely helpful in making decisions!
Here's what we ended up with - should provide as much buffer as possible, all things considered:
Thu 7/7 ... Depart DAY 4:30 pm ... Arrive DAB 9:05 pm
*There's another flight into DAB at 11:40 pm, so that's a backup if something crazy happened to the scheduled one. It would be a tight drive, but I think we'd make it to Crossroads in time.
Tue 7/12 ... Depart DAB 6:35 pm ... Arrive DAY 10:35 pm
*With the launch window moving up every day, even under some crazy traffic conditions, I think we'd make it back to Crossroads on the bus in time to be able to drive to Daytona and catch our flight home.
-------------------
This also means that we'll have plenty of time in there if Atlantis launches as scheduled - hope to be able to say hello to some of you helpful folks at the KSCVC when we go back to use our second day of admission!
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#775
by
janmb
on 22 Jun, 2011 08:33
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Final airfare thought before I pull the trigger...
Is it insane to be on a flight that arrives MCO at 12:40 am when I have to be at Crossroads to hop the GL/Gator bus to the Causeway at 2:00 am?
As others have said - would you really want to run that high a risk for something this important?
If the flight is even a TINY bit delayed, you miss an event you will never again be able to go to....
I'm flying into Orlando 2 days before launch - for precisely that reason. Delayed flights could very well have cost me the launch of 134 if it had gone on time - not making that mistake again.
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#776
by
John M
on 22 Jun, 2011 10:40
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I need some advice on launch viewing options and traffic logistics. My in-laws live on Merritt Island, so that's where I'll be staying. I was not fortunate enough to win Causeway tickets, and the bus tours aren't really my thing. I hear Titusville is "the next best option" but that it's an absolute zoo, and I want to avoid that.
As I study Google Maps, it looks like Road 401 on Cape Caneveral by the cruise ship terminals appears to be a great option. This was also the suggestion I received from the Cape Canaveral Port Authority.
While this looks like a great option based on the map, I have no idea what the traffic conditions will be like. Can anyone offer any advice? Would it be possible for a few in my group to drive out super early with all the gear and stake out a spot, and have the rest of the group park at a more accessible location and walk to us?
In terms of getting there, I think the best route would be to take the Cocoa Beach Causeway from Merritt Island over to Cocoa Beach, then take State Highway A1A up 401. That way, I mostly avoid the 528 causeway. Agreed?
Any advice would be appreciated. I have some knowledge of the geography, but never tried to view a shuttle launch, and I know that this one will be a madhouse.
Since its the last launch EVER, I dont think its going to matter too much where you go, its going to be a madhouse! Only one Ive ever seen live is fron Titusville, and while it was packed it was too bad. Check youtube for videos from the location youre wanting to watch from, thatll give you an idea of what to expect to see, other than the crowds that will obviously be there.
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#777
by
Endeavour Forever
on 22 Jun, 2011 13:46
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Received an e-mail notification overnight that KSC launch lottery tickets are shipping today via 2-day FedEx service, the e-mail included the tracking number.
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#778
by
Endeavour Forever
on 22 Jun, 2011 13:57
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Final airfare thought before I pull the trigger...
Is it insane to be on a flight that arrives MCO at 12:40 am when I have to be at Crossroads to hop the GL/Gator bus to the Causeway at 2:00 am?
As others have said - would you really want to run that high a risk for something this important?
If the flight is even a TINY bit delayed, you miss an event you will never again be able to go to....
I'm flying into Orlando 2 days before launch - for precisely that reason. Delayed flights could very well have cost me the launch of 134 if it had gone on time - not making that mistake again.
We are also coming out on the 6th, although we're driving (LOL). Wanted to be there in time to take the bus tours out to see her, plus spend some quality time gazing from the observation gantry.
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#779
by
debrarr
on 22 Jun, 2011 14:05
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I know that the KSC tours (most specifically the Then & Now tour) are already sold out for 7th July; but what are thoughts on whether or not we will get on one if we simply turn up at KSC early in the morning and wait for availability?
My assumption is that there will definitely be people who either can't make it but don't cancel, or simply miss their slot.
Would love a tour trip that close to the pad, but we didn't book beforehand because the plan until now was to fly out on the 7th.
