Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!mcsun!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!demon!news From: andre@cix.compulink.co.uk (Andre Willey) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Seeing Launch... Message-ID: <1991Jun02.092719.26176@demon.co.uk> Date: 2 Jun 91 09:27:19 GMT Sender: news@demon.co.uk (C-News Owner) Reply-To: Andre Willey Organization: Gated to News by demon.co.uk Lines: 55 When I was in Florida at the time of a launch, I went down to a little place called Titusville (sp?) just up the coast from the space centre, and almost directly opposite the launch pad itself. If you get there an hour or so before the launch (before too many cars arrive) and park in the MacDonald's car park you can have a burger while you wait; there will be lots of other people there, all with radios tuned to the KSC broadcasts... Then, when the time comes, you can stroll a hundred yards down the small road beside the restaurant to the water's edge, where you have a clear view over to the pad. I got a *great* view, and some nice pictures. Of course, my little 200mm lens was overpowered by folks with 1000mm lenses and tripods, but what the hell, I saw it! And heard it (wow!) Don't forget to have your car radio tuned into the local station which carries the KSC stuff. If the launch is scrubbed before you arrive you can always turn back or change your plans. Also, you can follow the progress of the mission once the shuttle is way out of eyesight and you are back in the traffic jam! BTW - it's a good idea to park close to (or even on) the road ready for a quick getaway as soon as the shuttle is out of view - those extra couple of minutes getting back onto the road can make the difference between a one hour and a three hour journey back to Orlando! Or you could always sit around for an hour until KSC is open to visitors again, but I guess it would be a bit crowded! We did our trip to visit KSC *before* the launch date, and though you can't get close to the pad with the shuttle on (fuel, explosives bolts, etc), you do get a fairly good view of it from near the second pad. Again, a good lens help! I've a friend over there at the moment, who comes back home to England on Wednesday 5th June, and he was *really* hoping to see a launch, but from the latest scrub report I guess he will be very disappointed. I won't rub it in too much when he gets back! :-) I hope all this helps some other hopeful sightseers anyway. I don't suppose there's an easy way to get a pass into KSC for a better view, if you ask in advance, is there? It's just that I'll be back later this year... Andre Andre Willey | Email: (1) andre%cix@ukc.ac.uk 7 Oaklands Road, Sutton Coldfield, | (2) andre@cix.compulink.co.uk West Midlands, B74 2TB, England. | (3) ...{mcsun}!ukc!cix!andre Phone: (UK) 021-308-5251 | "Il est mort, Jean Luc..." Note: Some mailers have problems with replies to address (2) at the moment