Space Shuttle

[psblin99]

12/7 at 9:30 is thenext scheduled launch. If my calculations are correct anyone leaving from Port Canaveral should see a spectacular sight. I work here in the port and still get excited about a night launch.

[Top-Cat]

I have to admit, it is a spectacular sight. We watched a lift at midnight on Cocoa Beach years back. Looked like a flaming bullet. Lit up the whole beach like daylight. Neat to feel the ground rumble from all that power under your feet. There were lots of people on the beach, but it was dead quiet. Everone was in ahh.

[cruisin4fun323]

This may sound stupid but is it AM or PM? We will be at Disney and want to go to Kennedy Space Station would love to see this.

[DGP1111]

12/7 at 9:30 is the next scheduled launch. If my calculations are correct anyone leaving from Port Canaveral should see a spectacular sight. I work here in the port and still get excited about a night launch.

 

The launch is scheduled for Thursday NIGHT, December 7. If someone is sailing that day, they'll be gone by lift-off. If other passengers are in town early for a sailing on Friday or the weekend, they'll hopefully see a glorious event (unless it gets scrubbed, which is quite common). It really never dawned on me that on those occasions where a mid-day launch occured, folks would be onboard for the viewing -- that would certainly be cool. Heck, it's great to see each lift-off, even from Orlando.

[buddyjo143]

DH is a "flight" lover. It's on our list of things to see in our lifetime...space shuttle launch.

 

Someday.....:)

[polymerpig]

<<We will be at Disney and want to go to Kennedy Space Station would love to see this.>>

 

 

We have seen the shuttle launch twice from Disney. The first time we had driven out to Kennedy and it was scrubbed right after we arrived - wasted a Disney day! But we saw it clearly the next day from Epcot. A few years later we saw it from MGM. If you ask around you'll find an employee who can point you in the right direction. At Epcot we were standing with our back to the America buildings - look right towards Mexico. At MGM we walked out the front gates and looked right. It's small, but very distinguishable - once you see it it's obvious and still cool from that distance.

[dolfandude]

Do yourself a favor and drive to Cocoa Beach, park & sit on the beach and watch the shuttle go off. It's awesome. I've had a condo there for over 20 years and there's nothing like it! :)

[Beach4me]

We were on the Sovereign of the Seas on Oct. We got to watch a rocket launch prior to the ship's departure. It was an Air Force satelitte deployment and launched from the Air Force base - much closer to the ship than the Space Shuttle launch pad. It was ABSOLUTELY AWESOME! Words don't do the experience justice. I can only imagine how much "more" the Shuttle launch is.

 

The deck of a ship is the perfect vantage point for a launch. I've already started looking at next year's launch schedules to see what ship viewing options I might have. (Know full well that there are lots of reasons for scrubs...but I'll gamble with it.)

 

I'm with dolfandude...I'd drive to the beach. The feel, the sound, and the sight when you are right there is something beyond your imagination.

[soccermom15]

How do you find out when the launches are?

[suezyq50]

If they are post poned, do they reschedule for the next day. We come in on the 9th?

[Beach4me]

Here's the site that I go to to see the launch schedule:

 

http://spaceflightnow.com/tracking/index.html

 

It lists launches from all the NASA/Air Force bases. But it's easy to scroll through and find the Port Canaveral/Cape Canaveral listings.

 

I think it depends on what type of mission the launch is as to whether they reschedule for the next day. The shuttles do usually reschedule quickly as they have a certain number of days in a launch window that will allow them to hit the right orbit to rendevous with the space station. That's why you'll see them say they are going to try the next day for up to a week before they have to reschedule to the following month.

 

I'm not sure how they handle the unmanned launches. I'd think that they could be rescheduled for the next break in weather.

 

We didn't know there was a launch when we were down there. We heard about it at the hotel the morning we boarded the ship. I'm telling you - it was absolutely amazing. The highlight of any cruise I've ever been on. The reaction of the folks on the ship was great too. Silence in awe of the spectacle before us - then all of a sudden, thunderous applause and cheers. I still get goose bumps thinking about it. It was the talk of the ship the entire cruise. Kind of an immediate bonding for all of us! :)

 

If you are on the RCI ships or the Glory, NASA is straight to the port side of the ship and the Air Force launch pad is to the port-forward side of the ship. If the launch is from the Air Force pad, you want to be from the pool or forward to get the best vantage of the lift-off. If you're on an RCI ship, you DON'T want to be in the Crown Lounge - you will lose sight of the rocket shortly after take-off. If you are deck, you will see it for miles and mile until it goes past the curve of the Earth.

 

If you are on any other ship at Port Canaveral, the NASA pads are straight off the bow, the Air Force pads are off to the starboard side. (At least every time I've seen another ship at the other pier, the bow is pointed toward Canaveral...the ship backs out of dock and then pulls foward.)

 

I hope all of you get to experience a launch of any type of rocket sometime. It is just soooo darn cool!!!!!!! ;)

 

btw - my guess is that anyone who leaves Port Canaveral on the day of a launch would be able to see a rocket launch well into the evening. Obviously you won't see lift off, but the rocket, flames, and vapor trail would visible until you're south of Nassau. So, those of you leaving port on the day of the 9:30 p.m. launch, I'd bet money that you will get a spectacular show from the ship.

[Beach4me]

(double post deleted)

[Vmalcolm]

IF...a big fat IF...the shuttle takes off as scheduled we should have a front row seat! We are leaving out of Jacksonville on the Carnival Celebration on December 7th. Should be getting down around that area by the time it lifts off.

 

Valerie

[psblin99]

There seems to be a debate if a cruiser will be able to see this launch or not. I think the ships will not be so far away that a view is possible.

[beaming90]

I think it is great! But we will be flying into Orlando on Friday the 8th! Boo! Oh well, It would certainly be a once in a lifetime experience to see from the ship on Saturday. If anyone has NASA's phone number and could call and arrange that change of schedule for me please...Hee hee:p

[Capt_BJ]

It depends on the visibility. On a super clear day/night you can see for a long time and from very far away. I've been a hunded miles out to sea 'down range' and been able to see for several minutes.

 

On the other hand I've seen launches that disppeared into clouds and haze in seconds.

 

Now for the shuttle there is a new desire to keep the cameras on it for a long time so I'd say the odds are good that vis will be 'not terrible'

 

The schedule of launches @ KSC & CCAFB can be found on the KSC page http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html

 

But note that the dates of some military launches from the AF side of the house are not advertised so there's always a chance you can be surprised....