PLEASE :) Help with May 10 Atlantis Launch at KSC

[sjanus]

Does anyone know what parking situation would be at Spaceview Park, access to bathrooms (important one to me!), how far ahead you should plan to be there, and how is it getting out after the launch?

Thanks!

Sandy

 

[safetymom]

There are bathrooms but expect lines. You should be there 2-3 hours before launch if you want parking where you don't have to walk far. It is gridlock getting out of Titusville and usually all the way back to where 528 hits the 417. The last launch took me an hour and 15 mins to drive, and double that on the way back.

 

[sjanus]

There are bathrooms but expect lines. You should be there 2-3 hours before launch if you want parking where you don't have to walk far. It is gridlock getting out of Titusville and usually all the way back to where 528 hits the 417. The last launch took me an hour and 15 mins to drive, and double that on the way back.

Thanks!

 

[Perla]

Thanks for all the help since I first posted. I think I will go to Space View Park, and hope to get out of there without too much trouble. I think I will pack a lunch and arrive EARLY. It seems the interest is huge for these last few launches and I expect crowds to be huge as well. To all who will be viewing this amazing sight, ENJOY!

Thanks again to each and everyone who offered me information.

 

[cheshiregirl]

I have a question for those who are space shuttle launch veterans.

We will either be at AK, POFQ or Epcot during the mid-afternoon of the 14th. Will we be able to see anything from the parks?

 

[myDISboards]

The Best Shuttle Viewing Sites In Brevard County at http://www.titusville.com/page.asp?navid=204

(These sites are outside of the NASA property in Titusville Florida and are free to the public.)

(1) Space View Park
(2) Parrish Park
(3) Sand Point Park
(4) William J. Manzo Park
(5) Rotary Riverfront Park
(6) Kennedy Point Park
(7) Municipal Marina

Thanks! This is great information. We are planning on the May 14th launch if all goes well.

Sandy

You're welcome! DS13 and I witnessed STS-131 from NASA Causeway.

We hope that we can see the last 3 launches somewhere free with an unobstructed view as close to the launch pad as possible.

We know "the experiences" are not the same NASA Causeway is about 6 miles to the launch pad vs. Space View Park is about 12 miles to the launch pad.

We wish we could be in the count down clock area 3 miles to the launch pad together with the press, NASA families/friends, and high ranked officials.

If we cannot get NASA Causeway tickets from KSC, we may consider one of the Florida tours such as http://www.spaceshuttlelaunchtours.com/. The main concern for me with these tours is their special refund and cancellation policies.

 

[myDISboards]

I have a question for those who are space shuttle launch veterans.

We will either be at AK, POFQ or Epcot during the mid-afternoon of the 14th. Will we be able to see anything from the parks?

Some pictures from space shuttle launch threads.....

This is a photo of the launch of Discovery in October 2007 as seen from the boat dock at the Grand Floridian (it looks like it's shooting out of the roof of the Contemporary). The vapor trail at the top of the photo is from the NASA spotter plane that had just passed over Disney World.

We were visiting Epcot last May and knew there was to be an afternoon launch. We asked a cast member which direction we should look in to see the shuttle launch. After finding a good spot to view from, we started watching the skyline (and started getting strange looks from other park guests as we stared at apparently nothing).

Blah blah blah........ here are a few pictures. The launch occured right over test track, and we viewed from the walkway between Future World and World Showcase.

Space Shuttle is scheduled to laungh at 4:04pm on Nov. 12, 2009. With the time change Nov. 1 at 2 a.m. it shoud be getting near dusk by then, with the sun going down behind the trees, buildings, etc. Here is a picture of what you should be able to see, if the day is clear.

This is shot of a night launch last year from my front yard. This is about all you'll see anywhere in the Orlando area. If it's during the day, you'll only see the contrail but at night...it's spectacular!

I can see the launches from my backyard down in South Florida - during the day, it's a small white streak, and during the night, a hot, bright star. We're quite a distance away, so it's amazing it can be seen that well.

However, I got my closer Disney view in Dec 06. I was coming back from a long park day, staying at Saratoga Springs, and decided to walk over to Marketplace around 9pm to shoot some night shots. I grabbed my ultrazoom and tripod, and took the footpath into Marketplace. On my way, the sun decided to rise rather suddenly directly in front of me. This was somewhat strange, being after 9pm. It was bright enough to read a book by.

It took me a few seconds to register what this was - I seemed to recall the shuttle was supposed to go off sometime that weekend, but had completely forgotten about it...and without having previously experiencing quite how bright and obvious it was from WDW, I didn't really have reason to mark this event in my brain.

I was only able to quickly turn my camera on, stick it on the tripod, spin it to manual mode, and try in .5 seconds to figure out the best shutter and aperture combo for something I've never shot before. I just stuck it on 20 seconds, quick focused, and pressed the shutter (no time for self-timers, so camera shake was inevitable). And the tripod was set up unevenly with two feet in the grass. And I hadn't white balanced. And I didn't close down the aperture enough. And I had no time to zoom in. And there were obnoxious street lights right in my shot. It was far from the best shot I've ever taken, but I still have fond memories of witnessing such an awesome sight:

The brightness, the clear visibility of the shuttle, the ascension through the atmosphere, booster ejection, and final blue glow as it faded from view, followed by the delayed echo of the cheering masses which floated across the lake from Downtown Disney and Marketplace, sent a shiver down my spine and a tear to my eye - a great and powerful thing to witness so close. I can only imagine how much more stunning it must be from the Space Coast area...it's now on my list of things I must do.

Edited: added pics for STS-131 Discovery (April 05, 2010 - approx. 6:21AM) soars over Cinderella Castle by Disney photographer Kent Phillips. Kent snapped the images near Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland.

STS-131 Discovery’s exhaust trail catching the first rays of sunlight. Hidden Mickey!

 

[jakestill]

I'm really excited to go!

 

[sjanus]

You're welcome! DS13 and I witnessed STS-131 from NASA Causeway.

We hope that we can see the last 3 launches somewhere free with an unobstructed view as close to the launch pad as possible.

We know "the experiences" are not the same NASA Causeway is about 6 miles to the launch pad vs. Space View Park is about 12 miles to the launch pad.

We wish we could be in the count down clock area 3 miles to the launch pad together with the press, NASA families/friends, and high ranked officials.

If we cannot get NASA Causeway tickets from KSC, we may consider one of the Florida tours such as http://www.spaceshuttlelaunchtours.com/. The main concern for me with these tours is their special refund and cancellation policies.

Wow, went on that website and says sold out! Lots of people wanting to see it, I guess!

We are going to head to A1A at the Clarion again, get started early as possible, pack a lunch. We had a great view from there, right across, and could see it lifting off from the pads. We hope to get a good parking spot along there somewhere where we can make the quickest getaway possible afterward!

Lets just hope it all goes off and all get to see it from wherever their destination! We feel fortunate to have seen one in our lifetime, and if we can see another that would be fantastic.

We missed the one in June 2009 as they cancelled it last minute, and we were staying in Cocoa Beach up toward Cape Canaveral but enjoyed the day at the beach anyway. It's the "luck of the draw" I guess, but worth the chance. I, too, would hate to lose the money in the cancellation policy if it was cancelled!

Sandy

 

[myDISboards]

If we cannot get NASA Causeway tickets from KSC, we may consider one of the Florida tours such as http://www.spaceshuttlelaunchtours.com/. The main concern for me with these tours is their special refund and cancellation policies.

Wow, went on that website and says sold out! Lots of people wanting to see it, I guess!

Sandy

FYI...another tour company called "Gator Tours" for NASA Causeway launch viewing at http://www.gatortours.com/rezwebdirect.asp?agcid=0&TOUR_ID=146

 

[myDISboards]

Thanks for all the help since I first posted. I think I will go to Space View Park, and hope to get out of there without too much trouble. I think I will pack a lunch and arrive EARLY. It seems the interest is huge for these last few launches and I expect crowds to be huge as well. To all who will be viewing this amazing sight, ENJOY!

Thanks again to each and everyone who offered me information.

Hope it all goes well!

Some additional parking information near Space View Park posted on Sunday April 25, 2010. I would suggest be there at least 5-6 hours early due to last few launches.

Parking was really easy both visits, 1st time we had about 2 hours to launch so got really close at #1 on this map, this month we only arrived 20 mins to launch so had to goto #2, still only about 5 mins walk to Space View Park, this car park was almost empty, maybe 10 cars but I guess could hold 1,000+

 

[myDISboards]

Go back to post #27 where I just added pics for STS-131 Discovery (April 05, 2010 - approx. 6:21AM) soars over Cinderella Castle by Disney photographer Kent Phillips. Kent snapped the images near Country Bear Jamboree in Frontierland.

 

[dis-happy]

WOO-HOO!!!! DH was able to snag 6 Causeway tickets this morning!


We had them for the Nov. launch, but somehow, some way, as he was paying for them the system dropped him. Actually getting them again is more than I could have hoped for!

 

[safetymom]

I was given the order page at 9 AM and still didn't get tickets.

 

[myDISboards]

With two laptops and two phones and two different virtual waiting rooms ID such as
frontline.purchasenow2.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=KSCE_PLAGENCY&pid=6757287&roomid=1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 (maybe more)

We were at the ordering pages between 9:05-9:10AM EDT for Causeway tixs for Captcha verification and just "hanging" (never completed Captcha verification) and no Causeway tickets. Then we were offered only Visitor Center tixs only....no thank you!

So we timed it...Causeway tixs OUT by 9:10AM EDT (no selection button)....order page at 9:34AM EDT stated "Please note that all Launch Viewing tickets are Sold Out."

The main concern for me with these Florida tours is their refund and cancellation policies at http://www.spaceshuttlelaunchtours.com/index.html (sold out)
and http://www.gatortours.com/rezwebdirect.asp?agcid=0&TOUR_ID=146

** Note ** The Causeway Launch Transportation Ticket (LTT) for these Florida tours were "brown" tickets where KSC Causeway Launch Transportation Ticket (LTT) were "orange" tickets and other colors for STS-131 launch. We noticed at bus boarding transportation area on April 05, 2010, they called out "brown" tickets and other colors for boarding BEFORE "orange" and other colors tickets.

 

[RedSonya]

We are hoping to get causeway tickets for STS-134 on July 29th. Our back up plan is the Clarion. It sounds like a good viewing spot. Could you hear and feel the lift off from the Clarion? My DH and I saw a causeway shuttle launch in 1990 and we would now like our kids to experience it.

 

[dis-happy]

We are hoping to get causeway tickets for STS-134 on July 29th. Our back up plan is the Clarion. It sounds like a good viewing spot. Could you hear and feel the lift off from the Clarion? My DH and I saw a causeway shuttle launch in 1990 and we would now like our kids to experience it.

July 29th has been pushed back to a Nov. launch. You could try for the one in Sept. though.

 

[myDISboards]

We are hoping to get causeway tickets for STS-134 on July 29th. Our back up plan is the Clarion. It sounds like a good viewing spot. Could you hear and feel the lift off from the Clarion? My DH and I saw a causeway shuttle launch in 1990 and we would now like our kids to experience it.

July 29th has been pushed back to a Nov. launch. You could try for the one in Sept. though.

Yup, I posted on other threads, July launch postponed to November per
SpaceFlight Now dot com (full story posted April 26, 2010) at http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts134/100426delay/

 

[myDISboards]

If you don't have NASA TV (such as DIRECTV channel 283, etc)...

same NASA feed on ustream.tv at http://www.ustream.tv/spacevidcast

 

[RedSonya]

Thanks so much for the link! I was just trying to find a way to watch the launch from work. My husband has it on TiVo so the kids can watch when they get home from school.

We are still waiting for STS-134, hopefully sometime in November.