USA Trip (Inclusive of NASA-KSC-Shuttle)

[Spanrz (Brett)]

Well, the Mrs and I are off to the USA in late-ish Jan to Mid Feb, for 3 weeks of solid touring.
Trip was booked on Sunday.
Visiting Family and Friends in NY, Florida, New Orleans and Wichita-Kansas.

However, the Florida trip is based solely on the Feb 4th Shuttle launch. We (my doing ) have carefully arranged a dedicated trip for 6 days in the Cape area.
We'll be landing in Orlando, driving to a hotel around Titusville and camping there for 6 odd days.
If the Shuttle get's delayed, which we've allowed for, we'll be off doing other stuff, maybe Disney, definately a tour of the Cape and NASA Visitor Cente. We also have a plan to attack Tampa, but that's an if all goes well.

We have looked at budget motels, but the reviews are putting us off (bed bugs, not clean, only a 1 night stay, etc etc).
We have our sights set on just on the northwest side of Titusville for a motel.

Has anyone else been to the Cape? They've changed a lot of the processes recently for the Shuttle Launch Passes (tickets for the up and close views).
Anyone done this in recent times?
Just would like to here some feedback on the "going's on" during a Shuttle Launch.

This is a "bucket list" item to me.

[picklesrules (Nicholas)]

wow sounds like your gonna have an awesome time, my bucket list is inclusive of seeing an Ares 1 lunch if they ever they ever build the bloody thing lol

[Moon (James)]

will this be the last launch? i've always dreamed of seeing it.. looks like i've missed my chance.

[badchap]

hiya Brett - well now

I managed to witness the STS 125 launch back in May of this year. Viewed it from NASA causeway, absolutely fantastic and incredibly exciting.. I'm trying hard to be happy and enthusiastic for you, but I'm busy fighting off feelings of near overwhelming envy !!

Now I did arrange our visit to the states around a hopeful launch date, knowing that the general advice is ~not~ to plan your holiday around a launch..I'll give you the links to my most helpful websites for you to keep well informed of mission status.
We were at Disney World for 10 days all up, and although I initially planned to have about a week after the initial target date to allow for delays, as it turned out, we would only have a 3 day window with that particular mission..if Atlantis had not gone off within that 3 days, it would have been stood down until about 2 weeks or so later (from memory) - well out of our time in Florida.. but all went well on the day and after much other troubles and last minute glitches (that I'll tell you about ) we saw it launch.

Back with some links soon.

[badchap]

I'm posting a few links that were helpful to me.. apologies in advance if you're already familiar with them, but perhaps for the benefit of any others who may be considering a similar adventure, you might bear with me..

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/event-sign-up.aspx


http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/sp...g-tickets.aspx



http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html


http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/


http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/

http://www.launchphotography.com/Shu...h_Viewing.html


http://www.spaceflightnow.com/


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

First link - to sign up with KSC so you recieve email updates on all launches, and notification of when launch tickets are going to be on sale.. they usually go on sale about 6 weeks prior to a launch, and the causeway tickets usually sell out in about 2 minutes.. followed by ' dine with an astronaut' + causeway tickets (so just go for the latter if you're going direct through NASA , IMHO, you have an extra couple of minutes that way)
Tickets to view from the Visitors Centre are a bit slower to sell out - a few days from what I gather from following it) as you do not see the shuttle on the launch pad, but can only see it once it has lifted off and has cleared a line of trees.. however, I believe there are tv screens around to compensate, and if travelling with young children, there is lots to look at within the centre to keep them amused whilst waiting for the clock to restart after that final 9 minute hold..

You must read all about their conditions of sale of launch tickets, but also, on the second link about launch viewing tickets, you'll notice over on the right of that page, two bus companies named.. Central Florida Tours, and Greyline/Gator tours - you are also able to purchase tickets through these 2 coach companies; they are more expensive than the direct NASA tickets, but they include of course, transport to and from the space centre - so saves you hiring a car if you preferred not to do that.. They have designated pick up points that you have to be at though.

[matt]

Originally Posted by Spanrz

Well, the Mrs and I are off to the USA in late-ish Jan to Mid Feb, for 3 weeks of solid touring.
Trip was booked on Sunday.
Visiting Family and Friends in NY, Florida, New Orleans and Wichita-Kansas.

However, the Florida trip is based solely on the Feb 4th Shuttle launch. We (my doing ) have carefully arranged a dedicated trip for 6 days in the Cape area.
We'll be landing in Orlando, driving to a hotel around Titusville and camping there for 6 odd days.
If the Shuttle get's delayed, which we've allowed for, we'll be off doing other stuff, maybe Disney, definately a tour of the Cape and NASA Visitor Cente. We also have a plan to attack Tampa, but that's an if all goes well.

We have looked at budget motels, but the reviews are putting us off (bed bugs, not clean, only a 1 night stay, etc etc).
We have our sights set on just on the northwest side of Titusville for a motel.

Has anyone else been to the Cape? They've changed a lot of the processes recently for the Shuttle Launch Passes (tickets for the up and close views).
Anyone done this in recent times?
Just would like to here some feedback on the "going's on" during a Shuttle Launch.

This is a "bucket list" item to me.

Sounds great. Hope you have a terrific time, Brett

[badchap]

The 3rd link, the NASA launch schedule, can change from time to time, and whatever if filled in in red is the latest modification.

The nasa space flight website is probably about the best resource I found, the home page has latest news articles, but if you go to the forum, and scroll down to find the NASA shuttle specific forum, you'll find a wealth of information that is hot off the press..
As far as I can make out, this is run by guys who write the press releases, and their forums are frequented by not only space nuts and enthusiasts from around the world, but also the padrats and engineer types who are there - lots of great expertise there..

NB: Thanks to that lot, I managed to quickly change our flight dates and hotel bookings as soon as there was a whisper about bringing the Atlantis launch forward one day..that news did not appear on the NASA website for a further 3 days.

[badchap]

Ben Cooper's 'launch photography' website was very helpful as well- lots of info about viewing a launch from both NASA and also some off site viewing locations.. scroll down to view photos from various locations and at various 'zoomed in' to 'as the eye sees it" type photos and some videos.

[badchap]

Space flight Now' home page and also the launch schedule page was fairly good, but for 'my' launch , IIRC, I found that their posted dates more of a guide than something to plan to - but still a great resource, and Bill Harwood ?? ( I think his name is ??) is great to read his reports, and pretty spot on too.

[badchap]

Originally Posted by Moon

will this be the last launch? i've always dreamed of seeing it.. looks like i've missed my chance.

nah - there'll still be another 4 after the Feb launch.

There'll still be other different rocket launches to see after the shuttle winds up.. just not manned launches for .... well, for a 'while'.

[badchap]

I'll say now, that we went through Gatortours to get causeway tickets - and whilst we did manage to get out there and see the launch, we were NOT happy with that lot at all - they seemingly overbooked or gave away our tickets to some bigwigs or something, even though I confirmed and reconfirmed several times beforehand.. we got to Kennedy and had to make a fuss to get out onto the causeway itself..but we did it eventually.. left a bad taste in the mouth.
The tickets you get are a 2 day pass to the space centre, so you go back another day to wander around the KSC itself..
To be fair, this bus company did go some ways to make it up to us as we got free transport and free "NASA up Close" tickets for our second day visit, but still...not impressed with them..
Don't know anything about the other bus tour company..

[Kal (Andrew)]

I was there just on one year ago. I didn't see a launch, but I did get to see both shuttles on the launchpads preparing for the (to be scrapped) hubble mission, which was rescheduled. I was there just for a few hours, so I did the basic KSC visitor complex admission.

[h0ughy (David)]

man you are a lucky bloke. Enjoy and make sure you take some good photos

[Spanrz (Brett)]

Thanks badchap...... Excellent links. Great info...

The Mrs. has done some homework, but these are invaluable links.
The causeway tix are the key ones I want. I won't be disheartened if I don't get them, but I'll be hitting the website asap as they go on sale.

We actually added 1 extra day to the itinerary, due to my words of "just one more day, pretty please, 24 hours can make or break it".
We have about 6-7 days there, but we leave late in the arvo of the 7th day, so we might have an extra few hours again to play with "just in case".

If it doesn't go up, I'll be happy that I seen it in the flesh though, but still not as good as that liftoff.. (andrew)

David, yeah "lucky" indeed, as the Mrs is financing the trip. I have to be a good boy, for a while now
Photo's, hahaha, batteries won't be able to keep up, mate......

The problem, that I am sort of worried about, is that we fly from Albany NY to Orlando (via Atlanta) in the snowy winter time on Feb 2nd. Just hope we don't get a Nor'easter at that very hour we take off. We can delay a day, but that day was to "get to know" the Cape area before the launch.
I've been doing some homework on youtube, and watching snowy days on roads in the area we will be in, omg...scary and fun at the same time.

[cohiba (Robert)]

I was there in Febuary took the whole family. KSC is the best day out you will have its a magic place, and if you get to see a launch its a bonus, you will not be dissapointed

[PCH (Paul)]

I once saw one of the Apollo rockets take off from miles out at sea as we were coming into the gulf of mexico on an ocean going merchant ship. It was an awesome sight, seen through dark skies, we could clearly see the streak sail way up into the sky. We didn't really appreciate what it was at the time as you tended to lose track of world happenings at sea in those pre-internet days.

Love to be getting a ringside seat at a shuttle launch though. It would be awesome

[Spanrz (Brett)]

Well, it's all getting better now as time goes on.

The Feb 4th launch is now "targeted" for Feb 4th, where as a few weeks ago, it was a solid date.
The reason why it's now a classified as a movable date as there is rocket going up 1 day before STS-130..
The Solar Dynamics Observatory is going up.

We arrive in Orlando/Cape area on the 2nd, so if the Shuttle gets delayed / doesn't go up, atleast we get to see a rocket go up.

Oh boy....

[stephenb (Stephen)]

You lucky bugger, Brett (and Mrs. Brett) . Look forward to lots of pics...

[dalemadison]

Brett
Worked down at Cape Canaveral in the early 80s and woked STS 3 to the Challenger. If you are looking for a better selection of hotels/motels try either Cocoa Beach (more touristy) or down in Melbourne (a bigger place). Both would be better options than Titusville.
Dale

[Spanrz (Brett)]

Originally Posted by dalemadison

Brett
Worked down at Cape Canaveral in the early 80s and woked STS 3 to the Challenger. If you are looking for a better selection of hotels/motels try either Cocoa Beach (more touristy) or down in Melbourne (a bigger place). Both would be better options than Titusville.
Dale

Thanks for the info Dale.

My wife and I, both debated that heavily.
Some of motels were well, ummm, not so good.
It got very close to just booking a hotel at Orlando (even Disney) or Cocoa Beach. But it's the drive time that was the major factor.

"If" we get the tickets to the causeway viewing, apparently there is a few hours before the launch that you have to be there by. Wife was reading some info, that it could be 8 hours before the launch (wha .. ). Due to today's security measures.

There are a few hotels in Titusville that have just been newly built in recent times.
Wife used to work at a Super8 motel in NY, wasn't the greatest as it was an old place, but I got cheap cheap rent.
There is a newly built (a couple of years old) Super8 there, reasonably priced, but much better reviews than most in the area. Wi-fi and all.
It seems though that the price says it all, "you get what you pay for".

We haven't booked a motel yet, but it might look like the Super8 might get it, as we would get a discount too.

It must of been awesome to be in that area for all that time. Challenger would have been a very hard time to get through.

Thanks for the info