Thread: Space Shuttle

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Anyone here in Florida going to see the night lift off of the Space Shuttle.
Kurt

When? Tonight?? I wasn't aware of it. I'm up in Dade City now, what time does it go up?

March 11 at 920PM...We can see them from here if it's clear....Pretty amazing

Ill have to remember about that one, the kids will get a kick out of it.

If anyone ever has a chance to watch one close up, do it. It's one of the most fantastic experiences you will ever have. Years ago we took our boat as close in on the Indian River as the Authorities would allow us to get, and anchored. Right before launch time the atmosphere starts to get eerie, everything like wildlife starts to get very quiet. Then things start to shake. The vibrations from the launch can be felt from miles away. Then this thing lifts above the trees and it is almost a religious experience watching it spewing fire as it climbs into the sky.

You can't fully explain to anyone what it is like, it's something you have to see for yourself.

Don

once a pony time the company i work for ( formerly U.S.B.I ) built most of the space shuttle hardware .. they would send an employee or two to every launch .. we still make the nosecones for the booster rockets.. it`s where the parachute is packed .. the one on the right is finished .. the other needs top coating .. these things have to be so perfect then they simply sink to the bottom of the ocean to become fish habitats ..

When I worked at Reynolds Metals in McCook IL we made the metal for the fuel cells.I suppose Alcoa is making them now as they are not salvaged they to become fish habitats. Lots of OUR money goes to the bottom of the ocean when they lift off.

I live about 12 miles, as the crow flies, from the launch pads. I just step out into the street in front of my house and watch it go. If the wind is out of the east, the sound is impressive. Sometimes, when the atmosphere is dense, the windows in my house will rattle. It is truly an impressive sight if you've never seen it up close. The very first time (1981), I felt such a sense of patriotic pride that it brought tears to my eyes...

Man, you guys are so lucky...Down in the southern bit of the world we dont even get fire crackers.. I so badly want to see a launch

We were at the Cape a couple of days last month after they dragged it over to the launch pad. If you are ever visiting any where near that site, you should visit - it's a day of real interesting stuff.

When i was a kid living close to edwards airforce base i could always hear the sonic boom from it entering the atmosphere when it still landed there. I saw it piggybacking a 747 a couple of times too.

Originally Posted by cffisher

When I worked at Reynolds Metals in McCook IL we made the metal for the fuel cells.I suppose Alcoa is making them now as they are not salvaged they to become fish habitats. Lots of OUR money goes to the bottom of the ocean when they lift off.

we bought the metal from you and machined the pockets so it could be formed in a circle out in california before going to lousiana for assembly .. we still have a few " dead " panels ..

I wish I had known about this a couple of weeks ago, I would have made arrangements to drive down to see it. To witness a 'launch' first hand is on my 'to do list'. They have done it enough now, it's considered a 'ho hum' deal, it's anything but. Any way to find out the launch schedule ahead of time so a trip can be planned out in advance? Where's the best place to see it from, never been to Florida, haven't a clue. Sniper

Originally Posted by Sniper

I wish I had known about this a couple of weeks ago, I would have made arrangements to drive down to see it. To witness a 'launch' first hand is on my 'to do list'. They have done it enough now, it's considered a 'ho hum' deal, it's anything but. Any way to find out the launch schedule ahead of time so a trip can be planned out in advance? Where's the best place to see it from, never been to Florida, haven't a clue. Sniper

There are various websites devoted to information about Kennedy Space Center and launch schedules. The Center has made every effort to become an attraction with tours and other events. You can do the normal tours where you see some of the gear and craft that went on actual missions, etc. Or, you can make arrangements to be there for launches, I think.

As for the best place to watch a launch, anywhere you can get close is as good as any I guess. The Military and other authorities set up a zone around the Center prior to launch time, both on the land on water. If you try to get inside that zone you are considered in the same league as Bin Laden, and will be arrested, or at the very least ushered out. But even being a few miles away you get the impact of it and get a great view of it going up. We lived in Deltona which was about 70 miles (maybe, I forget exactly) away, and we could go out into our back yard and watch it go up.

You are right about the launches becoming routine, but the Challenger disaster changed all that. Now we hold our breath until they are safely back. My wife and I were watching the Challenger launch, me on the tv and she was in the back yard, and right away we knew something was wrong.......there were two smokey trials instead of one. Then we saw that horrible event unfold.

The return of the capsule is rather anticlimactic because the most you get is a sonic boom, and if you are real close you get to see it fly in like a plane. As I mentioned, EVERYONE should witness one of these once in their lives. Here is one site with a little info., there are a lot more too.

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/events-launches.aspx


Don

Besides doing a tour at Kennedy also when in Texas(Houston) go to NASA there--they have many things, exhibits, movies etc---Patriotic, hell yes