Going to the Space Shuttle Launch
#1
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Going to the Space Shuttle Launch
My wife, daughter and i are going to Florida to watch the STS-130 launch on Sunday Feb 7th. It is a night launch, very early in the morning before dawn. I have tickets for the NASA Causeway which is the closest viewing spot for mere mortals. There is an Atlas V launch on Tuesday afternoon so hopefully we will get to see that as well. We'll do the usual Orlando stuff in there somewhere.
Finally. I have been wanting to see a shuttle launch since they started the program. Fingers crossed for no launch scrubs...
Finally. I have been wanting to see a shuttle launch since they started the program. Fingers crossed for no launch scrubs...
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My wife, daughter and i are going to Florida to watch the STS-130 launch on Sunday Feb 7th. It is a night launch, very early in the morning before dawn. I have tickets for the NASA Causeway which is the closest viewing spot for mere mortals. There is an Atlas V launch on Tuesday afternoon so hopefully we will get to see that as well. We'll do the usual Orlando stuff in there somewhere.
Finally. I have been wanting to see a shuttle launch since they started the program. Fingers crossed for no launch scrubs...
Finally. I have been wanting to see a shuttle launch since they started the program. Fingers crossed for no launch scrubs...
This is how far we were from it. Far, but still a clear view.
I'm surprised my camera could focus that far out. We have separation...
Left a cool looking trail
I think the coolest part from where we watched it from was how long the sound took to reach us. Saw it and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally after probably 10 seconds you could hear it. By then it was already well off the pad. Strange watching something that big from that far away because it seems much closer than it is.
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i hear this place is good, if you're near by.
Google Maps
also my only sushi rec in orlando, Hanamizuki
#5
I got to look an my jpeg files of some night shots I took from Jacksonville, all it captured it two ***** of fire that passed by at blazing speed. Never close to what you are going to experience, but is better than nothing and is on camera.
Pictures were taken at 1600 ISO using a Nikon 300mm telephoto AIs lens with a x2 converter, managed to remove some grain with Photoshop CS4, will see if I find them.
Pictures were taken at 1600 ISO using a Nikon 300mm telephoto AIs lens with a x2 converter, managed to remove some grain with Photoshop CS4, will see if I find them.
Last edited by psiturbo; 01-29-2010 at 08:56 PM. Reason: JDMPOWELOL
#6
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NA6C those are some good shots. I know the name of that Park you are talking about, Space-something I think. I remember reading about it as a great shuttle launch viewing site (this is my first time out there so I have been reading up on whatever I can).
I seriously considered going there because the causeway tickets are not cheap, and I am a cheap bastard sometimes. My wife told me to man up and spend the money since this is the only time we will get to go. I think she was right.
You can see it in Gainesville? Damn...
Thanks for the sushi recommendation.
I seriously considered going there because the causeway tickets are not cheap, and I am a cheap bastard sometimes. My wife told me to man up and spend the money since this is the only time we will get to go. I think she was right.
You can see it in Gainesville? Damn...
Thanks for the sushi recommendation.
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cameras can focus at (and sometimes beyond) infinity.
i hear this place is good, if you're near by.
Google Maps
also my only sushi rec in orlando, Hanamizuki
i hear this place is good, if you're near by.
Google Maps
also my only sushi rec in orlando, Hanamizuki
#8
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NA6C those are some good shots. I know the name of that Park you are talking about, Space-something I think. I remember reading about it as a great shuttle launch viewing site (this is my first time out there so I have been reading up on whatever I can).
I seriously considered going there because the causeway tickets are not cheap, and I am a cheap bastard sometimes. My wife told me to man up and spend the money since this is the only time we will get to go. I think she was right.
You can see it in Gainesville? Damn...
Thanks for the sushi recommendation.
I seriously considered going there because the causeway tickets are not cheap, and I am a cheap bastard sometimes. My wife told me to man up and spend the money since this is the only time we will get to go. I think she was right.
You can see it in Gainesville? Damn...
Thanks for the sushi recommendation.
Google maps has some pretty high quality satellite images of the space center grounds. Pretty good detail on the launch pads. That place is a nightmare of roads and buildings scattered randomly.
#13
I've seen about 10 since living here in Jacksonville. You think that's far, you can see it from Long Island on a clear day. That's probably more to do with the direction that shuttle launches though. The best I've seen was one at sunset. You could still see it 10 minutes later with the sun reflecting off of it.
#14
Want fries with that?
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Presumably, because I have a turbocharged Miata, which is more then can be said about you...
Still, I think they're pretty cool, I've watched a bunch of them on TV, though unfortunately never close... I just don't see a point in doing them. Enjoy yourself man!
Still, I think they're pretty cool, I've watched a bunch of them on TV, though unfortunately never close... I just don't see a point in doing them. Enjoy yourself man!
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I have been awake for 26 hours straight and I am a little punchy so I'll keep it brief. My family and I basically got buttraped by Delta and American Airlines from 6am Saturday morning at San Antonio until we finally made it to Orlando at 8 pm. Between three aircraft mechanical cancellations, idiot ticket counter agents, poor inter and intra airline communication, and the East coast airport closures, it was a perfect storm of travel hell. And the cherry on top was not getting out of the airport until 9 thanks to my luggage being lost. We should have been out of there at least 6 hours before that.
So I missed my scheduled tour bus to the Cape and had to catch one somewhere else. No time to go to the hotel. My daughter was sick from sniffles that escalated to a cold during the trip so my wife took her to the hotel and I ventured on solo. After another 4+ hours on my feet standing in lines and fighting huge crowds at the Cape visitors center I finally made it to the causeway. I sat out in the cold, looking at the shuttle on the pad, right up until they scrubbed the launch a 4:30 in the morning due to cloud cover. ****
It was a ************ of a day/night. We are going to try again tonight.
So I missed my scheduled tour bus to the Cape and had to catch one somewhere else. No time to go to the hotel. My daughter was sick from sniffles that escalated to a cold during the trip so my wife took her to the hotel and I ventured on solo. After another 4+ hours on my feet standing in lines and fighting huge crowds at the Cape visitors center I finally made it to the causeway. I sat out in the cold, looking at the shuttle on the pad, right up until they scrubbed the launch a 4:30 in the morning due to cloud cover. ****
It was a ************ of a day/night. We are going to try again tonight.
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I wish they were doing it just an hour later..
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled
Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:45:38 AM EST
Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour's next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST.
The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m.
Endeavour Launch Rescheduled
Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:45:38 AM EST
Managers officially have scheduled space shuttle Endeavour's next launch attempt for Monday, Feb. 8 at 4:14 a.m. EST.
The Mission Management Team will meet at 6:15 p.m. Sunday to give the "go" to fill Endeavour's external fuel tank with propellants. Tank loading would begin at 6:45 p.m.
#18
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I have been awake for 26 hours straight and I am a little punchy so I'll keep it brief. My family and I basically got buttraped by Delta and American Airlines from 6am Saturday morning at San Antonio until we finally made it to Orlando at 8 pm. Between three aircraft mechanical cancellations, idiot ticket counter agents, poor inter and intra airline communication, and the East coast airport closures, it was a perfect storm of travel hell. And the cherry on top was not getting out of the airport until 9 thanks to my luggage being lost. We should have been out of there at least 6 hours before that.
So I missed my scheduled tour bus to the Cape and had to catch one somewhere else. No time to go to the hotel. My daughter was sick from sniffles that escalated to a cold during the trip so my wife took her to the hotel and I ventured on solo. After another 4+ hours on my feet standing in lines and fighting huge crowds at the Cape visitors center I finally made it to the causeway. I sat out in the cold, looking at the shuttle on the pad, right up until they scrubbed the launch a 4:30 in the morning due to cloud cover. ****
It was a ************ of a day/night. We are going to try again tonight.
So I missed my scheduled tour bus to the Cape and had to catch one somewhere else. No time to go to the hotel. My daughter was sick from sniffles that escalated to a cold during the trip so my wife took her to the hotel and I ventured on solo. After another 4+ hours on my feet standing in lines and fighting huge crowds at the Cape visitors center I finally made it to the causeway. I sat out in the cold, looking at the shuttle on the pad, right up until they scrubbed the launch a 4:30 in the morning due to cloud cover. ****
It was a ************ of a day/night. We are going to try again tonight.