gmac17 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Only 5 launches left, I'd really like to catch one of them. Is a night launch or a day launch more interesting? Where do you watch from? (there are tours for about $100 that claim to get you to a great viewing area - the nasa causeway or something) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I haven't been to the Cape to see a launch, but I have been in Vero Beach, FL with my grandparents on numerous occasions to see a launch. Vero is about 80 miles south so you can't see it close up, but you sure can see the contrail and the yellow/orange flame from the exhaust nozzles. I'd love to actually be on the cape for a launch. I'll wait till they start shooting off the orion with the Ares I rocket. That'll be a show and a half! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dib Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I've been able to see night/day launches from my backyard, and they're awesome. This is from 200+ miles away, so I can only imagine how they are up close and personal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LewPort71 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 By all means go see a launch. My friend from Ohio went to a night-time launch and he said it was incredible. Night time became day light. Like you said, there are only 5 launches remaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 I'll wait till they start shooting off the orion with the Ares I rocket. That'll be a show and a half! Assuming it's not scrapped due to budget constraints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted January 28, 2010 Author Share Posted January 28, 2010 thanks everyone, i'm going to try to make it down to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DPR4444 Posted January 28, 2010 Share Posted January 28, 2010 Sadly, today is the 24th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. "January 28th marks the 24 year anniversary of the Challenger disaster. In 1986, the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. Everyone on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, was killed. The explosion was a result of a leak in one of the solid rocket boosters, which ignited the main liquid fuel tank. The tragedy became one of the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions of people around the world watched the accident happen on live television." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Sadly, today is the 24th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. "January 28th marks the 24 year anniversary of the Challenger disaster. In 1986, the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff. Everyone on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, was killed. The explosion was a result of a leak in one of the solid rocket boosters, which ignited the main liquid fuel tank. The tragedy became one of the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions of people around the world watched the accident happen on live television." Nitpicking, I know, but Challenger did not "explode", rather, the aerodynamic forces at the time the external tank came apart essentially ripped the shuttle to pieces. And the flame plume from the right SRB did not ignite the liquid fuel in the tank, it burned through the aft strut holding the SRB to the tank. When the strut gave way, the SRB swung upwards, impacting the forward dome of the ET, causing it to fail. The big fireball seen was a conflagration caused by the combustion of the liquid H2 and O2 in the tank. As far as the launches go, you can call in to try and get passes at the visitor center, but they go, really, really fast. And the view is not so good from what I hear. You can check out the causeway in Titusville, but it gets mega crowded, go early. PM me for some more details if you wish... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booster4324 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Nitpicking, I know, but Challenger did not "explode", rather, the aerodynamic forces at the time the external tank came apart essentially ripped the shuttle to pieces. And the flame plume from the right SRB did not ignite the liquid fuel in the tank, it burned through the aft strut holding the SRB to the tank. When the strut gave way, the SRB swung upwards, impacting the forward dome of the ET, causing it to fail. The big fireball seen was a conflagration caused by the combustion of the liquid H2 and O2 in the tank. As far as the launches go, you can call in to try and get passes at the visitor center, but they go, really, really fast. And the view is not so good from what I hear. You can check out the causeway in Titusville, but it gets mega crowded, go early. PM me for some more details if you wish... When it comes to space stuff, you are my hero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 When it comes to space stuff, you are my hero. Well, Thanks! Good to know my annoying hobby (at least this is what my wife tells me) is good for something. Also, while many people around the world did in fact see the lift-off live (due to the presence of the Teacher in Space), nearly NO ONE actually witnessed the actual accident live, as the live feed went to a commercial at the time. About the only people who actually saw the accident live were at the Cape that day... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BB27 Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 God, I haven't posted in ages! Go see a launch, it is incredible/awesome all at the same time. Get as close as you can, the sound of it is what is really cool. You expect an airplane/jet sound, but it is nothing like that, more like a really loud ripping sound (that doesn't do it justice). If you can see a night launch I would totally do it, but they are extremely rare, and if I remember correctly, the last 5 are supposed to be day launches. If you are just going down for the launch, be prepared to go back and forth from where you are going to watch it because these things have a tendency to get cancelled/postponed many times before the big show. The prime viewing areas that are accessible to the public fill up a few days before the launch time. (at least they did when I was there,might be different now) I was lucky when I went, I had a connection with someone and actually got to go on the space center for the launch, we were real close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 thanks everyone - this is great. I am going down with reservations to go on a boat on the banana river which they claim is a decent view (and we don't have to stake out our spot hours ahead of time). They say it is about 7 miles away, the nasa causeway is 6 miles and titusville is about 10 - we'll see. I'm very nervous about a postponement - don't have much time down there so i'm taking a chance. It is a night launch, 4:38 am - last night launch scheduled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 The tragedy became one of the most significant events of the 1980s, as billions of people around the world watched the accident happen on live television." I don't know who wrote that, but there's no way in hell 'billions' of people were watching what had become a routine shuttle flight. Other than maybe the moon landing, I doubt 'billions' have ever watched anything on TV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 I don't know who wrote that, but there's no way in hell 'billions' of people were watching what had become a routine shuttle flight. I remember being in high school, we didn't watch it live, but we did see it shortly after one of the librarians came into study hall and told us about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted January 31, 2010 Author Share Posted January 31, 2010 Other than maybe the moon landing, I doubt 'billions' have ever watched anything on TV. amen. nothing pisses me off more than overhyped viewer numbers. In fact i think the miss universe pageant says that a billion people watch or something ridiculous. The World Cup probably gets some pretty impressive numbers, but even that is probably not what they say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I don't know who wrote that, but there's no way in hell 'billions' of people were watching what had become a routine shuttle flight. Other than maybe the moon landing, I doubt 'billions' have ever watched anything on TV. Agreed, however, if anything, Challenger showed that NO space flight is ever routine, despite what NASA management would have everyone believe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Special K Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 thanks everyone - this is great. I am going down with reservations to go on a boat on the banana river which they claim is a decent view (and we don't have to stake out our spot hours ahead of time). They say it is about 7 miles away, the nasa causeway is 6 miles and titusville is about 10 - we'll see. I'm very nervous about a postponement - don't have much time down there so i'm taking a chance. It is a night launch, 4:38 am - last night launch scheduled. I live about 40 miles from the cape, so I see them all, but a night launch is definitely the one you want to see. Hope for your sake there isn't a postponement, but don't be too shocked if it happens....they def. don't have a great track record for getting these things off on the first try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammered a Lot Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I live about 40 miles from the cape, so I see them all, but a night launch is definitely the one you want to see. Hope for your sake there isn't a postponement, but don't be too shocked if it happens....they def. don't have a great track record for getting these things off on the first try. How big is your house TBD/NASA Tailgate Party. I'll bring the Molsons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortured Soul Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 amen. nothing pisses me off more than overhyped viewer numbers. In fact i think the miss universe pageant says that a billion people watch or something ridiculous. The World Cup probably gets some pretty impressive numbers, but even that is probably not what they say. Nothing? According to Wikipedia, 600 million watched it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-..._note-Parkes-44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I've seen day and night launches from the back patio of a bar in Titusville. It's a true spectacle! Beyond the roar and visual, you can watch the water ripple from the Cape right up to where you stand a few miles away, then feel the earth move. -literally! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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