francis@chook.ua.oz (Francis Vaughan) (12/21/89)
Since a few people have been asking, I thought it was about time to share my experiences in trying to witness a shuttle launch. I attempted to see the STS-34 launch scheduled for October the 12th. As it was, the launch was delayed enough that I missed it, but my experiences may be of some value. On the recommendation of a few people I opted to join a NSS organised group. They run two types of tour. The first is a four day (and night) package tour, the second a day of launch bus tour. Since I was comming from OZ, and didn't know my way around I took the four day tour. This includes all accomodation, but no meals. They will pick you up from Orlando Airport and deliver you back again. The cost was $500. The tour was run by David Brandt, who is a full time employee of the NSS and a basicly really nice guy. He also understands real beer as opposed to the insipid muck normally served up in the US. The tour size was about 13 people, and limited by the size of the mini-bus used. It's a pretty interesting mix of people. We had people from all backgrounds, ages, and interests, with perhaps a slight overrepresentation of nurds and social misfits. None the less there were also quite intersting people to talk to. One person turned out to be a retired technician from JPL who had worked as a mission configuration specialist right from the Explorer missions. He had some fascinating anecdotes to tell. Accomodation was at the Ramada Inn, in Titusville, a pretty ordinary motel, with a Dennys attached. The food needless to say was appalling. We ate out mostly. We visited KSC a couple of times and went on the bus tours. We also spent a day at EPCOT and a day at Seaworld. The Seaworld visit was to kill time because of the launch delay. David supplied us with useful and nice bits and pieces. We each got copies of the press kits for the launch and copies of lots of other documentation. Plus we each got a mission patch (a nice touch). The other advantage of the NSS tours apparently is the vantage point for viewing the launch. They get a pass that enables them to take a busload onto the causeway, some miles closer than the unrestricted areas. It is still a long way away, you won't be taking any award winning photos. However pad A is closer than pad B so launches from there may afford a better view (assuming they don't change the restricted areas around). Now for the bad bits. Despite all of Davids and the NSSs efforts NASA seems not to give a shit about mere mortals who may have tracked half way around the world to see and learn. The Cape is as I indicated a short distance from Disney and all the other tourist traps. KSC is nothing but a big tourist machine catering for people who take a break from wasting money at Disney and thought they might like to take the kids to see a few rockets. There is three decades of history sitting out there and nobody cares. You can't even buy NASA publications from the bookshop at KSC. ------- OK, I don't normally flame, but turn on the gas and light up. The bus tours are appalling. Really appalling. It is hard to express my anger and frustration at the way these are conducted. There are two tours, the red and the blue. One takes you down the cape and shows you such unforgettable things as the launch control bunker for the Explorer shots. Outside this is a lawned area covered is old missiles and small rockets and interesting junk. They let you have ten minutes to see it. TEN MINUTES!! you can't even do justice to one exhibit in that time. As the bus left I saw a V-1 and V-2 for the first time out of the window. I had not enough time to walk completly around the lawn to even glance at the exhibits. The second tour takes you around the KSC facilities. Again amazing things to see, no time to see them. We saw the building where the Apollo astronauts trained on a simulated moonscape, complete with one of the remaining landers. Plus in the same room one of the remaining command/service modules. Probably less than five minutes viewing time. Then a ride out to the VAB, a quick look at one of the crawlers (BIG) a drive around the perimiter of the VAB (one door partially open and a stack inside). This is the closest you will get to a shuttle. Around the other side is the Saturn V we keep hearing mentioned rusting on the lawn. You are not given enough time to walk the length of the rocket. Literally, I ran with my camera taking pictures and did not make it further up than the bottom of the third stage before the bus driver was yelling at everyone to get back on the bus. When I was back at the motel I can across a local community newspaper, the lead artical was about a womans family that received a large (~$1.8M I think) payout after she was killed by a tour bus T-boning her car inside KSC. Evidence was given that the tour company (NASA subcontracts the tour operation) was imposing unrealistic timetables upon the drivers, which caused them to break all sorts of laws in order to complete the tours on time. It was also noted that the driver in question had been disqualified from driving, but that the tour company didn't care. Rather summed things up I thought. The problem is that that the stuff you see on the tours is high on the must see list, and there is no other way of seeing it. I came half way around the world, spent a lot of money and time and basicly got to spend less than an hour total time seeing what I came to see. ----- OK, turn the flame off. Now for a few other comments and advice. The tour bus also takes you past launch pad A. Normally they let you off for a few minutes, but because of the RTGs fiasco nobody was let off the bus within sight of the launch pads (even though pad A was some miles off) in case they were a member of the Christics and wanted to picket the launch. In general I got the feeling that a better view, and closer approach to the shuttle would be had for any launch that was from pad A, but I don't know how much they might divert the tour routes. You will probably never get close to a good view of the shuttle because it remains covered until only some hours before the launch, and by then the tours have been stopped. In summary, I would go with the NSS for a tour, take a camera, lots of film and burn film, because this is the only way you will get to see what is there; on your photos, you will not have time to register what is happening whilst you are there. If you want it all laid on and a bit of a holiday, take the four day package, if you only want the actual launch and can organise everything else (car, accomodation) get the one day launch special. Anyway lots of thanks to David Brandt, and those that recommended the tours. No thanks at all to NASA and the dorks that run the public relations. Dept of Computer Science Francis Vaughan University of Adelaide francis@cs.ua.oz.au South Australia.
reb@squid.rtech.com ("REB - Tennessee Lamb") (12/21/89)
In article <692@sirius.ucs.adelaide.edu.au> francis@chook.ua.oz (Francis Vaughan) writes: >There are two tours, the red and the blue. One takes you down the cape >and shows you such unforgettable things as the launch control bunker for >the Explorer shots. Outside this is a lawned area covered is old missiles >and small rockets and interesting junk. They let you have ten minutes to >see it. TEN MINUTES!! you can't even do justice to one exhibit in that >time. As the bus left I saw a V-1 and V-2 for the first time out of the >window. I had not enough time to walk completly around the lawn to even >glance at the exhibits. I remember that one time I was there a couple of years ago they had a special do-it-yourself tour one day a week. I happened to be there the right day ;-) I don't remember the details, but you basically got a map and were allowed to go around and look at some of the old launch pads at your own leisure. reb reb@rtech.com reb%rtech.com@lll-winken.llnl.GOV h:861 Washington Westwood NJ 07675 201-666-9207 I've been warped by the rain, driven by the snow drunk and dirty don't you know and I'm still willin'...