root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue) (04/11/91)
I've watched a number of shuttle take offs at KSC, but I've never seen a
landing there. Short of being on the property itself, where is/are the best
place(s) to see the shuttle land if Kennedy is chosen instead of Edwards?
What is the orientation of the runway? Is it likely based on wind that the
shuttle could land in one of the two directions, or is only one of the
directions acceptable?
------------------------------<<<Mike Ungerman>>>----------------------------
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Voice: 407-366-5840 | Prodigy: JSNP58A | Compuserve: 71326,31henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) (04/11/91)
In article <8502@crash.cts.com> root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue) writes: >I've watched a number of shuttle take offs at KSC, but I've never seen a >landing there. Short of being on the property itself, where is/are the best >place(s) to see the shuttle land if Kennedy is chosen instead of Edwards? I think the basic answer is "there is no good place". The runway is deep inside KSC and you'd need heavy-duty optics to get a good view from outside. -- And the bean-counter replied, | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology "beans are more important". | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry
afmartp@lims03.lerc.nasa.gov (PETER MARTIN) (04/12/91)
In article <8502@crash.cts.com>, root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue) writes... >I've watched a number of shuttle take offs at KSC, but I've never seen a >landing there. Short of being on the property itself, where is/are the best >place(s) to see the shuttle land if Kennedy is chosen instead of Edwards? > >What is the orientation of the runway? Is it likely based on wind that the >shuttle could land in one of the two directions, or is only one of the >directions acceptable? > There is no really good place to view a shuttle landing if you are not on the base itself. The runway is miles inside the boarder of the center, and since there is no massive rocket plume and smoke trailing the orbiter, it is not as easy to locate as a launch if you are not set up in the right direction to view it. When I worked at the Cape, we used to have a good view of a landing by just walking out of our trailer offices that were located right next to the OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility). If I remember corectly, the runway is oriented in close to a North-South direction, or somewhat parallel to the coastline. But anyway, it is pretty easy to miss if you don't know right where to look. Pete
feigal@npdiss3.StPaul.NCR.COM (John Feigal) (04/12/91)
In article <8502@crash.cts.com> root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue) writes: >I've watched a number of shuttle take offs at KSC, but I've never seen a >landing there. Short of being on the property itself, where is/are the best >place(s) to see the shuttle land if Kennedy is chosen instead of Edwards? I watched one shuttle landing a number of years back from the Holiday Inn property in Titusville. We were able to hear it (the boom) and see it with the naked eye but binoculars helped. > >What is the orientation of the runway? Is it likely based on wind that the >shuttle could land in one of the two directions, or is only one of the >directions acceptable? The landing I saw was from south to north. > John Feigal feigal@ncrons.StPaul.NCR.COM
kaplow@pobox.enet.dec.com (Bob Kaplow) (04/17/91)
In article <8502@crash.cts.com>, root@crash.cts.com (Bill Blue) writes... >I've watched a number of shuttle take offs at KSC, but I've never seen a >landing there. Short of being on the property itself, where is/are the best >place(s) to see the shuttle land if Kennedy is chosen instead of Edwards? > >What is the orientation of the runway? Is it likely based on wind that the >shuttle could land in one of the two directions, or is only one of the >directions acceptable? I tried to see the runway while I was down for the STS-37 launch. It is west of the 39A/B complex, with its south end not far from the VAB. We didn't take the tour, but drove on a public road (SR 402, closed 24 hrs before launch operations) out to the Canaveral beach. That took us right past the north end of the runway, but there are so many weeds growing there that it remained hidden from view. The runway is just west of SR 3, and parallel to it. That area is not open to the public. As to orientation, the map I have of the KSC shows that the orientation is roughly NW/SE, about 15/33. Given what I experienced when I was there, it would seem that they would always have a cross-wind. Due to the sea vs land temperatures, the winds around the cape seem to be either easterly or westerly. I don't see where they could have built that long an E/W runway thou. If they land south to north, then anywhere on the Merrit Island complex should be good for watching the approach. I don't think that there is any place to see the actual runway. For a north approach, somewhere up the coast on US 1 or along the beach might be good. Having never seen a landing, I doubt it could be as impressive as the launch. Yet, if one were happening while I was there, I'd sure go out and see what there was to see. Edwards should be a much bettewr site to view from. Everytinng is flat and deserted, with no brush in thew way. Bob Kaplow | UUCP: ...!decwrl!pobox.enet.dec.com!kaplow Digital Equipment Corp. | ARPA: kaplow@pobox.enet.dec.com Elk Grove Village, IL | CIS: >INTERNET:kaplow@pobox.enet.dec.com There is no such thing as a free launch!