topgun@vpnet.chi.il.us (robert white) (07/07/90)
I was recently a visitor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
I heard that at the time of a sapce shuttle launch, no one is
permitted to be any closer than the vehicle assembly building.
If you are a tourist who doesn't have connections like a
Steven Speielberg or media type who seem to get invited for a ring
side seat, what is the closest you can hope to get to watch a
shuttle launch?
As a point of interest, why are there several armored personnel
carriers scattered between the vehicle assembly buliding and the
route to the launch pads 39a and 39b?robertb@cs.washington.edu (Robert Bedichek) (07/07/90)
In article <2694cced-13asci.space.shuttle@vpnet.chi.il.us> topgun@vpnet.chi.il.us (robert white) writes: > > I was recently a visitor at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. > I heard that at the time of a sapce shuttle launch, no one is >permitted to be any closer than the vehicle assembly building. > If you are a tourist who doesn't have connections like a >Steven Speielberg or media type who seem to get invited for a ring >side seat, what is the closest you can hope to get to watch a >shuttle launch? Perhaps your best bet is to get a ride on a boat that goes up the Banana River to the edge of the Manatee preservation area. I saw a Titan 3 launch that way two weeks ago. > As a point of interest, why are there several armored personnel >carriers scattered between the vehicle assembly buliding and the >route to the launch pads 39a and 39b? I'm surprised that the Tour guide didn't point them out. They are rescue/escape vehicles. There is a guide wire system that the astronauts would use to get from the orbiter gantry to APV's on the ground. They would be used in case of a conflagration on the pad. Rob