[sci.space.shuttle] KSC Tour During Launch Prep.

CURRAN@rcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Curran, Jim) (03/15/90)

Hi,
	I plan to be at KSC on March 23 and I was wondering how the
tours will be affected by the Discovery launch preparations.  When I was
younger, my family and I took the bus tour and we were allowed to walk real
close to the VAB.  How about these days?  Is this a good or bad time to visit
KSC?
			Thanks in advance,
				Jim Curran

curran@ferrari.eng.ohio-state.edu
curran%rcgl1@eng.ohio-state.edu

steve@goofy.nm.paradyne.com (Steve Fowler) (03/15/90)

In article <4530@quanta.eng.ohio-state.edu> CURRAN@rcgl1.eng.ohio-state.edu (Curran, Jim) writes:
>	I plan to be at KSC on March 23 and I was wondering how the
>tours will be affected by the Discovery launch preparations.  When I was
>younger, my family and I took the bus tour and we were allowed to walk real
>close to the VAB.  How about these days?  Is this a good or bad time to visit
>KSC?
>
>curran@ferrari.eng.ohio-state.edu
>curran%rcgl1@eng.ohio-state.edu

I was at the Cape when Atlantis was on Pad 39A  well  before  the
Challenger  accident. The tour bus went upto Pad 39B which had no
shuttle on it. They keep people away from the pads with  shuttles
on them for both security and public safety (volatile chemicals).
They do not tour the VAB anymore because of  the  work  with  the
solid  rocket  boosters  going  on. I went on the same tour after
Discovery's return to space and they drove upto the pad that  the
launch was from. Got a good look at the damage caused by the SRBs
and Main Engines (Awesome!!). If you are hoping to see a close up
of  the shuttle, you will be disappointed. They do not allow any-
one close to the shuttles. For the most part the shuttles are  in
the  VAB, OPF, or on the pad wrapped in the processing arm of the
pad.

Overall the visit to KSC is well worth it. You will not be disap-
pointed in going to the Cape.


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