belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) (04/04/89)
The shuttle schedule for this year is: Mission Launch Duration STS-30 April 28 5 days -- Landing May 2 EAFB STS-28 July 1 DoD mission STS-33 August 10 DoD mission STS-34 October 12 4 days STS-32 November 13 5 days STS-31 December 11 5 days The public viewing site is open 24 hours prior to landing for all non-DoD missions. No special passes are required for the public site.
tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Tom Fredericks) (04/16/89)
How does a DOD mission differ from a non DOD? As in will we not be able to get close or are things more restricted than that? Would it be better to go to a non DOD for a first time? Thanks Tom... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter the point where reality and illusion merge to become one... tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) (04/17/89)
In article <8156@boulder.Colorado.EDU>, tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: > > How does a DOD mission differ from a non DOD? As in will we not be > able to get close or are things more restricted than that? Would > it be better to go to a non DOD for a first time? > Thanks > Tom... A DoD mission is a mission that is carrying a classified payload and/or performing classifed experiments. NASA does not usually announce the duration of these missions until after they are launched. The landings (I assume the launches also; I know more about the landings than the launches) for these missions are closed to public viewing. This means the public viewing site (on the East shore of the lake bed) at Edwards AFB is not available. If you were familiar with the area around Edwards, you could find a spot somewhere off the base and watch the glide; I doubt you would be able to see the touchdown or rollout. You would have to know where and when to look, though, or you could miss the whole thing. At a public landing, there are thousands of other eyes helping you spot the orbiter. Your best bet is to wait for a non DoD mission and go to the public landing site. Steve belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov
paul@mit-caf.MIT.EDU (Paul Meyer) (04/17/89)
In article <257@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov> belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) writes: > > Your best bet is to wait for a non DoD mission and go to the public landing >site. > > Steve > belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov I'll be moving to Pheonix this summer, so I'll be able to drive up and see a shuttle land finally. What's the normal procedure? Is there somewhere nearby to camp out? Does it cost anything or require any paperwork to get in? On my map of California, Edwards looks pretty big. where on the base does the shuttle land? Southern California, here I come, -- | Paul Meyer | Two more months and counting... | | paul@caf.mit.edu | "You killed my true love" | | Microsystems Technology Laboratory | "It's possible. I kill a lot | | MIT | of people." |
tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Tom Fredericks) (04/18/89)
In article <257@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov> belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) writes: >In article <8156@boulder.Colorado.EDU>, tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Tom Fredericks) writes: >> >> How does a DOD mission differ from a non DOD? As in will we not be >> able to get close or are things more restricted than that? Would >> it be better to go to a non DOD for a first time? >> Thanks >> Tom... > > > The landings (I assume the launches also; I know more about the landings >than the launches) for these missions are closed to public viewing. This > Your best bet is to wait for a non DoD mission and go to the public landing >site. > > Steve > belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov What about launches, are they as bad or will we still be able to see stuff? We really wanted to go see a launch this summer but since they are both DOD then I don't know. Anybody have any experience with going to a DOD LAUNCH? Thanks, Tom... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Enter the point where reality and illusion merge to become one... tomf@boulder.Colorado.EDU -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rogers@wlf.isi.edu (Craig Milo Rogers) (04/18/89)
In article <257@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov> belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) writes: >If you were familiar with the area around Edwards, you >could find a spot somewhere off the base and watch the glide; I doubt you would >be able to see the touchdown or rollout. You would have to know where and when >to look, though, or you could miss the whole thing. I have friends who recently moved to a site in the desert (no power, water delivered by truck) north of Boron, CA. They aren't particularly interested in the space program, so they weren't aware of the last shuttle mission, until one day they heard a double boom, looked up, and saw Discovery making a U-turn more-or-less above their property. I now know where I may be going to "observe" some of the DoD Shuttle landings this summer. Craig Milo Rogers
belle@skipper.dfrf.nasa.gov (Steve Belle) (04/18/89)
In article <2192@mit-caf.MIT.EDU>, paul@mit-caf.MIT.EDU (Paul Meyer) writes: > > I'll be moving to Pheonix this summer, so I'll be able to drive up > and see a shuttle land finally. What's the normal procedure? Is there > somewhere nearby to camp out? Does it cost anything or require any > paperwork to get in? On my map of California, Edwards looks pretty big. > where on the base does the shuttle land? Southern California, here I > come, > Edwards AFB is a big base, but the centerpiece is Rogers Dry Lake which is usually named as such on most maps. There are several runways criss-crossing the lake bed. These lake bed runways aren't prepared surfaces; just the hard clay of the lake bed. There is one concrete runway at Edwards. Most of the time, the orbiters land on the lake bed although at the last landing, the concrete runway was used to conduct some braking tests. The runway of choice for landings is usually runway 17, a seven mile runway running roughly north-south. The shuttle's trajectory usually brings them over the coast of California around Santa Barbara, cruising along at Mach 7 or 8, heading straight for Edwards. The orbiter glides over the lake bed and banks left, lines up with the runway, and touches down. You'll hear a double sonic boom 3 or 4 minutes before touch down. There is a public viewing site for non DoD missions on the East shore of the dry lake. This site is on Air Force property, but there are no guard gates to go through to get there. The viewing site opens for public landings 24 hours prior to landing. There is no paperwork to do or passes to obtain; just come. The viewing site is large; most people who come show up early with motor homes or trailers. You can camp right at the viewing site. The Air Force usually provides portable toilets, and sometimes there are others selling food and souveniers. To get to the public viewing site, find your way to either California highway 14 about 5 miles north of Lancaster or California highway 58 about 20 miles east of Mojave. There are signs along both of these roads directing you to the public viewing site.
ejk@cbnews.ATT.COM (erik.j.kramer) (09/19/89)
Could someone please post the current schedule of Shuttle missions for the upcoming year? Erik Kramer att!mvups!ejk