steve@goofy.nm.paradyne.com (Steve Fowler) (04/20/89)
In article <4509@mtuxo.att.com> tee@mtuxo.att.com (54317-T.EBERSOLE) writes: >In article <4505@mtuxo.att.com>, tee@mtuxo.att.com (54317-T.EBERSOLE) writes: >< >< I'll be in Florida next week and will be trying to watch Atlantis >< leap for the sky. ..... >< .. getting tickets or passes from my Congressman .... >< Tickets aren't needed for the public viewing area, as it's first- >< come-first-served. >< So, I thought I'd check with you folks on the correctness of this >< opinion, and for suggestions on how to best view the shuttle launch. >< Is there someone else I should try to contact? >< > >To followup my own article, I called Robert Torricelli, the only >NJ Rep. listed by Peter Scott as a member of the Committee on >Science, Space and Technologies. (Peter, thank you for posting >that list.) His office said passes are required (although I'm >still hazy on what the passes are for; some public viewing area, >I suppose). Passes should be mailed to me by the NASA Liaison >Office today. > >I would still like to read suggestions on how to best view the >shuttle launch, when I should get there, directions to wherever >the passes get me in, ... > >-- >Tim Ebersole ...!att!mtuxo!tee > or {allegra,ulysses,mtune,...}!mtuxo!tee If have been to only one launch. The return to space of Discovery. The gentlemen I went with have relatives that work on the shuttle itself. They relayed to me that the passes will get you onto the Space Center causeway. The causeway is about 8 miles away from the launch pad and be seen cleary. Unforunately I was not able to get on base due to unforseen problems, so I ended up about 11 miles out on a causeway on the north side of the base. If you get passes for the launch, most likely they will get you onto the causeway. The Challenger accident had forced the NASA people to move the civilians to at least 8 miles out from the pad to avoid problems with civilians should there any kind of accident. The press is allowed to within three miles from the pad, this press area sits along side the launch control center. The only persons allowed closer than 3 miles during a launch is the crew of the shuttle itself. I would highly recom- mend that you get there EARLY to avoid traffic problems. When I went, we get there about 4:30am fro an 11:30am launch and the traffic was backed up then, so, be for warned. I live in the Tampa Bay area and seen two launches from here. Both were spectacular. I hope you get on base to see the launch. It will be well worth any hassles you encounter along the way. Good Luck. Steve F. Steve Fowler \ _ / |UUCP: ..!uunet!pdn!steve --- AT&T/Paradyne ~o.O~ |DOMAIN: steve@pdn.paradyne.com -==-- P.O. Box 2826 (_|_) |LAND: (813)530-2186 -==-- AT&T Largo, FL 34649-2826 / U |SEA: 27 53 30 N / 82 45 30 W --- Paradyne
chuck@melmac.harris-atd.com (Chuck Musciano) (04/22/89)
In article <5962@pdn.paradyne.com> steve@goofy.paradyne.com (Steve Fowler) writes: >I live in the Tampa Bay area and seen two launches from here. >Both were spectacular. I hope you get on base to see the launch. >It will be well worth any hassles you encounter along the way. This will probably amaze people who don't live near the Cape, but I have lived about 40 minutes south of the Cape for almost seven years and have never been to a launch. I like to watch them from the roof of our building here at Harris, or from the front yard. Even if you don't get super close, it is still a neat experience. Even down here, forty miles away, the noise rumbles by about six minutes after launch. With a pair of binoculars, you can follow the SRBs all the way down after separation. I would agree that the traffic will be horrendous, but worth it. In particular, the Beeline Expressway (State Road 528) and State Road 520 will be very crowded. Route 1 and A1A will be crowded also. Get as close as you can and just enjoy it. I've heard that the very best place to watch is from a boat in the Banana River just west of the Cape. Before Challenger, commercial pilots leaving from Melbourne Airport would time their flights to be in the air to the west right at launch. A view from the air would be spectacular. Chuck Musciano ARPA : chuck@trantor.harris-atd.com Harris Corporation Usenet: ...!uunet!x102a!trantor!chuck PO Box 37, MS 3A/1912 AT&T : (407) 727-6131 Melbourne, FL 32902 FAX : (407) 727-{5118,5227,4004}