[net.columbia] VIP Shuttle Passes

dta@cpsc53a.UUCP (Doug Anderson) (07/10/85)

	From: Doug Anderson

	Subject: VIP Shuttle Passes.

	NASA has provided an address to write to to get VIP passes for 
	future shuttle launches.  These passes allow the holder to take one
	(1) vehicle on to Merritt Island (the place you see all the TV 
	footage from during the launches). You can pile as many people in 
	the vehicle as you wish.

	The sight is about 1.5 miles from the shuttle launch pad and you get 
	GREAT viewing!!



		NASA Public Affairs,
		PA-VIC,
		John F. Kennedy Space Center
		Kennedy Space Center
		Florida,  32899

	While I've never requested a pass for a particular launch they seem
	to try to get you one for the next launch available so if your
	comming down to Florida you may just want to try and get a pass.



		Doug Anderson
		ATT-IS
		Orland Florida

jeffg@pyramid.UUCP (Jeff Glover) (07/15/85)

In article <112@cpsc53a.UUCP> dta@cpsc53a.UUCP (Doug Anderson) writes:
>	Subject: VIP Shuttle Passes.
>
>	NASA has provided an address to write to to get VIP passes for 
>	future shuttle launches.  These passes allow the holder to take one
>	(1) vehicle on to Merritt Island (the place you see all the TV 
>	footage from during the launches). You can pile as many people in 
>	the vehicle as you wish.

1. 	The pass mentioned is not called a VIP pass.  I forget it's real
	name, but the VIP pass is entirely different and is *OFFERED*, not
	requested.  The TV footage is from the VIP area, not the pass area.

>	The sight is about 1.5 miles from the shuttle launch pad and you get 
>	GREAT viewing!!

2.	The site for the pass mentioned is about 5 miles due south of the
	launch pad;  I think even the blockhouse (Is that what it is called
	these days?) is 3 miles away!

>	While I've never requested a pass for a particular launch they seem
>	to try to get you one for the next launch available so if your
>	comming down to Florida you may just want to try and get a pass.

3.	I've been to that location twice; both times on someone else's pass.
	They seemed to have waited forever for them.
--
Jeff C. Glover, Tektronix, Inc. PO Box 500, MS Y6-546, Beaverton, OR 97077
{ decvax, allegra, hplabs, ihnp4 } tektronix!tekcbi!jeffg

karn@petrus.UUCP (Phil R. Karn) (07/20/85)

My own suggestion is to, if at all possible, get a PRESS pass instead of a
VIP pass. This gives you access to the "bleachers" and the rest of the Pad
39 Press Site, including the press conference room, and the Press Dome, with
dozens of nifty handouts for the taking. (My stack was about a foot high.)
There were plenty of bus tours. One was a general tour of the rest of Cape
Canaveral, while the real highlights were the three trips (daytime, sunset,
RSS rollback) out to the perimeter of the pad fence.  Standing just east of
the pad at night as the xenon spots were turned on was quite a memorable
experience; after that, the launch itself was almost anti-climactic.

Press passes are given to anyone with a bona-fide role as a writer or
reporter. In my case I was there with a colleague to "cover" the launch of
STS-9 (the first "ham-in-space" flight) for AMSAT's magazine. Others were
there from L-5, etc.  Press interest in shuttle missions has waned
considerably (only half the stands were filled for STS-9, and that was 1.5
years ago) so the competition isn't bad. Most of the press there were
obviously hard-core space junkies, but NASA certainly didn't mind that they
enjoy their "jobs".

The only problem with seeing a launch in person is that there is no
instant replay.

Phil

stanley@bmcg.UUCP (Stanley S. Acton) (07/23/85)

> 
> >	The sight is about 1.5 miles from the shuttle launch pad and you get 
> >	GREAT viewing!!
> 
> 2.	The site for the pass mentioned is about 5 miles due south of the
> 	launch pad;  I think even the blockhouse (Is that what it is called
> 	these days?) is 3 miles away!

The closest you can get to a shuttle launch is about 3 miles.  That is
where the building with all the big dark windows next to the VAB is.
If you are so lucky as to be there, i.e. family of crew, employee or
someone very important, you get to stand on the roof of this place
with a great view.  The press section is about 500 yards from there and
also has a great view, just about 4 stories lower.  Then there
is the Offical Guest area, I think this is the area of which a previous 
article spoke.  It is about 4.5 miles away, and the ascent of the 
shuttle is somewhat blocked by the huge steam cloud produced by the 
firing of the mains for 6 seconds before launch.  

There is also a large viewing area about 5-6 miles away that is open to
the general public for all launches.  This may not be true for DoD launches.  
This area is really not all that bad, and they have all sorts of loud 
speakers and port-a-toilets to handle any size crowd that might show up.

If I were you, I would make it a point to see one of these lift-offs
from where ever.  It is really amazing.
-- 
..!sdcsvax!bmcg!stanley

Stanley S. Acton
Burroughs Corporation
Advanced Systems Group
(619) 485-4494