giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (11/14/83)
For non-press passes to KSC for a launch, contact: NASA Public Affairs PA-VIC John F. Kennedy Space Center Kennedy Soace Center, Fl 32899 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Warning for launches: For STS-1, it took me 5 hours to travel as any miles the day of the launch. Things are better now, but still allow *PLENTY* of time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- General information for travel to Central Florida: <1>: TRAFFIC: Our roads are designed for the *local* population load, not peak tourist loads. So expect major traffic jams. During a launch Titusville's population can more than *double* easily. Similiarly for Orlando, the metro population is ~750,000 normally, but can approach 1 million during the summer and Christmas, with most of the increase on I-4 heading toward Disney (==> 5 mile long traffic jams on the interstate). <2>: WEATHER: (a): Expect rain any time of the year. During the summer (April to September) expect severe afternoon thunderstorms. In the winter, expect rains at least 3 days out of the week. How- ever, the rain is normally over in an hour, and the sky clears up again. (b): From October until March, bring a good variety of clothing. The afternoon temperatures will generally be up into the 70's even if the morning low is near freezing. Because of the Gulf and Atlantic, the humidity is high year round, so the cold is *COLD*. A generally good idea is to layer your clothes from beach cloths underneath to long-sleeved shirts/ jeans and a heavy sweater. (c): From May to August wear loose light-colored cloths. Forget about anti-perspirsant(?), however; it is a lost cause. Sun-tan lotion is *highly* recommended for anybody from above the M-D line, especially for a day at KSC or Disney. <3>: AIRPORTS: The nearest *major* airport to KSC is Orlando Int'l, which is about 40 miles west. There are several smaller ones in Titusville itself, but there are far fewer flights into them. The major corridors from Orlando to Titusville are the Bee-line Exwy (toll road) and State Road 50 (4-lane divided except for a 10 mile 2-lane stretch). <4>: BEACHES: If you have a chance, visit the Canaveral National Sea- shore. It is on NASA property *just* north of complex 39. If you arrive a week early, the beach is inside of a security perimeter but you can still drive to it; and the shuttle on the pad is only a couple (I think <2) miles away -- you can get a *very* good view of it. From ~ T-3 days until touchdown the south end of the beach is completely restricted. However, the north end of the seashore is still open, and can be reached from New Smyrna Beach. (CNS is approximately 20 miles long). Anyway, it is also one of the few remaining natural beaches in the state. No condos. No hotels. No merchants. No driving on the beach. (Limited bathrooms). Hence, you can frequently find crabs, fish off-shore (both meanings),.... <5>: INSECTS: Yes, the mosquitos are a problem at KSC. More serious, at least during their peak seasons (which have slipped my mind) are LOVEBUGS. You have not lived until you drive into a swarm of lovebugs at 60 mph and your windshield, radiator, headlights, ... are *COVERED* with their remains. Not only can you not see through them, they are very good paint remover, *and* at the normal temps when they are around, dry to a nearly irremovable cement within a few hours. Why are they called lovebugs? Ask Hugh Heffner. I hope this is the information you needed. Sorry about the travelog style. Bruce Giles decvax!ucf-cs!giles (UUCP) UCF, Dept of Math, Orlando Fl 32816 (Snail)
giles@ucf-cs.UUCP (11/16/83)
I meant to mention this in the other article, but it was missed somehow: <1>: NASA recommends you allow at least 4 months to obtain passes to a launch. Thus, the next launch you could get passes to would be in March, if not later. <2>: Although no widely known (as far as I know), the SRB/Sound Suppression System forms a *LOT* of acid rain. I have heard stories of plants having holes in all of their leaves up to 1/2 mile away, the gantry being severely corroded, .... So -- if you have a pass it would be a good idea to take along some protective clothing just in case. A list follows: (a): Windbreaker -- to protect your clothes. (b): Hat -- to protect your head, face. (c): Decongestant/antihistamine -- in case you inhale any of the vapors, they are very irritating. (d): Hankerchief/face mask -- to protect your lungs. (e): Baking soda solution -- to protect the paint on your car in case the cloud is unusually heavy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- sidenote: According to one of my professors, (who was already doing some work in air studies at KSC) when the engines ignited for the first launch, they made a loud sound. Big deal. Except there was a large concrete slab under the shuttle. Hence, almost immediately after ignition, **WWHHAAMM** the shuttle is hit by the echo of its engines. Appearently the only damage was a bent rod in the nose of Columbia, but it was (about 2 months after the flight) considered the single most dangerous point during ascent. If this was related to the shuttle *walking* across the pad (also documented both on film and in pad damage), I don't know. The solution was to dump tons of water between the engines and the concrete slab right after ignition, and it seems to work. I think it has something to do with con- converting the acoustical energy into mechanical energy by splitting the water drops into water mist. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Bruce Giles decvax!ucf-cs!giles (UUCP) UCF, Dept of Math, Orlando Fl 32816 (Snail)
eder@ssc-vax.UUCP (Dani Eder) (11/21/83)
21 November 1983 The sound suppression system consists of plastic bags filled with water strung across the SRB holes in the pad, and six largest sprinkler heads you have ever seen. The plastic bags were added after STS-1. They absorb the ignition pulse of the SRB's by simply being vaporized. The sprinkler heads are about 8 feet tall and consist of a 40 inch pipe with an angled plate above the open end to spread the flow. They together throw 600,000 gallons of water all over the pad to keep it from catching on fire and soak up some of the sound energy. Dani Eder Boeing Aerospace 0A