What are the odds the shuttle takes off in the week currently scheduled (June 28th)? Anyone familiar with the history?

3/27/2011 5:10:44 PM

no

3/27/2011 5:22:12 PM

I'd say the odds are pretty good. But then again, I'm not read up on the history of June launches.


I am, however, going to go to this launch.

[Edited on March 27, 2011 at 5:43 PM. Reason : comma ]

3/27/2011 5:43:00 PM

It almost makes me wish that the project I was doing at work wasn't wrapped up already. I could have finagled a reason to be PAID to go down there and seen it, unobstructed, from a rooftop. Sigh. I hope that it is not the final shuttle launch in perpetuum.

3/27/2011 5:57:00 PM

It is the last shuttle launch, ever. There may be future rockets with crew cockpits but no more orbiters like the current models. I wish everybody & their brother wasn't gonna be down there for the last 2 coming up. It's hell getting in/out of a normal one, in my experience.

[Edited on March 27, 2011 at 9:25 PM. Reason : ]

3/27/2011 9:25:04 PM

It's way too early to determine whether or not it will launch on time.

3/27/2011 9:33:02 PM

Anyone want to take friendly wagers on the mission's outcome? A launch delay is pretty much inevitable, so good odds there.

[Edited on March 27, 2011 at 10:20 PM. Reason : 20 years in operation, and it still seems like they have to cobble them together at the last minute.]

3/27/2011 10:19:32 PM

oh, hey look... smc posting in a space thread.

3/28/2011 7:09:23 AM

Actually they've been in operation closer to 30 years. And they don't "cobble them together", there are a lot of variables that go into launching something in to space. Some things like weather simply can't be controlled by humans.

3/28/2011 9:19:20 AM

To see a shuttle launch is something on my bucket list, so I will definitely make an attempt to be there

3/28/2011 9:26:22 AM

and the weather not only has to be right at ksc, but at their other couple of abort sites too.

3/28/2011 9:45:46 AM

...wtf, do you have to buy tickets to watch the launch down there? There's some on eBay for the 4/19 launch for almost $500 with 20+ bids.

3/28/2011 9:54:00 AM

^If you want to get close to the launchpad (and you don't work for the government) you have to buy tickets. The $500 ones must be the VIP passes which will probably get you a bus ride from your hotel to the VIP viewing site which is about 5 miles from the launchpad. That's as close as they'll let you get without special clearance. There are public beaches all around Cape Canaveral, Titusville, Cocoa Beach, and Melbourne though where you can see the launch for free. If you are in Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, or Titusville you will easily be able to see the pad with your naked eye but you won't be able to feel the ground shake or the heat from the SRB's. Any further than that and you may need a clear day and some binoculars to see the pad, but you'll definitely see the shuttle in the sky and probably hear it.

[Edited on March 28, 2011 at 10:10 AM. Reason : ]

3/28/2011 10:09:01 AM

^hook it up with the VIP NASA pass yo!

3/28/2011 12:36:23 PM

For realz, if you got the hookup, do the hookup!

3/28/2011 12:41:58 PM

TWW NASA Excursion, with your host, Wraith

3/28/2011 12:47:46 PM

Got an email the other day saying I didn't get selected in the "random" lottery for tickets.

May still try to go down there and watch from farther away. My daughter will turn 5 a couple weeks beforehand and she is really into spaceships and such.

3/28/2011 1:05:40 PM

if they don't launch as scheduled, my mother-in-law will probably fire bomb nasa. she went down last year to see it when it got canceled, and she's taking the whole week off this year and booked a grayline bus tour to get to the causeway

3/28/2011 1:12:49 PM

My brother's video of the STS-130 launch. His girlfriend has family that works for NASA that got them the primo watching location.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYyYdoFOHA

You'll have to ignore them being nerds.

3/28/2011 2:37:15 PM

^holy crap! That is AWESOME!!!!

i really wanted to go down and see the one around june 28 as well (my anniversary)

they haven't started the signup for those tickets yet, have they?

3/28/2011 3:47:28 PM

^^holy crap that gives me goosebumps.

3/28/2011 3:57:52 PM

very cool

3/28/2011 4:45:05 PM

I read that the sound of a shuttle launch can kill you from 200 feet away...but that the heat will kill you up to 400 feet away so the sound issue doesn't really matter

3/29/2011 9:36:39 AM

ok so I wanna be like 410 feet away (with a thermal suit on).

3/29/2011 10:25:24 AM

I also did not get selected for the tickets from KSC

We did Grey Line for STS-133 Discovery and it was amazing. For $120 they picked us up from Orlando, took us to KSC for a few hours, then took us out to the Causeway a couple of hours before launch. Luckily everything went smoothly and we got a clear view of the Discovery lifting off from ~6 miles

3/29/2011 10:52:00 AM

3/30/2011 8:48:22 PM

awtah space!

4/3/2011 1:48:18 PM

the 2nd to last launch has been rescheduled for 3:47 pm on Friday, April 29

4/4/2011 11:36:18 AM

Thought they already scrubbed the last launch, meaning the 29th launch would be the last?

4/4/2011 11:45:59 AM

that is incorrect.

4/4/2011 11:55:54 AM

you sound like a teacher

4/4/2011 12:08:54 PM

there are 2 launches left. endeavor on april 29 & atlantis on june 28
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/highlights/schedule.html

actual text from nasa on fb

Quote :

"Following discussions among the International Space Station partners on Sunday, NASA has targeted the launch of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-134 mission for 3:47 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 29. The delay removes a scheduling conflict with a Russian Progress supply vehicle scheduled to launch April 27 and arrive at the station April 29. Update at http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle"

[Edited on April 4, 2011 at 1:25 PM. Reason : ]

4/4/2011 1:23:21 PM

i am a teacher.

4/4/2011 7:27:42 PM

ARG! Just found out I get to go down to the cape a week before the shuttle launches!!! If the launch date hadn't slipped I would have been down there to see it!

4/5/2011 1:26:57 PM

I thought someone would have put this to the top earlier this week... I didn't think about it unfortunately...did anyone register for tickets for the last launch?

Registration ended at 5PM today for the ticket lottery. "Winners" will be announced later this week I assume.

Tentative date of launch right now is July 8

6/5/2011 7:13:13 PM

i want to drive down and see this. what are the good (unofficial) places to view a launch?

6/5/2011 7:18:04 PM

http://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/off-site-launch-viewing.aspx

6/5/2011 7:37:27 PM

I signed up, thanks to oldbluechair sending me a link. Good luck twwers!

6/5/2011 7:56:51 PM

I signed up for the lottery but don't remember if it asked how many tickets I wanted - if someone on here wins, can they not just ask for 20 tickets?

6/5/2011 9:59:58 PM

they should play this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt_ro2aerQg

[Edited on June 5, 2011 at 10:23 PM. Reason : .]

6/5/2011 10:22:38 PM

Scheduled for July 8th now. Ugh. I wish they would set it and keep it and then maybe I'd actually be able to go... (I realize the issues they are facing, but come on now, FWP)

6/6/2011 1:57:08 AM

I'll probably be there.

6/6/2011 9:06:10 AM

i would love to be there... wraith... what would my best bet be? i don't mind driving solo, camping in the car, whatever... where can i still get a spot to see this thing happen?

6/6/2011 12:03:29 PM

http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/12-space-shuttle-missions-that-werent

6/6/2011 1:14:17 PM

The closest places you can see the launch without having a ticket would be from a public beach in either cape canaveral/cocoa beach to south of KSC or in Titusville to the north. If it is a public beach it will probably be crowded but you won't have trouble seeing it. There are a few private beaches that just charge for parking nearby, they will probably be filled up but it might be worth a shot. You may also want to try just pulling over to the side of the road on Astronaut Blvd in Cocoa Beach, tons of people do that so just as long as you aren't there really late you shouldn't have a problem.

If you are in Titusville, check out this small park or the pavilion right next to the hotel. I think the launchpad obscures the actual shuttle from that viewpoint but you should be able to see the shuttle perfectly fine once it clears the tower:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dixie+Crossroads,+Garden+Street,+Titusville,+FL&aq=0&sll=28.613431,-80.805023&sspn=0.006687,0.009645&ie=UTF8&hq=Dixie+Crossroads,&hnear=Garden+St,+Titusville,+Florida&ll=28.614194,-80.804033&spn=0.001672,0.002411&t=h&z=19

If you end up in Cocoa Beach you should be able to get a decent view from anywhere north of West Cocoa Beach Causeway.

6/6/2011 3:01:28 PM

Doubledown: If you win a chance to purchase tickets, it is restricted to 6 tickets.
Also, the person who registered has to be the name of the person on the credit/debit card...

I was going to get a lot of friends to register for me in case I didn't win, but they didn't want to have to purchase the tickets on their card, even if I would reimburse them....oh well

It was also one registration per address...so I could only register once, but got my folks to register as well.

Once you purchase tickets, you can give the tickets (or sell) to whoever you want.

6/6/2011 3:09:53 PM

I'll recommend Titusville for watching, but not the park itself. There's an area just South of the park, on the other side of the hotel, that doesn't fill up as quickly and offers a lot of room for good viewing. I went there for Endeavour (scrub and launch ) and sat right beside the river. If you can get there the night before the launch you're golden. I suspect this one will be a little more crowded but I believe you could have walked up on the sidewalk 10 minutes before launch and had a decent view. I parked for free across the road and a block down even with tons of people already crowding the park. There's a lot that is caution taped off on all but one entrance and wasn't full either time, though I was there the night prior. I might try to make it back down for this one, since Endeavour had low cloud cover. Waited about 12 hours (slept a lot of that) and saw the shuttle 20 seconds tops haha. /walloftext

6/6/2011 3:54:23 PM

If anyone is picked to buy some tickets, let me know if you have any extra spots

6/6/2011 5:34:54 PM

shuttle related:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2011/06/06/seriously-jaw-dropping-pictures-of-endeavour-and-the-iss/

embiggen the pics. they're pretty sweet

also:
http://thebrigade.thechive.com/2011/06/02/high-res-photos-from-endeavour-will-make-you-feel-small-22-hq-photos/

6/7/2011 12:53:32 AM

Sadly we are sliding backwards when it comes to space exploration.

6/7/2011 8:05:53 PM