front row seat for shuttle launch

[edpeeks]

We will be on the Glory July 1st and the space shuttle is scheduled to launch at 3:49PM and the Glory sets sail at 4PM. We should have a wonderful view of the launch. We'll be close enough to feel the heat off the rockets! Has anyone had this opportunity before? Anyway, thank you NASA and thank you Carnival!!

[campdaan]

Please. Please. Please. Take pictures and post a review.

 

Promise???

[edpeeks]

Certainly!

[hill6]

They may delay the sailing till everything has cleared the area. I would imagine there would be very high security around. A shuttle launch is wonderful to see.

[MikeM]

Watched a launch in March of 04. The flight had beed delayed 1 day because of the cold temps. It was spectacular in the dark! Watched from the beach at 5AM. Rad. was full of news people, havring a ball. It was our cruise on the Glory 3/6/04

MikeM

[kchesneylover]

I thought they tabled the Space Shuttle Program after the Columbia disaster. Am I wrong?

[STiVo]

I thought they tabled the Space Shuttle Program after the Columbia disaster. Am I wrong?

 

You are correct. Columbia (STS-107) lauched January 16, 2003 which obviously resulted in loss of vehicle. Discovery (STS-113) then launched July 26, 2005 and, as previously mentioned, is scheduled to launch again (STS-121) on July 1, 2006.

 

They do launch other rockets from the Cape. The previously poster may have seen one of these launched.

[kchesneylover]

Wonder if the rockets have people in them. What are the rockets for?

 

You are correct. Columbia (STS-107) lauched January 16, 2003 which obviously resulted in loss of vehicle. Discovery (STS-113) then launched July 26, 2005 and, as previously mentioned, is scheduled to launch again (STS-121) on July 1, 2006.

 

They do launch other rockets from the Cape. The previously poster may have seen one of these launched.

[caribsun]

Wonder if the rockets have people in them. What are the rockets for?

 

Uncle Sam is watching you and me.:D

[yst347]

The shuttle is returning to space with the launch of Discovery on July 1st. The crew will be all humans as usual.

[lmondrop]

We will be on the Glory July 1st and the space shuttle is scheduled to launch at 3:49PM and the Glory sets sail at 4PM. We should have a wonderful view of the launch. We'll be close enough to feel the heat off the rockets! Has anyone had this opportunity before? Anyway, thank you NASA and thank you Carnival!!

 

We will be on the GLory with you on the 1st as well. Looking forward to seeing the launch..hopefully there won't be a delay or a muster drill in the way of seeing the launch ;)

 

Have you checked out our roll call?

[Eqty]

We were fortunate enough to be on the Fantasy a few years ago when John Glenn made his second trip into space. The shuttle launched just before the ship sailed. It was too far away to hear anything, but the fireball from the booster rockets were an awesome sight!

 

(someone on board, realizing that Glenn was 70 years old, asked whether the left directional on the Shuttle was going to be blinking for the entire flight.)

[yst347]

someone on board, realizing that Glenn was 70 years old, asked whether the left directional on the Shuttle was going to be blinking for the entire flight.)

 

:D ROFLMAO! :D

[theos on the go]

If you are flying into Orlando airport and driving to Port Canaveral (sp?) make sure to give yourself plenty of time. The highway gets very congested. Traffic is very bad. Everyone wants to go to the area to see the shuttle launch.

 

Please make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to the boat.

 

Have Fun!

 

Theos

[edpeeks]

We are staying in Titusville. You are right, the traffic will be tight. We were planning to leave the HI around 10AM, get to the ship at10:30, get in line...

We will watch to see how the crowds are.

[dan40]

Keep your fingers crossed. We've been scheduled to sail on launch day 2 times now. Both times the shuttle got scrubbed until much later. Luckily we live in the area and have seen both day and night launches from close by, but never from the heigth of a megaship deck.

 

GOOD LUCK

 

Dan

[zqvol]

You are correct. Columbia (STS-107) lauched January 16, 2003 which obviously resulted in loss of vehicle. Discovery (STS-113) then launched July 26, 2005 and, as previously mentioned, is scheduled to launch again (STS-121) on July 1, 2006.

 

They do launch other rockets from the Cape. The previously poster may have seen one of these launched.

You are both wrong, the shuttle program is alive and well with the next launch schedule in the first part of July.

[STiVo]

You are both wrong, the shuttle program is alive and well with the next launch schedule in the first part of July.

 

I thought the July launch was about the only thing we all already agreed on! :p

 

Anyhow, I am most interested in the comment about being able to feel the heat off of the shuttle from the ship. Please let us know if you experience that! I'm from Pennsylvania and was lucky enough to happen to see an evening launch sailing over Epcot one vacation and I thought THAT was cool. Here's something to wet your shuttle appetite should the launch stay on schedule:

 

from http://www.aapa-ports.org/industryinfo/gallery.htm

[salty dingo]

Wow, that picture really puts the distance in perspective. Doesn't look close enough to even hear, much less feel the heat from. But I bet the viewers get a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe it will be the drink of the day, though ;)

[kathy32259]

STiVO - What a GREAT picture! We can see the launch all the way up here in Jax! They broadcast them live on TV and as soon as it lifts off evveryone runs outside and looks to the SE sky. But don't ya know - they had to go schedule it while I am on the Fantasy in HMC!! I don't think I will be able to see it from there - but you never know. I will have to set the alarm to remember to watch - just in case.;)

 

p.s. I saw the shuttle launch from the beach when John Glenn was on it. That flight gave me goose bumps - being a native buckeye and all....:D

[flczr]

The shuttle facilty is 5 miles from the the port. I can hear it at home 30miles away and have seen it from Clearwater 100 miles away.

[billh65]

Wow, that picture really puts the distance in perspective. Doesn't look close enough to even hear, much less feel the heat from. But I bet the viewers get a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe it will be the drink of the day, though ;)

 

That is plenty close enough to hear ... the reverberations are deafening.

 

Also to the OP, I would allow more than 30 mintes from your hotel at Titusville to get to the port. That is a prime viewing area for the launch, and I imagine the causeway to the port from I-95 eastward could be pretty clogged as well as that is near the south end of the island area the cap is on.

 

July 1-19 is the "large" window for launch, and an article in the news today states that there are already problems complicating the possible launch this Saturday.

[kathy32259]

July 1-19 is the "large" window for launch, and an article in the news today states that there are already problems complicating the possible launch this Saturday.

 

Bill - I am rather surprised, with all of the pros and cons we have been hearing, that they are even considering launching. What is your opinion? I believe they should not go forward if there is even the smallest doubt, MHO.

[STiVo]

Wow, that picture really puts the distance in perspective. Doesn't look close enough to even hear, much less feel the heat from. But I bet the viewers get a warm fuzzy feeling. Maybe it will be the drink of the day, though ;)

 

I think you would definately be able to hear the launch. The port is 10-11 miles away from the Cape. Maybe 45-55 seconds after launch you should hear the rumble of the launch. A shuttle launch is just about the loudest sound ever measured and will be heard a long way. It will be more than a warm fuzzy feeling.

[yst347]

I remember seeing a shuttle launch from the public beach in Lake Worth Florida in November 1981. That was from a distance of well over 100 miles. While no sound was heard the sight was breathtaking; what looked like a comet in reverse arcing skyward and out over the ocean. I can only imagine the awe being up close.

 

The launch I saw had to be one of the early shuttle launches as the countdown was carried on many radio stations. Most radios on the beach suddenly became synchronised with the voice of mission control, I'll never forget it.