Watching a launch in Titusville.

My family and I will be in Orlando from 7th - 21st May. I planning to go
to Titusville to watch the launch from one of the parks there. Anyone had
experience of this? What is the area like for parking, views etc ?

Many thanks from a (hopeful) 1st timer..........Adam

"adam bootle" wrote in
:

My family and I will be in Orlando from 7th - 21st May. I planning
to go to Titusville to watch the launch from one of the parks there.
Anyone had experience of this? What is the area like for parking,
views etc ?

Since this is a return to launch, I expect the crowds will
be greater than usual. The viewing is reasonable from
Titusville south along US 1 where it's close to the
Indian River. The area is as flat as it gets anywhere
on Earth, so your view will be unobstructed.

I can recommend the causeway along state route 406 in
Titusville; it's one of the closest to the launch pads.
If you're feeling adventurous, head up the road to Mims and
go out E. Main St until you spot the liquid oxygen plant
that services the Cape; just north of it there's a railroad
crossing and a fishing camp. I found that to be a great
spot for a night launch of the Shuttle on a high inclination
trajectory. The main engines were visible almost to cutoff
that night.

A lot further to the south is the 405 causeway, and in Cape
Canaveral proper along the barge canal there's Jetty Park,
which is on the ocean.

Post-launch, head on out 406 to Playalinda Beach; lots
of sand and surf, and absolutely nothing else. The
last stretch of unspoiled beach on Florida's east coast.
Plenty of wildlife in the area, it's a big swamp/refuge.

--Damon, ex-Georgia boy offering advice from Seattle

PS Dixie Crossroads is a great seafood restaurant
in Titusville; the crowds make for long waits to
get in the door. I always order the broiled
rock shrimp platter.

"Damon Hill" wrote in message
31...
PS Dixie Crossroads is a great seafood restaurant
in Titusville; the crowds make for long waits to
get in the door. I always order the broiled
rock shrimp platter.

I'll add an amen to that!

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 21:17:29 -0500, Damon Hill wrote:

"adam bootle" wrote in
:

My family and I will be in Orlando from 7th - 21st May. I planning to
go to Titusville to watch the launch from one of the parks there.
Anyone had experience of this? What is the area like for parking,
views etc ?

Since this is a return to launch, I expect the crowds will be greater
than usual. The viewing is reasonable from Titusville south along US 1
where it's close to the Indian River. The area is as flat as it gets
anywhere on Earth, so your view will be unobstructed.

I can recommend the causeway along state route 406 in Titusville; it's
one of the closest to the launch pads. If you're feeling adventurous,
head up the road to Mims and go out E. Main St until you spot the liquid
oxygen plant that services the Cape; just north of it there's a railroad
crossing and a fishing camp. I found that to be a great spot for a
night launch of the Shuttle on a high inclination trajectory. The main
engines were visible almost to cutoff that night.

A lot further to the south is the 405 causeway, and in Cape Canaveral
proper along the barge canal there's Jetty Park, which is on the ocean.




What about Turtle Mound Road north of KSC. Has anybody watched the launch
from the beach, south on Turtle Mound Road? If you go to maps.google.com, they
now have satellite images available. Turtle Mound Road ends with a circle,
and beach access north of the launch site. (It's also fun to look around
KSC too.) It's probably 70% greater distance than Titusville, but would give
you a profile view of the launch instead of in-plane going away view. For
high inclination flights like ISS, this means that during much of first
stage, you are actually closer to the Shuttle, as it is headed north-east
(actually somewhere between north-east and north-north-east).

Has anybody out there watched the launch from the south end of Turtle
Mound Road?

--
Craig Fink
Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 12:13:00 +0000, Craig Fink wrote:

On Mon, 04 Apr 2005 21:17:29 -0500, Damon Hill wrote:

"adam bootle" wrote in
:

My family and I will be in Orlando from 7th - 21st May. I planning
to go to Titusville to watch the launch from one of the parks there.
Anyone had experience of this? What is the area like for parking,
views etc ?

Since this is a return to launch, I expect the crowds will be greater
than usual. The viewing is reasonable from Titusville south along US 1
where it's close to the Indian River. The area is as flat as it gets
anywhere on Earth, so your view will be unobstructed.

I can recommend the causeway along state route 406 in Titusville; it's
one of the closest to the launch pads. If you're feeling adventurous,
head up the road to Mims and go out E. Main St until you spot the
liquid oxygen plant that services the Cape; just north of it there's a
railroad crossing and a fishing camp. I found that to be a great spot
for a night launch of the Shuttle on a high inclination trajectory. The
main engines were visible almost to cutoff that night.

A lot further to the south is the 405 causeway, and in Cape Canaveral
proper along the barge canal there's Jetty Park, which is on the ocean.




What about Turtle Mound Road north of KSC. Has anybody watched the
launch from the beach, south on Turtle Mound Road? If you go to
maps.google.com, they now have satellite images available. Turtle Mound
Road ends with a circle, and beach access north of the launch site.
(It's also fun to look around KSC too.) It's probably 70% greater
distance than Titusville, but would give you a profile view of the
launch instead of in-plane going away view. For high inclination flights
like ISS, this means that during much of first stage, you are actually
closer to the Shuttle, as it is headed north-east (actually somewhere
between north-east and north-north-east).

Has anybody out there watched the launch from the south end of Turtle
Mound Road?

Sorry, should have included the link

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.85...5986&t=k&hl=en

Also, this next link must have been a great viewing area for past
launches, Apollo, Gemini, Mercury. The distance from the south pad to this
stretch of beach looks to be about the same distance as the south pad to
the VAB.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.66...1972&t=k&hl=en

Anybody know were I can rent an old armored personnel carrier?

--
Craig Fink
Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:26:55 +0000, Craig Fink wrote:



Also, this next link must have been a great viewing area for past
launches, Apollo, Gemini, Mercury. The distance from the south pad to this
stretch of beach looks to be about the same distance as the south pad to
the VAB.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.66...1972&t=k&hl=en


Further north,

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.69...7993&t=k&hl=en

zoom in, and a bunch of cars are parked at the beach access points. Who
own's that Private beach? Maybe a General? Public beach access point, or
not. :-(


--
Craig Fink
Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @

Craig Fink wrote in
news
Further north,

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.69....005858,0.0079
93&t=k&hl=en

zoom in, and a bunch of cars are parked at the beach access points.
Who own's that Private beach? Maybe a General? Public beach access
point, or not. :-(

That appears to be part of Playalinda Beach, which is public access
except during Shuttle launches. The original access road ran
surprisingly close to the pads, but was swapped with the service
railroad right-of-way at least a decade ago.

--Damon

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 11:22:10 -0500, Damon Hill wrote:

Craig Fink wrote in
news
Further north,

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=28.69....005858,0.0079
93&t=k&hl=en

zoom in, and a bunch of cars are parked at the beach access points.
Who own's that Private beach? Maybe a General? Public beach access
point, or not. :-(

That appears to be part of Playalinda Beach, which is public access
except during Shuttle launches. The original access road ran
surprisingly close to the pads, but was swapped with the service
railroad right-of-way at least a decade ago.


Ohhh, cool, so I got my punctuation wrong. General public beach. :-)
Hmmmmm, now if I can only figure out how to get NASA to allow me and others to
use the beach during Shuttle launches....

Dear Rep. Ron Paul,

It's come to my attention that the perfect spot to observe Shuttle
Launches at KSC is closed during Shuttle Launches. Being a Rocket
Scientist, and one of the more adventurous ones at that, I'm fully aware
of the risks involved in viewing a Shuttle launch so close to the Launch
Pad..................

I'll have to work on the letter some more later...
Thanks,
--
Craig Fink
Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @

Craig Fink wrote in
news

Ohhh, cool, so I got my punctuation wrong. General public beach. :-)
Hmmmmm, now if I can only figure out how to get NASA to allow me and
others to use the beach during Shuttle launches....

Dear Rep. Ron Paul,

It's come to my attention that the perfect spot to observe Shuttle
Launches at KSC is closed during Shuttle Launches. Being a Rocket
Scientist, and one of the more adventurous ones at that, I'm fully
aware of the risks involved in viewing a Shuttle launch so close to
the Launch Pad..................

Good luck!

--Damon, who isn't likely to ever see another Shuttle launch

Craig Fink wrote:


Anybody know were I can rent an old armored personnel carrier?


Get a boat instead, Haulover Canal to Mosquito Lagoon. It's as close as
you really want to get and can actually feel the heat! Besides, no
traffic jams and you might catch supper...