Desparate for Help & Advice for Launch landing viewing

Greeting Ladies and Gents from the Land of Eternal Rain and Guinness.

I'm a huge Space Enthusiast (especially space modeling) and have for
as long as I can remember wanted to see a Launch or landing. I live in
Ireland but for a few years I attended college in NYC and once college
wound down I attempted to get the bits in order to attend a launch.
Unfortunately this period coincided with the STS downtime after
Columbia. Since then I have returned to live in Ireland and again
attempted to get the bits in order to visit FL with my wife.

About a month ago I got the trip set up a 2 week trip for Atlantis
based on the best guess and probability launch timetable, flights to
and from MCO and 2 weeks at the Best Western Space Shuttle Inn I also
got two tickets for the Breakfast and Launch Viewing. I booked to
arrive , very late in FL on the 26th of Aug based on a 28th Launch. (I
thought a day to get over the jet lag etc.). The launch date has since
moved forward to the 27th but I am still covered for that.

However Spaceflightnow.com is now reporting that NASA is looking at a
26th launch which means I'll be half way across the Atlantic which is
a crap place to be for a launch. If that happens our tickets will be
for nothing and obviously a major disappointment for our 1st vacation
since I got home to Ireland.

Im hoping someone here might be able to help/tell me how I might be
able to see the landing if I do miss the launch. I have read the great
posting about seeing a landing/launch best places and suggestions etc
but Id really appreciate any other personal recommendations. Anyone
here work at KSC that might be able to help me out? Id be sure to help
you out if you wanted to visit Ireland some time

I know I am reaching but I can only try right?

Have a great day, thanks for your attention

J O N J O N Z I L L A @A O L . C O M

John John

In article om,
"The Guy In Ireland" wrote:

Im hoping someone here might be able to help/tell me how I might be
able to see the landing if I do miss the launch. I have read the great
posting about seeing a landing/launch best places and suggestions etc
but Id really appreciate any other personal recommendations. Anyone
here work at KSC that might be able to help me out? Id be sure to help
you out if you wanted to visit Ireland some time

Two things are going to conspire against this...first, there
isn't much to see on landing, and second, unless you have US
citizenship, you cannot get passes or be vouched into NASA.
In fact, I think you cannot even take the "Then And Now" tour
at NASA without US citizenship.

A launch, on the other hand, can be seen very well from nearly
anywhere within 25 miles of the pad. You can look at my photos
from STS-121 (http://www.johnweeks.com/sts121) to see what you
get from right in Titusville. I'd suggest trying to change
your airline tickets, or fly over on one-way tickets, with
the intent of getting the return one-way tickets once you
know your departure date.

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================

The Guy In Ireland wrote:

Greeting Ladies and Gents from the Land of Eternal Rain and Guinness.


A big hello from your neighbour across the water in Wales.
I've seen both a launch and a landing and both were great expeirences.
The launch is literally a blast, the most impressive thing from where I
was (6 miles away) was the sound. A great rumbling sound getting louder
and louder, a little like an incoming wave.
BUT the landing I watched was amazing.
We stood in the KSC visitors center car park and listened to the comms'
between the Shuttle and Mission Control. Then in the last minute or so
the Shuttle fell out of the sky and swooped over our heads and
disappeared out of view for the landing, breathtaking!!!

--
Gareth

plenty of different opinions on a landing...but it maybe all i see so
ill have to try

Tahnks fo rth heads up...US citizenship not a problem...but thats BS
about the then and now tour I think...anyone know why?

still hoping somene can help me out...like the weather

John john

I just called KSC and the guy I spoke to assured me that
US citizenship is NOT required for any of the KSC tours
(including Then and Now). I was further told that although
a photo ID is required, it should NOT necessarily be
a US-issued document: a foreign passport is totally acceptable.

Andrey

isn't much to see on landing, and second, unless you have US
citizenship, you cannot get passes or be vouched into NASA.
In fact, I think you cannot even take the "Then And Now" tour
at NASA without US citizenship.

WoooooooooooooooooooHoooooooooooooo

http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttl...5/060803aug27/

Launch Date set of the 27th, no earlier

Thanks Andrey for checking on the Citizen Stuff

By the way, Mr Weeks are you the guy who drew all the Apollo and such
sets from realspacemodels.com?


John John

"The Guy In Ireland" wrote:

Tahnks fo rth heads up...US citizenship not a problem...but thats BS
about the then and now tour I think...anyone know why?

Because the Then and Now tour takes you onto a US Air Force base.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

Derek Lyons wrote:

"The Guy In Ireland" wrote:

Tahnks fo rth heads up...US citizenship not a problem...but thats BS
about the then and now tour I think...anyone know why?

Because the Then and Now tour takes you onto a US Air Force base.

D.

I remember visiting a US Air Force base back in '89 near San Fransisco.
I was with a friend who's sisters husband was in service. Can't remember
there being a problem for this particular Brit :-)

--
Gareth

(Gareth Slee) wrote:

Derek Lyons wrote:

"The Guy In Ireland" wrote:

Tahnks fo rth heads up...US citizenship not a problem...but thats BS
about the then and now tour I think...anyone know why?

Because the Then and Now tour takes you onto a US Air Force base.


I remember visiting a US Air Force base back in '89 near San Fransisco.
I was with a friend who's sisters husband was in service. Can't remember
there being a problem for this particular Brit :-)

Because of the Special Relationship Brits get treated differently -
which fact, along with the brotherhood of Submariners, resulted in a
certain Yankee bubblehead getting quite tanked on free beer in the
messdecks of HMS Spartan.. ;-)
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

-Resolved: To be more temperate in my postings.
Oct 5th, 2004 JDL

In article ,
Andrey Serbinenko wrote:

I just called KSC and the guy I spoke to assured me that
US citizenship is NOT required for any of the KSC tours
(including Then and Now). I was further told that although
a photo ID is required, it should NOT necessarily be
a US-issued document: a foreign passport is totally acceptable.

I would get a 2nd opinion on that. I was just there in July
at the time of STS-121. For the then and now tour, I had to
go to a special office at KSC, have my documents reviewed, and
get a special pass to take the tour. They required US citizenship,
plus two government issued ID's. Perhaps security is tighter
near a launch, or perhaps there is a different process for non
US citizens. At any rate, everyone on the tour were citizens
(mostly senior citizens).

-john-

--
================================================== ====================
John A. Weeks III 952-432-2708
Newave Communications http://www.johnweeks.com
================================================== ====================