For the first time in many years, my wife and I are taking a long vacation...

The main purpose of our trip will be to see one of the few remaining Shuttle launches, this one in November.
You used to could just buy tickets through NASA on a first come first served basis... BUT for the last few events, they put everyone in a lottery. As usual... I lost the lottery. No tickets.

In my head, I have this vision of getting on the bus from Kennedy Space Center... going out to the restricted causeway to be as close as possible to this event. A lot of the tickets I see online for sale are for viewing from the Space Center, not really what I want.

I've never seen anything like this... Lord willing, the launch will go during the 9 days we are in FL, but the key missing piece is those causeway tickets. If anyone has NASA hookups, or know some 'insider' or local trick to help me, I'd be much obliged.

I did talk to JScott, he is on special assignment right now, not really able to help me out.

Thanks in advance for the time guys.

------------------
<---- did you buy Cliff a beer?

Wish I could take my son.

Good luck, man...

[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 09-17-2010).]

There are many other places with good views of the launch nearby. There is one park in Titusville that has a very good view. The worst part is all the traffic after a launch, but it isn't as bad as it was a few years ago when they had all the toll booths on the B-line. You can also get tickets to see the launch from the roof of the Astronaut Hall of Fame. The best thing about being at KSC or the Hall of Fame is that there is food, bathrooms, air conditioned rooms with monitors to watch the preparations while you wait for the launch. You also can purchase souvenirs to remind you of your trip there.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 09-17-2010).]

They have them on ebay for around $1,000 bucks each.

I have 4 tickets to the last launch of Discovery. I am not able to attend, my bad luck is your good. These are VIP Package Tickets. Forget about the worries of parking and leaving after the launch with the crowds...You will be transported on a VIP Motorcoach from 05 different locations in the Orlando/Kissimmee/Cocoa Beach area, included also is the KSCVC ticket with time to tour, CAUSEWAY VIEWING ticket (LTT), including transportation- and you will return on the VIP Motorcoach to your original pickup location.

THESE ARE SOLD OUT VIP PACKAGE TICKETS

NASA CAUSEWAY VIEWING AREA - The viewing area along the NASA causeway is the closest public viewing site available. This viewing area is an open field with standing room only and is approximately six miles from the shuttle launch pads located directly on the banks of the Banana River. This is an outdoor viewing site with no seating or covered viewing. You are free to bring blankets, and collapsible camping/umbrella-style folding chairs that can be carried in shoulder bags, but flat folding chairs, lawn chairs and large beach umbrellas are not permitted. Regular hand-held umbrellas and umbrella-style strollers are permitted. For summer launches, you should bring insect repellant and sunscreen. Don’t forget your camera; a shuttle launch is the ultimate photo opportunity. Some people bring binoculars, telescopes and tripods, cameras and long-range lenses. Because sound travels slower than light, you will see the shuttle launch before you hear it, so watch!

This listing is for one ticket, I have four available. The winning bidder has the option of buying all four at winning bid price each. I reserve the right to stop auction as tickets are for sale elsewhere as well.


http://shop.ebay.com/?_from...t=See-All-Categories

[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 09-17-2010).]

With such high demand, they're doing a lottery. You can sign up for the email list at www.nasa.gov (don't have the exact site right now), and they'll email you when you can sign up. If your name is draw, you can buy a ticket.

Unfortunately, tickets for the November launch are sold out.
Registration for tickets for the February launch of Endeavour hasn't started yet.

Don't worry. There's PLENTY of good viewing sites off base. Try the Cocoa Beach Pier, Port Canaveral, or the Causeway on 528 or 520.
There's also viewing in Titusville across from the Space Center. If you're within 20 miles - you'll get a good show.

You can see the pads from Cocoa Beach and Port Canaveral.

I'm hoping to get a pair of tickets for Endeavour's last flight. I worked on her maiden flight. I *WILL* be there for her final flight.
My favorite place to watch launches when I worked at KSC was standing in front of the VAB facing the Pad. The sound echoed off the VAB on liftoff.

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 09-17-2010).]

Forum Question: How much would you pay for Causeway Tickets?

I think tickets were $60 or so when purchased through NASA.

I could go as high as maybe $200 per ticket. I feel shocked at even typing that amount.

What dates are you going to be in Florida?

Not the same I know but there are places you can go and watch from a boat. I wouldnt know where to get that information.

[This message has been edited by Jake_Dragon (edited 09-18-2010).]

we're going to be in the Orlando region from Oct 30th to November 8th.

Shuttle supposed to go on November 1st.

Apparently they have the same lottery deal with the employees and my brother in law cant get tickets.

I had given up on this, and decided that my wife and I were just going to try and find an open spot in a public park in Titusville... probably have to get there about 12 hours in advance (0400 hrs) to get a good view... I was resigned to just deal with the wait and parking... find some snacky food and wait for the afternoon launch. Not really what I was wanting, but what I felt forced to accept.

Enter JScott... who I had already talked to before even making this trip. He sends me a PM...
Due to high demand... NASA is having an on base launch party at a private park about 12 miles from the launch site for family and friends of NASA. I think I can buy you and Jennifer tickets, even if I am not there with you...

He buys me two tickets... They include a BBQ luch. There is excellent viewing. There are mounted speakers around the park conveying the radio chatter and launch sequence. It is by invite, ticket holders only. There will be exhibits and astronauts. We get all this for... $10... and they are in my hand this moment.

Thanks Jon, you just made my trip a lot more affordable and enjoyable.

[This message has been edited by blakeinspace (edited 11-09-2010).]

quote Originally posted by blakeinspace: Enter JScott... .

Quite remarkable.
My cup is replenshed.

Out standing, enjoy your stay.

Well, that's very cool of him to do that for ya!

Enjoy the experience. Take pics, video, if possiblen but don't waste the moment peering through a lens, WATCH IT LIFT TOWARDS THE HEAVENS!

Outstanding!!!

I wonder if former NASA employees can get tickets, too?
I'll be there one way or another, even if I'm watching it from the Cocoa Beach Pier.

Take lots of pics, and don't forget the baked beans for breakfast!
(Astronauts get steak and eggs. Launch crew gets beans. LOL)

[This message has been edited by Formula88 (edited 10-22-2010).]

Cool, great for you. I think I'm going to watch this launch from my back yard, to avoid the return traffic. I'm about 50 miles away, as the crow flies. I went to see the last lauch from the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 10-22-2010).]

I heard on the Radio that they plan to fully scrap (chop shop style) the shuttles after the end of the program.

quote Originally posted by Wichita: I heard on the Radio that they plan to fully scrap (chop shop style) the shuttles after the end of the program.

You may have heard it, but unless there some strange "national security" or "hazmat" issue, it won't happen.
Museums Fight to Get Retired Space Shuttles

quote Originally posted by blakeinspace: Thanks Jon, you just made my trip a lot more affordable and enjoyable.

no problem

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Yeah I miss the launch day beans.... many times I found it difficult to focus on the countown from the smell of beans cooking in the back room. As for the Shuttles, the Smithsonian already has been promised Discovery and the curator wants it exactly like it is right now, with nothing removed. Other than removing the fuel it will be exactly like you see it today..

Thank you for helping Blakeinspace. That's just so cool.

Ack!... fuel leaks!... they delayed the launch by a day.

Kinda sux, as we already plans on Tuesday... I can move the itenerary... but the wife is worried it is going to take away from her time with Mickey Mouse.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission...ttle/main/index.html

Yup the launch ahs been delayed one day until Tuesday. At least it's an afternoon lauch and not one of the real early morning launches. If you do Disney early you should still have time to make the lauch as it isn't until a bit after 4:00 P.M.

Looks like another day delay. Launch is now set for Wednesday at 3:52 P.M.

gador... Wife and I are in Lake Mary at the moment and just heard...

This is starting to cut into her Mickey time.

That and now we are having to rent a car for 2 extra days (or some other solution... walk maybe?)...

JScott, is there a place at NASA to send the rental bill to?

We are going to Daytona on Sunday (tomo), play around at the speedway and boardwalk, hopefully find a place to watch the Talladega NASCAR race.

I hope your tickets are good for the alternate date. It would be a real shame to miss the launch. You could always find a nearby place to watch the launch if they aren't. Expect an additional couple of hours of time to get back from the launch. Traffic tends to build up on launch dates.

That has always been the problem with the launches. Delays due to weather, technical issues etc. When I was living in Cape Canaveral, I would just walk down to the beach to the launches. They were an interesting event, but not worth the hassels waiting for the launch to watch a rocket for a minute or two until it is out of site.

Another scrub. Now launch is set for Thursday at 3:29 P.M.

Another scrub, now because of weather. It figures, we go for over a month without a single drop of rain and now it decides to rain.
Launch is set for Friday at 3:04 P.M. They have until Sunday to meet the launch window. If they don't launch they will have to wait until January for the next window.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 11-04-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Old Lar: They were an interesting event, but not worth the hassels waiting for the launch to watch a rocket for a minute or two until it is out of site.

Very interesting to me.
I have begun wrestling with this very notion lately.
How much of myself should I put into something fleeting.
Re-evaluating my system of value.

[This message has been edited by Boondawg (edited 11-04-2010).]

I wouldn't pass up a chance to watch history unfold right in front of me. Being at a launch is a once in a lifetime experience. I have been fortunate to see several, up close and personal, since I have been here. Words cannot describe the sound and feeling you get from being just a few miles away. The reality of the people, ridding on top of what is in essence a really huge explosion, sinks in more when you are seeing it in person. The sound rattles buildings for miles around and resonates inside your body as it passes through. You can even feel the ground vibrate. Too bad there are only a couple of launches left. It certainly is a unique experience.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 11-04-2010).]

quote Originally posted by Boondawg: Very interesting to me. I have begun wrestling with this very notion lately. How much of myself should I put into something fleeting. Re-evaluating my system of value.

EVERYTHING is fleeting. Embrace the moment, remember it. Tell others of your experience.

Like that concert you're going to...

quote Originally posted by FieroRumor: Like that concert you're going to...

Which has come into question, from within...

I have been engaging in a mental expiriment of creating a basis for assigning a single value to things.

welp, just got back from vacation... and learned that nothing is free when the name 'Disney' is attatched to it...

Sadly, we did not get to view the launch. I know that in a space mission that everything should be perfect to protect our human and financial investments... but since this candle was originally scheduled to light in July, I was hoping that the additional months would have allowed all the bugs to be found and fixed before the new launch date in November. It seems like any of these things could have been discovered before Discovery was supposed launch... but Alas!...

delay day 1-- something about leaky fuel lines... I guess it takes more than a few turns on the hose clamp to correct
delay day 2-- odd voltages in some circuit... engine back up controller, IIRC
delay day 3-- weather... it was pretty miserable that day.
delay day 4-- winds... normally not a factor, but if the shuttle needed to glide back to NASA for emergency landing, the winds were from the wrong direction to facilitate this
delay day 5-- the coupler between the the gas nozzle and tank was leaking during fueling. You don't reckon you could have tested that earlier?
mission then scrubbed after finding a tile on the big orange tank had an 8" long crack... again... you just spotted that?

It wasn't meant to be for me. Not this trip. I think this sequence of events (excluding weather) does not help congress want to fund the space program. I can't even imagine the $$$ incurred for each delay, and could just picture some politico saying... "See?... it cost $XXX,XXX,XXX and it still didn't launch, we need those funds to support yyyyyyy..." Made me sad... I am a big proponent of the space program, and the discoveries that await us.

Good Luck NASA, hope you get it all ironed out. With something like this... the addage of better safe than sorry could never be more true.
I might try again next year when my vacation gets renewed.
But I am certainly glad I did not pay a scalper hundreds for launch tickets for a non-event. There is no way I could return to FL this year to use them.

Howdy Blake,

I am sorry you did not get to see a spaceship rocket through the air. It is such a heart stopping experiance! such force! did you tour the nasa? They have a old launch pad tower to go in and check things out. I liked the huge engine. two stories tall! Took a tour around the place and even saw one of the shuttles that had just come back! They were opening the hanger to work on it or something. We also did a simulator of the ship taking off! WOW!

I went to the universal studios instead of the micky mouse thing. Maybe when I was younger, but I don't think it was a huge hit back then.
did you go down to miami? South beach is so crazy expensive! We paid $130 for some not so good food. but the night life was very neat! dancing girls everywhere!

Well maybe they will invite you down there again someday.

Jay

Jay,

did not get a chance to tour NASA... the delays really shuffled our plans around. It sounds like the tour you went on was awesome. I will try to get back next year, and try again.

Did not get down to Miami. Did hit Daytona though. Toured the speedway. Did some donuts in the parking lot with the rental.
Played around in the Atlantic... the beaches there blow away anything we've got from Padre to Galveston.
Went to Universal. Wanted to check out the new Harry Potter world... which was immensly crowded.

It made me wonder 2 things:
1) Why aren't all these kids in school? (a weekday in November)...
2) Didn't anyone remind all these people that there's a recession on, and you're supposed to be saving money?!

quote It made me wonder 2 things: 1) Why aren't all these kids in school? (a weekday in November)... 2) Didn't anyone remind all these people that there's a recession on, and you're supposed to be saving money?!

Believe it or not, they are mostly tourist and many have planned their trips years in advance, so they are here come hell or high water.
Launch is now set for November 30 @ 4:00 A.M. so I too might miss it, unless I decide to get up early.

quote Originally posted by blakeinspace: Jay, did not get a chance to tour NASA... the delays really shuffled our plans around. It sounds like the tour you went on was awesome. I will try to get back next year, and try again. Did hit Daytona though. Toured the speedway. Did some donuts in the parking lot with the rental. Went to Universal. Wanted to check out the new Harry Potter world... which was immensly crowded.

Does the return trip to Florida to be in March for the Daytona Spring Show??

[This message has been edited by Old Lar (edited 11-10-2010).]

Cracks discovered...

[This message has been edited by FieroRumor (edited 11-11-2010).]

"Discovery's launch is currently targeted for no earlier than Dec. 17, after shuttle managers determined more tests and analysis are needed."

It was supposed to launch last night...

here's a picture of the repairs to the tank... uh-oh! Better get Maaco!



at this rate... I will still be able to watch this launch live as my vacation gets renewed Jan 1. sigh...