Where to watch the SpaceX launch to the International Space Station

Orlando Sentinel ^ | 04/23/12 | Richard Tribou

[KevinDavis]

It's not a trip to the moon. It's not even manned spaceflight. But it is a rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, and it's not insignificant. So if you want a front-row seat to witness one giant leap for private business, then you'll want to make your way over to Cape Canaveral for the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon spacecraft.

[KevinDavis]

Live thread anyone??

[KevinDavis]

[cripplecreek]

Its a step in the right direction even if it is a much smaller step than I would like.

[KevinDavis]

Baby steps for Private industry in space..

[cripplecreek]

I think that once we get to actual mining of near earth asteroids, the advances will come in leaps and bound.

[KevinDavis]

I think you are right, we need rockets to get to the Asteroids much faster and efficient..

[ken5050]

“Cape Canaveral?” Did they change the name back while I was napping?

[cripplecreek]

The way I see it, near earth asteroid mining will lead to a gold rush in the main asteroid belt which means investment in propulsion research. From there they will start casting glances at the Kuiper belt. By the time the Ort cloud becomes a reasonable goal, we’re half way to Alpha C.

Gotta wake people up to the fact that mining and manufacturing in space is the way to go.

[Jack Hydrazine]

[kanawa]

From 1963 to 1973, the area was renamed “Cape Kennedy.”
President John F. Kennedy set the goal of landing on the moon.
After his assassination in 1963, his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, suggested to President Lyndon Johnson
that renaming the Cape Canaveral facility would be an appropriate memorial.
Johnson recommended the renaming of the entire cape, announced in a televised address six days after the assassination.
Accordingly, Cape Canaveral was officially renamed Cape Kennedy.

Although the name change was approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names of the Interior Department in 1964,
it was not popular in Florida, especially in the neighboring city of Cape Canaveral.
In 1973, the Florida Legislature passed a law restoring the former 400-year-old name, and the Board went along.
The name restoration to Cape Canaveral became official on October 9, 1973.
The Kennedy family issued a letter stating they “understood the decision”.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center retains the “Kennedy” name.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral

[KevinDavis]

I see a future on Earth with all of the heavy industry is off this planet, and in space.. Also I do see a brain drain off of this planet. The best and brightest go to the stars while the meek stay on the planet.

[SERKIT]

This is Pete Conrad’s old company, right?

[Jack Hydrazine]

It’s also known as the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It’s SE of the Kennedy Space Center.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Canaveral_Air_Force_Station

P.S. You can go back to your nap now. ;)

[cripplecreek]

Being semi crppled myself, I see a means of getting many Americans off disability and working in low gravity.

[KevinDavis]

No...

[KevinDavis]

Wages will be good..

[Jack Hydrazine]

Not if the Left has their way. They’d rather imprison everyone on Earth instead of letting them go stars. It’s much more difficult keeping the people under their thumb if they are out and about exploring the universe.

[ken5050]

Many thanks...

[ken5050]

Many thanks...

[Jack Hydrazine]

Where you see "LC40 Titan 3, Titan 4" is where SpaceX is launching from now.

[ken5050]

Many more thanks........

[cripplecreek]

Just because its so freakin awesome to watch.

Apollo 11 Launch - in Super Slow Motion

[1FreeAmerican]

If we can get to an asteroid for mining we could also use the asteroid to hop a ride to other parts of the solar system or even beyond and save lots of fuel getting there.

I’ll bet I’m the first person to think of this!! ;)

[aruanan]

If we can get to an asteroid for mining we could also use the asteroid to hop a ride to other parts of the solar system or even beyond and save lots of fuel getting there.

I’ll bet I’m the first person to think of this!! ;)

Nope. Astronauts Could Ride Asteroids to Mars, Study Says

[Nachum]

The primary reason for the use of asteroids is to avoid the danger of cosmic rays. Why not develop a proper shield for out ships in space?

[cripplecreek]

I’ll bet I’m the first person to think of this!! ;)

LOL There are a few astronauts proposing using earth crossing asteroids as freight haulers to mars.

[NonValueAdded]

Brevard County, Florida ping.

Please chime in with our local perspective.

Let me know if you want on or off this ping list.
(not associated with the county government)

[aruanan]

The primary reason for the use of asteroids is to avoid the danger of cosmic rays. Why not develop a proper shield for out ships in space?

Because it's cheaper to modify an asteroid than to lift all that mass to orbit? If they started with the moon, then there's plenty of stuff there to lift out of a shallower gravity well.

[mcmuffin]

Per Florida Today...

SpaceX launch delayed at least until May 7

[3D-JOY]

Thanks ... I needed that info.

[NonValueAdded]

thanks for the update

[wastedyears]

That’s not a bad idea actually. Put humans in a pure-oxygen fluid container, like Ed Harris’ character in The Abyss, because I don’t know what kind of pain someone like you would be in due to leaving gravity with that much G-force.

[wastedyears]

Wages will be good..

Considering the context, that's the understatement of the day. Due to the dangers of leaving and reentering atmosphere, not to mention the dangers while in orbit, I'd say admin assistants would probably be making high six figures.

[cripplecreek]

I could deal with the pain of launch. I’ve got junk knees, ankles and hips but would be mostly OK in lower gravity like on the moon.

Now that I think about it, low gravity environments would be a great place for intensive physical therapy.

[wastedyears]

Al Gore’s Intensive Physical Space Therapy

... because he invents everything, you know.

[wxgesr]

Some of the best surf in Fl is in and around those waters.....dammitall.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Can’t one day of surfing be deferred for a history-making event?

[wxgesr]

I guess we have no choice....actually, the govt deferred decades of wave riding when they took that prime curvature of coast for polluting the atmosphere with every launch..../sarc!

[wxgesr]

I guess my tagline says it all, in order to get there, I have to launch, as it stands now.

[Jack Hydrazine]

Maybe you could work for SpaceX doing launch operations! That way you could get in a little surfing while launching. LOL!

What other planet in our solar system do you think has surfing available?

[wxgesr]

“What other planet in our solar system do you think has surfing available?”

None in ours, silly....Mars used to before they suffered a CME planet killer, I might like to surf Uranus!
(can’t hep myseff)

[Jack Hydrazine]

LOL!

[Jack Hydrazine]

If I want to start a live thread on the day of the launch how do I go about doing that? Do I post it to ‘breaking news’?