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Brevard County, Florida ping.Let me know if you want on or off this low volume ping list.
(not associated with the county government)
Posted on 04/23/2017 10:09:38 PM PDT by fastrock
Would like to see a launch this summer. Any suggestions on where to stay and where to view launch. Not like I want to be close enough to see the paint peeling from launch tower, yet I don't want to be so far away that it looks like a magic mark w/ flames.
This would be a great place to start...
My scientific wild a$$ guess is that its at least 3 miles to exclude stinger missiles from the ultimate heat source. Then multiply by 3 and add 10 because of the post 9/11 world.
So my guess is 19 miles is the closest we’ll get. But I have zero clue and id also like to hear from some experienced Florida hand. especially for when this new SLS Saturn 5 sized rocket comes on line in about a year.
Brevard County, Florida ping.I would stay in a hotel in Cocoa or Cocoa beach or even Melbourne or Orlando. Watch from Jetty Park at Port Canaveral. On the jetty is about as good as it gets unless you have access to restricted areas at the launch area. I have watched launches from both areas and Jetty Park is almost as good as the VIP area at Cape Canaveral. I have watched many launches from there and it is a great viewing spot open to the public. Just get there early.
I should add that night launches are the best if you have a chance to see one. I have seen a night launch of a Saturn V from near Orlando and I have seen several Shuttle launches from the Cape Canaveral VIP area including night launches. I have seen Atlas ans Titan launches from the jetty at Port Canaveral and tey were great.
Great tips thanks!!
The good part about watching from Jetty Park is that you are as close as the public can go, you are looking to the north so the sun won’t be in your eyes and you can see the arc as the rocket launches to the east.
Back in 1986 I was in Melbourne, FL going to lunch with coworkers. We were listening to the Space Shuttle Challenger launch on the radio and pulled off the road to watch. We had all seen many Shuttle launches and knew what happened when the explosion happened. It was a very bad incident for all of us to see.
I live in local area. Agree with others that Jetty Park in Port Canaveral is best place for you to view. Plus, there are several good restaurants close by. If you plan to stay at hotel in Cocoa Beach, be sure to make reservations well in advance, as the hotels will fill up. But they do jack the price up a bit. Do not stay in Cocoa area. Trust me on that advice.
Bookmark.
I’ve seen many launches. Jetty Park is best but fills up quick. Not sure if that would be the case for a SpaceX launch.
Once I saw a daytime shuttle launch all the way from MacDill AFB!
From my experience seeing two shuttle launches, reserve a room near the beach close to the launch site. If the launch gets scrubbed at the last minute, at least you’ll have had a nice beach day. Another reason is you can expect the roads to be jammed for at least an hour after the launch with people leaving.
Titusville! You can sit in a bar and watch the launch out the window.
I’ve been to Cape Canaveral, but there are many here giving great local advice that I can’t match. The whole place is a great destination for anyone interested in the space program. If you take the tour bus out to where the Saturn 5 rocket is at some point during your visit, watch the wildlife while on the way out or back, I had some real treats with that.
I have heard it said that when the rocket is on that pad, it feels like you’re too far away and being over-protected. When it fires off, you feel like you’re way too close.
About 15 years ago, I was traveling with my former company’s VP of sales in Florida. We were visiting customers with a local sales rep. The rep was told one day to go sell something and the VP and I headed north to Cocoa Beach. We parked the car and ran out into the water just in time to see a shuttle launch. It was a very good vantage point.
Jetty Park. At one time they allowed some camping. I don’t know if they still do or if you want to rough it. Summer can be tough camping.
Night Launch, if you have the option. Summer afternoon launches can be “iffy” due to afternoon thunderstorms. The lightning in mid-Florida can be spectacular, witnessed from a safe location. My wife and I were caught out while on an afternoon bike ride and had to shelter under a pagoda in a park. Fantastic experience that we made sure never happened again. Also another caution against tent camping.
The Space Center is worth a trip and you can combine it with a launch viewing from reserved stands. We tried it with a trip from the grand-kids, but launch was scrubbed. There is a bus tour that goes past gantrys, etc. There are enough exhibits and attractions to keep you busy for the day. Even with missing the launch, it was a great day. The launch pass can be used if launch is rescheduled, but in our case, we only had that day available.
There is also a public beach park available on the north side of the complex which may get a close view depending on which pad is being used.
Distance and size is misleading. We have seen several day and night launches. The most memorable was a night launch. We were too late to get into Jetty Park. We drove down along the beach until we could locate a parking space on a beach access parking area and walked out on the beach. We were a little discouraged that we were so far away. Well, baby, when that thing touched off, the first thing we experienced was schools of mullet jumping all along the beach as the sand send the shock waves through our legs. The white beach reflected the rocket blast and was so bright, it threw shadows across the beach from the other spectators. The noise is so powerful and deep that your whole body hears it. The memory of that launch is so strong that the impression of it feels like we were a couple of hundred feet away.
Bottom line...night launch...from stands...pay the price and plan for several days to make sure you catch reschedule if necessary..
We live on west coast so we watch launches from pier. Looks like bright star from here. If a BIG night launch, we plan to watch from beach located on north of complex. It is “out of the way”. Something about being on a pristine, primitive beach, away from most of technology, standing bare-foot on the sand, watching us touch the stars.
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