Shuttle Launches

Stray Cat

Stray Cat

Active Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 4, 2006
2,344
Pool 10 Guttenberg, IA
Boat Info
2006 300DA Sundancer
Engines
350 Mags / Bravo III
One of the things on my Bucket List is to see a shuttle launch. Has anyone witnessed this event? I didn't realize there will be one possibly tomorrow if everything is a go.

I'm surprised we can afford to light her up again.
 
I've seen one, but caught me totally off guard. If you don't like flying stories, hit "Back" now. We were deployed to Key West, and were "Capping" (Combat Air Patrol - ing) in North end of the airspace North and West of Key West. We were in a left hand turn to the North at about 35,000 feet when I saw some contrails coming up and over us. I was thinking, "That's odd, who's over-flying us?" Then, it dawned on me at the same time I saw the trailing fire ball that no one could overfly us. I transmitted "Tally one Space Shuttle 045 for 150."

I was flying with our squadron commander (2 v 4) against 4 Hornets. It was a truly memorable experience. It turns out that the Shuttle goes East out over the water. The line of sight rate of the craft accelerating up and away did not compute in my brain. I kept the picture in the realm of that which I am familiar. So, my brain told me it was an aircraft with contrails simply flying at us at a higher altitude. That puts the acceleration into perspective, at least to me.
 
If I recall, there aren't to many left, you better hurry up. I haven't seen one yet either. (I've been on site doing the tour, that was incredible - the size is very deceiving until you're close to the equipment in person)

-VtSeaRay
 
If you go, make sure you station yourself north of the launch pad for the best viewing IMHO. New Smyrna is a nice spot to see it from because the launches head north of the launch site ( and of course watch it from the beach.) Cocoa Beach to the south is okay too. The night launches are really something because you can see it for so long in the night sky.

And when you go bring your fishing rod and binoculars. The Meritt Island NWR is worth seeing especially in the winter with all the migrating birds. The red fishing is some of the best in the south. :thumbsup:
 
I saw the shuttle launch on November 11, 1982 from the cockpit of a sailboat anchored off the ICW. I will never forget the roar of the engines, the brightness of the flames and the warmth that radiated out from the thing.
 
We've tried twice, both delayed beyond our window of travel. Our daughter & husband in Brunswich GA did witness a night launch that flew up the E coast. The glow on the horizon as the candles were lit was erie...they were impressed how bright & long the trail was.
 
Stray Cat said:
One of the things on my Bucket List is to see a shuttle launch. Has anyone witnessed this event? I didn't realize there will be one possibly tomorrow if everything is a go.

I'm surprised we can afford to light her up again.
Click to expand...

Do you mean this?:smt038 I basically grew up in Florida and had never seen a launch from a fairly close distance, so last year they had a Saturday Afternoon launch, I took a chance and drove down there, hoping to catch a launch...well... May 31, 2008.

If you go stop here for a meal

:thumbsup:

ShuttleLaunchA.jpg
 
Saw an evening launch from [FONT=arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Man-O-War Cay in the Abacos. Even from that distance, it was a surreal sight. Very cool.
[/SIZE][/FONT]
 
Believe it or not, we can see it all the way from the Gulf of Mexico both day and night when the weather's clear. The nighttime launches are pretty spectacular even from 150+ miles away. We've talked about driving over to see one, but the problem is that they seem to get scrubbed pretty frequently. Either weather or mechanical problems (like yesterday) can, and often do, keep them on the ground. For us, it's not worth risking the drive over and back, much less trying to plan a trip from out-of-state to see one, unless you were gonna go there anyway.
 
Unfortunately, I've seen one. Challenger in January 1986. The pilot, Mike Smith, was a former squadron mate. A bunch of us went down to see it. Not a happy day...
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Carter, that was a day I'll never forget too, I was listening to it on the radio and my heart sunk at the uncertainty of what had just happened....just like the reentry a few years ago.
 
We went down with a group of engineers from Tennessee Tech (they do research for NASA) several years ago for a launch. It was to be a dawn launch. We attended a mission briefing several hours prior, with Ms. America singing Star Spangled Banner, then a bus ride to the Banana River viewing area. They have a neat museum there with a complete Saturn V, on its side separated into its stages; several astronauts were there to answer questions. There was a monitor next to the bleachers outside where we could listen in on the communications between the crew and Capcom.

Just as the sun broke the horizon, the countdown got down near T-5 and the main (liquid fueled) engines were started. At O the solid rocket boosters lit off and the whole STS began to lift off. At first we couldn't hear it, only see it. The Banana River was glassy calm, and we could see the ripples from the sound waves coming towards us. When they hit us, one frequency vibrated my kneecaps and another pounded my sternum.

It was amazing to me how long (and how far) we could track the fireball -- more than 120 miles downrange! All the while, the pilot (or copilot?) was calling out speed and altitude numbers that seemed incredible to me. We saw the separation of the solid rocket boosters after they burned out. There were also the comments as to when they were past the point where if they had engine failure they couldn't return to the Cape, and when they reached the point they could reach their emergency landing strip in Spain with first one main engine failure, then two engine failure, then failure of all three main engines. There is a critical window of time between the point where they can't return to the Cape and when they can make it to Spain if a problem arises. Finally, several minutes after the fireball is no longer visible, we hear the call that they've reached the altitude and velocity for their intended orbit and are shutting down the main engines, and there is a collective exhale, like we've all been holding our breath for them.

If you get the opportunity to see a launch, I highly recommend it.
 
Dixie Crossroads the best Rock Shrimp I have ever had I saw a launch from a buddy's boat about 6 years ago He keep's his boat on the Banana River (down from the SR plant) it was quit a site. I would like to see a landing sometime
 
I have never seen a shuttle launch though I have seen others. I was working in Cape Canaveral the last few days and had been very excited to see the one that was planned but scrubbed. I will make another special trip to see one. A friend was a Shuttle and MIR astronaut and just listening and imaging the experience of going up sounds like it must be just about the most fantastic experience possible (or at least in the top two...)

While in Canaveral I also went to take a look at the Sea Ray Merritt Island facility. It felt like a ghost town. Very sad.
 
We were at The Kennedy Space Center back in "86 and saw it take off one mornng. The sound was incredible, the light unreal like the pictures show. But one thing that few epolple talk about is the trembling of the earth as the rocket engines launch it into space. The experience is one you never forget.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,193
Messages
1,428,287
Members
61,104
Latest member
Three Amigos
Back
Top