News and views from the World's Spaceports.

Monthly archives for April, 2011

Tips for watching Endeavour Launch today

Apr29
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Space Shuttle Discovery clears the tower.

Space Shuttle Discovery clears the tower.

Although the final launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour is just under 9 hours away if you want to watch it from the Space Coast you should be thinking of leaving very soon.

There have been many reports of the number of visitors expected to watch the launch ranging from 500,000 to 750,000 all in the relatively small area around Kennedy Space Center.  That is a heck of a lot of people in such a small area.  The worst thing will be getting in and out of Brevard County.

If at all possible try and avoid the SR528. For the launch of STS-133 Discovery by 10am the SR528 was a car park.  The authorities did their best to keep traffic moving by removing the tolls, but the sheer volume of traffic just clogged the freeway.

The way to avoid it is by leaving as early as possible and taking an alternate.  Last time coming from the west I found the SR532 quite clear then hit a little traffic as I passed the I95.  Coming from Orlando you could try the SR50 or a bit further north the SR46.

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Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , , ,

Endeavours last launch: find the best places to watch from

Apr28
2011 5 Comments Written by Mike
STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour on LC39A ready for launch

STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour on LC39A ready for launch

If you are planning to watch Space Shuttle Endeavour launch live then you will be one of probably 500,000 people contesting the small amount of real estate around Kennedy Space Center. Before you set out you should have a good idea of where you will try to get a spot to watch from. Not only will you need a plan A, but you will also need a plan B… Our list of viewpoints for the rocket launch have all been individually visited and assessed. A lot of these sites offer only a small amount of parking and often no or limited facilities.

All this information and more is available from our iPhone KSC Launch Pad App. Click here for more details.

We have broken the sites down into four main categories:
- Launch viewing locations in Titusville
- Southern shuttle launch viewpoints
- Shuttle launch viewing from a little further away
- Ticketed shuttle launch viewing locations

If you have not already bought a ticket for viewing the launch then it is unlikely that you will manage to obtain one at this short notice so it is best to focus on some of the other launch viewing sites.  If you have a favorite spot to watch rocket launches that we have not covered then let us know about it.

Read on for the Shuttle launch viewing locations: READ MORE »

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , ,

Space Shuttle STS-134 Endeavour Launch Day – 1

Apr28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
STS-134 Endeavour crew hatch

STS-134 Endeavour crew hatch

With just over 24 hours to go before the launch of the final flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour on mission STS-134 to the International Space Station things are starting to get a little busy at the Kennedy Space Center.

Wired4Space reporter Jeff is currently at the NASA Press Site waiting to be bussed out to the Shuttle launch pad to set up our remote cameras. We will have about 6 video and still cameras in 3 or four locations waiting to be activated to get some close up shots of the launch.

Today is also the first day of the NASA Tweetup for the Endeavour launch which was rescheduled from April 18th. The Tweetup is an amazing event when about 150 lucky tweeters get a close up look at the KSC and have tours of the VAB and other facilities. There will be astronauts chatting to the tweeters and lots of technology presentations prior to the launch. Tomorrow will be a special day as the tweeters will join the ranks of the press and experience the rocket launch from the countdown clock just 3 miles from the launch pad.

This evening the first signs of the pending launch will occur when the Rotating Service Structure is rolled back to expose the orbiter sitting on the launch pad. This is quite a spectacular event which takes about 20 minute followed by the switching on of the Xenon search lights that pin point the rocket for everyone to see from miles around.  Click here for our report on Discovery STS-133 RSS retraction.

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , ,

Watching Endeavour Launch? KSC Launch Pad price reduction.

Apr25
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
KSC Launch Pad splash screen

KSC Launch Pad splash screen

To celebrate the last launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour we have reduced the price of our iPhone app KSC Launch Pad. From now until the launch you can now obtain KSC Launch Pad for 99c or 59p.

Are you going to Florida to see the last launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, possibly the last Space Shuttle launch ever. Then KSC Launch pad is an ideal companion for you. KSC Launch pad allows you to plan your visit, where you are going to view the launch, where the sights are etc.

We have used local knowledge to compile the guide, which includes all the major rocket launch pads and points of interest in and around the Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral area.

Click here to buy the app in the iTunes App Store or click here for more details.

Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle - Tagged , , , ,

STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour cleared for launch

Apr22
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour on LC39A ready for launch

STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour on LC39A ready for launch

On Tuesday 19th April 2011 NASA’s Flight Readiness Review approved the preparations for launch of the official final Space Shuttle.  The target launch date has been confirmed for Friday 29th April at 3:47 Eastern time.

The 135th Space Shuttle mission will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 (known as AMS-2) to the International Space Station.  The AMS is an instrument which analyses cosmic rays looking for anomalies such as dark matter or black holes.  The objective of the AMS-2 is to study the formation of the universe.  Also in the payload bay will be Express Logistics Carrier 3 loaded with supplies to maintain the ISS after the Space Shuttle program.

It was also announced that President Obama will be present to witness the final launch of Endeavour.  It has been 13 years since a sitting president has been on site at Kennedy Space Center to view a Shuttle Launch when Bill Clinton watched Discovery head into space.  President Obama is no stranger to KSC as he also visited last year to see the SpaceX facilities.

The final touch down of Endeavour is scheduled to return on 13th May after the crew have performed 4 spacewalks.  However there are plans to extend the mission to the 14th of May.  After Endeavour returns to KSC the orbiter will be processed before travelling to its final resting place in the California Space Center in Palmdale, Los Angeles.

The official NASA press release follows:
READ MORE »

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , , ,

Today in Space history: 50 years Yuri Gagarin, 30 years Space Shuttle

Apr12
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
12th April 1961 Vostok 1 launches carrying Yuri Gargarin into Space

12th April 1961 Vostok 1 launches carrying Yuri Gargarin into Space

April the 12th is one of those days that is famous in the history of Space Exploration.  It was on the 12th April 1961 that Yuri Gargarin made his one and only flight in a rocket to become the first man to ever leave earth to travel in outer space.  The rocket, Vostok 1, was also the first spaceship to orbit the earth.

At 6:07 GMT the Baikonur Cosmodrome witnessed the roar of the rocket engines as the Vostok 1 spacecraft launched from the Russian space centre.  Ten minutes at 6:17 later the main engine shuts down and  Vostok 1 with Yuri Gargarin on board achieves earth orbit.

The mission lasted 108 minutes with the capsule landing about 10 minutes ahead of Yuri as the first man in space had ejected at 23,000 feet and returned to Earth by parachute.

12th April 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia STS-1 launches (Credit NASA)

12th April 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia STS-1 launches (Credit NASA)

Fast forward 20 years to April 12 1981 and sitting atop the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39 is the first ever Space Shuttle waiting to launch.  Commander John Young and Pilot Richard Truly took off from LC-39A for the first flight of the revolutionary Space Shuttle, a space vehicle that took off like a rocket, but returned to earth like a plane.

Space Shuttle Columbia (code named OV-102) was the orbiter for this test flight which lasted 2 days 6 hours and 20 minutes.  During the flight the Columbia orbited the Earth 37 times, before finally landing on runway 23 at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Posted in Rocket Launch Companies, Space, Space Shuttle - Tagged , , , , , ,

Index to Cape Canaveral Rocket Launch Pads

Apr11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
NROL-32 Delta 4 Heavy on LC-37B Launch Pad at KSC

NROL-32 Delta 4 Heavy on LC-37B Launch Pad at KSC

Last year we visited all the launch pads on the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to pinpoint their locations and to document what remains of the history of the Space Race on the Florida coast.

We appreciate that it is sometimes difficult to locate the particular item that you are looking for so to assist in your search for information we have created an index of the rocket launch pad on the Air Force Station.  Check out the articles and follow the history of Florida’s Space Coast.

Click here for our CCAFS Launch pad index page.

Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Rocket Launch Sites - Tagged , , ,

STS-134 Endeavour lift and mate in the VAB

Apr11
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
STS-134 Endeavour rising up in the VAB.

STS-134 Endeavour rising up in the VAB.

After the rollover from the OPF the Space Shuttle Endeavour orbiter has been brought into the central bay of the VAB. From here it is fitted with a special lifting jig to hoist it up to the the top of the VAB. Here it is carefully threaded through the infrastructure and then lowered into High Bay 1 where it is finally connected to the External Tank and the Solid Rocket Boosters prior to its rollout to the launch pad.

This whole process is called lift and mate. Despite sounding quite simple it is a long and precise operation taking several hours.

The scheduled lift was to be started at 3pm but when we were escorted into the VAB the engineers were still fitting the lifting jig to Endeavours four mount points. This was causing some problems as one of the mounting pins would not thread into the shuttle correctly.

Read on to discover the intricacies of getting Endeavour into the right position and to view the picture gallery:

READ MORE »

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , ,

STS-134 Space Shuttle Endeavour Rollover

Apr09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134 nose and transport drivers.

Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134 nose and transport drivers.

When Space Shuttle Endeavour returned from its last mission on Feb 21st 2010 STS-130. The Orbiter was towed to Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 or OPF2 where the ship was stripped down and prepared for it’s final flight to the International Space Station on flight STS-134.

When the Shuttle is ready it is moved from the OPF to the VAB.  This is known as Rollover.  Typically this takes place first thing in the morning as indeed it did this time.  We arrived at dawn on the 28th Feb 2011 for first movement which happened around about 8am.

Our video is a time lapse showing the painfully slow backing up of the Space Shuttle Endeavour from the OPF, through the (relatively rapid) movement between the hangers, to the final stop inside the VAB where it will go through a process known as Lift and Mate.

A description of the Endeavour Rollover and picture gallery follows:

READ MORE »

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-134 Endeavour - Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

AmericaSpace Mission Tracker

Next Launch GPS IIF-4 on a Alas V rocket from Cape Canaveral AFB, FL scheduled for 15 May 13 21:38:00 GMT

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  • NASA regains the capability to transport supplies and equipment to and from the ISS thanks to SpaceX
    http://t.co/AZWPTqM1
  • Today sees the launch of the 1st Commercial ISS resupply mission with a Falcon 9 / Dragon Capsule launch
    http://t.co/LNLf1pFK
  • A day in the life of the European Southern Observatory starting now at
    http://t.co/54rQi14S
  • The second stage has shut down for a second time placing the GPS IIF-3 Satellite into a third coast phase lasting for about 3 hours.

Photo of the day

STS-133 Discovery Last Flight NASA 130.jpg
STS-133 Discovery Last Flight NASA 130.jpg

KSC Launch Pad iPhone App

iPhone App: KSC Launch Pad now available!

NOW ONLY $0.99 / £0.59

Are you visiting Kennedy Space Center? Do you want to see a rocket launch?

If so then KSC Launch Pad is the only app you will need. Using local knowledge it shows you the best places to watch from and identifies all the major points of interest in and arround Kennedy Space Center.

Available now from the Apple AppStore. Click here for more details...

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