Category: trip

If I had boarded a space shuttle, I would already been in orbit for quite a while. But, nah, I am sitting in a good ole Boing 767 on my way to Florida. And I try to be a little less bored by hammering my poor pda keyboard (no, the laptop is with my son for movie viewing).

The plane doesn't offer Internet service, so this post will probably take a while to actually show up on the blog. I need a wlan hotspot (free, of course) to send the post mail. Good that I have my own hotspot with me. If I write more posts, they may show up mixed up and not in order of creation – so don't wonder too much.

The really cool thing is that I got a different plane very quickly – we started just one hour delayed. Nd what is even cooler is that the pilot will fly faster (probably to save theschedule) and we so we actually should arrive at the originally scheduled time.

In essence, I have just exchanged one hour of flight time for one hour of being able to roam at he airport – not a bad thing ;)

If all issues during my trip can be as simply fixed as this plane problem, I'll probably have a great time.

Well, enough for now… another 7+ hours of flight time ahead of me …

I am right now sitting at Frankfurt airport and, guess what: the gangway was just rolled back from the plane. We were told that an engine problem was discovered during system checks… Lol – isn't that a good start for a shuttle launch viewing trip? ;) The delay, we were promised, will only be short (but do I trust that?). We'll see…

Now back to blogging silence.

Well, not a real launch… My plane will “launch” tomorrow (Friday) from Germany to Orlando, Florida. Not within a few minutes, but a more than 10 hour flight. But, hey, isn’t a shuttle launch worth that? ;)

This is probably my last post for the next day or so. When I arrive in Orlando, it will be late in the evening and I’ll head to the hotel to have a good night’s sleep. The next morning, me and my family will get a bit acquainted to Orlando’s attractions. I do not know how long it will take me to get my notebook and everything else back online … and how long it will take to get some time off for blogging from my family. So please bear with me if it will take a little while before there are new entries here in the blog. I promise I’ll keep you informed.

And please keep your fingers crossed for me that everything goes well on my trip ;)

Do you remember my question about which (size of) bags is allowed into Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on launch day? I received a number ofa encouraging nswers from fellow space launch viewers. And a few minutes ago, official word from KSC arrived:

Those bags will be just fine and security will check them and the contents when you come in.

A quick, efficient and very satisfying answer. I am happy to got it (especially as I already put the bags into my luggage for tomorrow’s flight ;)).

I have seen some questions on whether or not Internet connectivity is available during launch viewing. Most importantly, you’d need access to follow the countdown procedure and probably some cool web sites. This would be excellent to cover the hour-long wait that is often required.

As I have never before succeeded in viewing a launch, I have only limited information. What I know is based on my summer 2006 visit to Kennedy Space Center. I wanted to see STS-115, but the launch was so much delayed that I couldn’t make it. However, I have been several days at KSC (as well as many years before).

At that time, there were no public wi-fi networks on all on KSC premises. Neither at the main complex, nor at the Saturn V center, ISS center or anywhere else. And especially not on NASA Causeway, which is nothing but an open area. From what I have heard, that has not changed since then. The good news, though, is that there are public displays with, I guess, NASA TV and the countdown. So you are informed about what’s going on.

If you absolutely insist on wireless Internet, you need to bring your own wide-area (cell based) wireless. Verizon and others offer this type of service. Being German, I have no idea what the cost in the US is, except that the international roaming charge is prohibitively expensive. I will probably use it only to do some blog posts while waiting for the launch (that’s too tempting to not do it … provided the service actually works on the Causeway, which I have been told it does).

If you view the launch from an off-site location in Titusville, Cocoa Beach or somewhere close to it, the situation is probably much the same. Wireless hotspots have a very limited range and unless you roam very close to them, you won’t be able to connect. If you happen to view the launch from your hotel’s premises, you may be able to use their wireless Internet service. In this case, you’ve won. In any other case, you again need to resort to Verizon and other such services.

I hope this writeup is useful for your personal trip planning. If you have any additional information or tip, I’d love to hear about it.

Discovery is “go” for launch on October, 23rd! With great joy and relief, I quote today’s NASA shuttle home page (accentuation is mine):

NASA senior managers Tuesday completed a detailed review of space shuttle Discovery’s readiness for flight and selected Oct. 23 as the official launch date. Commander Pam Melroy and her six crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 11:38 a.m. EDT on the STS-120 mission to the International Space Station.

Tuesday’s meeting included a discussion about concerns raised by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center regarding the reinforced carbon carbon on three of Discovery’s wing leading edge panels. This issue initially was brought before the Space Shuttle Program during a two-day, preliminary review held last week to assess preparations for Discovery’s mission.

“After a thorough discussion and review of all current engineering analysis, we have determined that Discovery’s panels do not need to be replaced before the mission,” said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier.

Believe me, I am extremely happy with that decision. If Discovery had to be rolled back to replace the wing leading edge heat shield, the launch would have been delayed by weeks, if not month. In that case, I had lost my ability to experience it myself. When there were no news yesterday, I got increasingly excited: if NASA discussed that long, did it indicate a serious problem and a no-go for launch? I was already relieved when there was unofficial news that the launch would be as originally scheduled. So I could even go to sleep without having seen the news conference (it simply got too late …).

The first thing I did this morning was check the NASA site and the good news finally officially appeared. Man, am I relieved. This late in the process, it would have cost me a bunch of money, as I couldn’t have canceled most of the things I had booked (including some hotels). Thankfully, now my trip to Orlando, Titusville and Cocoa Beach is secured.

And — don’t get me wrong: if there would be a real safety concern for crew and vehicle, I would have been more than happy with a decision to roll back. I have to admit I have a bit of launch fever, but I can still think of consequences. It is a very good experience to see how NASA handles such cases: any concern can be brought up freely and receives serious consideration. I am sure that the final decision is based on very good data and there is very good reasoning to go for a launch. Thanks guys for your great work!

I got a number of feedbacks on my question what Kennedy Space Center considers as a large bag. They look promising. However, no official word from KSC yet (but, granted, it was weekend and now is nighttime in KSC local time, so it’s not the time to be impatient).

I’d like to thank all of those who commented. And if you have any thoughts on the issue, I sill appreciate any feedback. I’d like to quote two comments which probably make a good summary:

One is from the nasaspaceflight forums. Thanks to mceddiemac for it:

I think you will be OK with those. Last two times I was down there (STS-116 & STS-117) they allowed me (and others) to bring in medium size backpacks. Mine had all my camera equipment in it and measured 18″ x 12″ x 8″ (45cm x 30cm x 8cm). They also allow the compact folding umbrella chairs that are carried in shoulder bags. Security will check the contents of the bag before entering the Visitors Complex and will let you know if its too big and probably allow you to put them back in your car if thats the case. Like I said, I think you’ll be OK.

The other one is from Cloudy Nights, thanks to mattbtn for it:

I think you’ll find that NASA is far more restrictive on their website than they are in person once you get to KSC. I was easily able to get in with a large camera bag, which is about as large as your sling bag, and my wife carried her purse. They understand people want to carry large camera equipment, folding chairs, etc…so as long as you aren’t bringing something just truly obnoxious I think you’ll be ok.

In summary, it looks like my bags are OK. I will now pack them. I will also be at KSC the day before launch, and I’ll check with security as a late measure. Maybe they even allow my small backpack in… But anyways, I don’t want to ask too much. I am happy if I can get along with the mentioned bags ;)

Well, I wanted to pack my luggage yesterday. But then the weather turned out to be really nice and so I ended up doing some other “pre-flight” activity: I prepared my garden for the coming cold temperatures. Where I live, it can become well below 32°F in November. Of course, it can also stay much warmer. But with me being absent, I need to prepare for the cold temperatures, just to be on the safe side. And, of course, there were a lot of other things that needed to be done in the garden. Thankfully, most of this is done now and I can begin to re-focus on packing (but the sun is already shining very nicely…).

As far as the space shuttle is concerned, there were no news yesterday. Workflow is is slow over the weekend, so I do not expect anything before Monday.

What is a large bag — that’s the question if you pack to view a launch …

I received a sheet of instructions together with my launch viewing tickets. On the first pages, It is recommended that I bring a couple of things with me:

What should I bring with me?
The launch viewing area is an open field that is standing room only. You are free to bring blankets and compact “umbrella-style” folding chairs that are carried in shoulder bags, but flat folding chairs, lawn chairs and large beach umbrellas are not permitted. For muggy summer launches, you should bring insect repellant and sunscreen. Don’t forget your camera; a shuttle launch is the ultimate photo opportunity. The viewing area is 6 miles away from the shuttle launch pad. 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!

Obviously, that’s a lot to carry. But then, the security section of the instructions document reads as follows:

The following items are NOT permitted at the Visitor Complex

• Firearms of any type (with or without a permit)
• Ammunition (live or spent)
• Pepper/mace sprays
• Knives of any size
• Box cutters or like items
• Nail clippers with knife blades
• Any other sharp/pointed items, including pointed scissors or nail files
• Backpacks, coolers, luggage or other large bags
• Outside food items
• Large Beach umbrellas
• Lawn or folding chairs (blankets are permitted)

All bags, purses and other items will be opened and inspected at the Visitor Complex. If any of the above items are discovered, you will be required to return them to your vehicle. If the items are confiscated for security reasons, they will not be returned.

OK, so I am not permitted to use my backpack to bring things in. But what is a “large bag”? I neither like to end up with my belongings in paper bags nor do I like to be not allowed to bring them in into KSC. To me, it currently is a mystery (maybe a language issue not being a native English speaker – is “large bag” well defined? It all boils down to “what do I need to pack today”?

I’ll inquire at KSC and hope to get an answer. I’ll also try some forums. If you happen to know it, I would also be very grateful if you let me know. This is really a distracting question for me, even though it probably looks funny. And look at my picture above — I have even photographed my bags, so that size can be know. Are they “large bags”? Or is it OK to enter KSC with them on launch day (you may want to click on the picture for a higher resolution one …).

As I have said — feedback is deeply appreciated … When I find something out, I’ll let you know.

Next Friday, I will be flying over to Orlando, from where I will go to the Kennedy Space Center on October, 22nd (with the shuttle launch still scheduled for the 23rd). I’ve yesterday read that space shuttle Discovery’s payload bay doors have been closed for flight (at least I think this was the case).

Today, I’ll hopefully do a similar thing, that is close my luggage “doors”. Next week will be quite busy with all these late-minute things I need to finish up so that I can travel in relative peace of mind. So it is packing time today … Let’s gather all the things needed together. I’ll start with the electronics, which are always a major headache…