Tech Enthusiast. Nature Lover. Computer Geek. rsyslog lead developer.
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 ;)
I intended to write a longer post on viewing from Kennedy Space Center‘s main visitor complex (not the causeway. Unfortunately, it was an unexpectedly busy day, so I simply ran out of time. However, I’d still like to provide some information for my fellow launch viewers.
In short: viewing from Kennedy Space Centers’s main visitor complex is not as bad as you may think. Granted, the view is obstructed, and you won’t see the (exciting) first seconds of the launch. However, there are lots of activities scheduled at the center on launch days. There are kid’s activities, special astronaut encounters and much more (at least this is promised by KSC, but I am confident they live up to the promise). Compare that to waiting hours on a parking lot – especially when traveling with your family. So viewing from KSC’s main complex is probably worth considering – especially if you have other opportunities to view launches (e.g. if you live relatively close to Titusville). For the greatest view, you should try to obtain launch transportation tickets at a later launch. If you just have one time and did not get launch transportation tickets, you may consider purchasing those NASA causeway tickets via official tour operators.
To get you an impression of what a launch looks like form the main complex, you may want to have a look at this youtube video:
And this Google video may be even better:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2505328158758910223&q=shuttle&pr=goog-sl&hl=en
Finally, I have a few select impressions from KSC’s launch day setup from one of my failed attempts ;)
NASA’s launch preparations are still on track. There are no negative news and the astronauts will fly into Kennedy Space Center tomorrow (on Friday). From the public weather services, it also looks like Titusville and Cocoa Beach weather is improving starting this weekend, so chances for a great launch are good. There is currently no contingency (buffer time) left, but the great NASA workforce is keeping on track with the launch schedule. The countdown start for Discovery’s STS-120 mission is scheduled for Saturday, 20th October. If all goes well, it culminates in a launch on Tuesday, 23rd October.
A note to all fellow rsyslog users and contributors. I got a chance to view space shuttle Discovery’s STS-120 launch next week. I will fly over to Florida tomorrow. I will be available via email, but my response time will be sluggish. My buddy Michael will handle things related to rsyslog in the mean time. Most importantly, he’ll release 1.19.10 tomorrow while I am on the plane. Please keep thoughts and contributions flowing, they are very welcome.
A couple of changes the last days. They are all now in cvs. Tomorrow we will release 1.19.10.
2007-10-15
– bumped version number
– changed ommsyql to allow for “:ommysql:” module specific action call method
instead of “>”. This shall facilitate the creation of other plugins.
– added notes about new action module designator to module documentation
– updated user doc to new module action calling convention
2007-10-16
– updated rsyslogd doc set man page; now in html format
2007-10-17
– undid creation of a separate thread for the main loop — this did not
turn out to be needed or useful, so reduce complexity once again.
– added doc fixes provided by Michael Biebl – thanks
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.
Well … if there are really no tickets available, then you are out of luck. But there are always some tickets left! Here is the story.
If you go to Kennedy Space Center to view a launch, you will of course try to get the best viewing spot. That, without question, is NASA Causeway. The causeway is just six miles away from launch pad 39A and the closest place you can get to it without being a NASA invited guest. The picture above was taken from the NASA Causeway viewing site in summer 2006. It is taken without a zoom lens and resembles what you can see with the naked eye. Hazy Florida weather makes the pad hard to spot. Click on the image to get the hi-res version. Then, look to the right. Watch closely. You’ll see a number of structures. The largest is pad 39A with space shuttle Atlantis sitting on it (that pic also proves the point to bring binoculars – but in reality it is still a very exciting view even to the naked eye).
Access to the Causeway is either via a VIP pass (relatively hard to obtain) or via paid tickets available to the general public. These tickets are called “launch transportation tickets” or LTTs. There is only a limited number of them available. They are typically sold out within a few minutes after sales opened. So to obtain them the normal way, you need to know exactly when they will be sold. To know when that is, sign up to Kennedy Space Centers “Armchair Astronaut Newsletter“. But even if you know the date, you may not be lucky enough to get the tickets. Game over? Not necessarily …
For each launch, there are some extra LTTs available via tour operators. I don’t know what deal they have, but their supply is either unlimited or few people book them, because of reasons I will state below. In any case, I’ve never seen them run out of tickets.
One word of caution, though: ticket resales (including LTTs) is forbidden. So it is not a really good idea to bid in ebay auctions or at some other places. There is also a number of fake tickets on sale for every launch. Even if you do not get into legal troubles, chances to be ripped off are great. So do not get trapped, stay away from those filthy offers. Use only KSC-approved tour operators.
For years, Grayline Orlando is KSC’s partner. This time, Florida Dolphin Tours is also listed. This selection may change in the future, so be sure to check with KSC visitor services which ones are official partners.
There are a number of drawbacks when using their services. First of all, they pick you up from the Orlando area. That most probably also means they depart very early. And if you stay in the Titusville or Cocoa Beach area, you probably need to get to Orlando first. You may want to check with them. For Titusville, I could envision that they allow to pick you up near I-95 when they come into the center. But no guarantees…
The next thing is cancellation policy. Using LTTs is always a betting game. With the genuine KSC tickets, they are used up when you board the Causeway bus. If you have handed over your ticket and the launch is scrubbed, you have lost. With the tour operators, you actually loose your tickets if the launch is scrubbed within a 72 hour window before target launch date. For me, this is the biggest problem. Three days in advance, there is a high probability for a scrub (few missions have launched on the original target date). So your chance to loose the LTT game is very high with the tour operators. Interestingly, the tour operators state you will not have a chance to get new LTTs once you have lost. KSC mentions there is no auto-renewal, but I have heard that it is possible to purchase new ones when you get back. Again, no guarantees here.
Lastly, the tour operators charge a much higher price than KSC directly. It’s not so much of a rip-off if you consider the transport from/to the Orlando area. But it’s not nice either.
So should you try to get LTTs via them? Though question. I’d say “it depends”. When I was at KSC last year (in my unsuccessful attempt to view the STS-115 launch), I decided against it. I considered the “scrub risk” too high, especially given the high price and my ability to stay for more than a week, which included multiple re-attempts. However, things would be different if I would come for just a single day and bet anything on that day in any case. If so, it doesn’t hurt to bet the LTT, too. After all, coming down just for the launch is expensive enough, so that extra money does not really hurt.
It’s all your decision – at least you now know you have a chance …
NASA has yesterday released the STS-120 press kit. Even though it is named “press kit”, the download is available to everyone. It provides excellent information, including great pictures, over the STS-120 mission. I suggest that everyone interested in this mission at least has a brief look at it. It’s a free download from
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/192719main_STS120_Shuttle_Press_Kit.pdf