We have a tent reservation at Jetty Park for next Wednesday, there is a rocket launch scheduled or 8:pm.We will arrive earlier in the day, hang out, fish, etc and then watch the launch (if it happens) then we may or may not spend the night, we have a Condo up the road a couple hours. I can't get a live person at the campground and I just want to make sure there is not some fatal flaw with this plan. Do they close any roads in or out?I know it was insaneyl crowded at the end of the shuttle program, I'm assuming it's not that bad any more. Anything else I should know? Thanks Dave

We watched both Discovery and Columbia launch and back even further we saw Friendship 7 and Apollo III. Everyone we attended was packed and closed off when full. Sadly, I don't think the excitement is there anymore to pack in the crowds.

I was at Jetty Park in March (for Nationals Spring Training) and took in a night-time rocket launch from the beach, which you can easily walk to from the campground - just go out the gate. Wasn't very crowded, although from the beach the rocket is mostly a rising ball of flame, but you hear the roar of the engines, too. Might be more difficult to watch from the close-in viewing locations at the Space Center, but I think they charge for that space. Didn't notice any road closures or signs re-directing traffic.

No roads closed af all. Depending on what pad the rocket is launching from you may be able to see it with a good pair of binoculars. Watching from the beach is an awesome sight. Just look north east down the cape and weather and no technical glitches you'll have a beautiful show. I lived in Cape Canveral for ten years in the nineties and watched a lot of launches. They never get old.

You probably will not see the launch since it is being launched at Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan to the International Space Station. Not our rocket going up on July 22. nasa launchGood luck,Jim

Jetty Park at Canaveral and rocket launch questions

Doug33
Explorer
Jul 14, 2015
Mr. Camper wrote:
back even further we saw Friendship 7 and Apollo III.

That goes back a LONG time! Did you mean Apollo 11, or AS-203 that was an unmanned Saturn 1B test launch in 1966?

I always wanted to be down there for a launch. The closest I got was a family trip in 1970 when Apollo 13 was on the launch pad, but wasn't launched for another few weeks due to delays. i'm probably the one that jinxed the mission! LOL
Mr__Camper
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
AS-203 was the official title. They were renamed as AS when combined with the Apollo/Saturn.I was twelve at the time of John Glen's flight. Didn't appreciate it at the time but who knew then.
Doug33
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
Mr. Camper wrote:
AS-203 was the official title. They were renamed as AS when combined with the Apollo/Saturn.I was twelve at the time of John Glen's flight. Didn't appreciate it at the time but who knew then.

When I was in high school in the late 1970s my father, who was a science teacher, was responsible for picking up the guest speaker at the airport and driving him to the annual science teacher conference. The guest speaker just happened to be one of the original 7 astronauts, Scott Carpenter. I got to go with my father to pick up Carpenter, and he came back to our house for a few hours, so we got to talk to him at length. What a great experience!
Mr__Camper
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
Now I'm officially jealous.
Twain
Explorer
Jul 15, 2015
I haven't driven to the cape since the last shuttle night launch, so I can't speak on the crowd levels. The media coverage of the unmanned launches has been dismal at best in the Tampa market. Its a shame the interest level has dropped so low so fast. With that, I'd guess the crowds are manageable.

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