Where to watch rocket launch in or near motorhome?

Think they're going to try again Saturday? I know the "stuck in traffic" thing, trying to escape the observation area. We were trapped between the coast and I-95, for well over an hour, when we saw our launch.

Great spot, but no joy on the launch. Some traffic getting out, but not that bad. We're 0 for 2 for launches. Maybe next time; and maybe it will be at night!

jspringator wrote:
We made it. No one is here. There was a cut out in the curb big enough for the MH and I u-turned my way in.

I don't know if this will work or not.

Untitled by jspringator, on Flickr

That's great! I hope the launch happens today! Walk around and look at all the monuments and watch for the jumping fish in that long pond type thing. Burger King is a short walk if you get hungry. One word of caution. Sometimes there are homeless people in that park. Ignore them and they shouldn't bother you.

Old-Biscuit wrote:

MDKMDK wrote:
November '08, we watched the last night launch from a parking lot across US1 from the McDonalds. Didn't see the actual lift off from the ground, but we knew it was coming as the entire sky on the island lit up orange as the engines roared to life, and the shuttle cleared the treeline a few seconds later.
Doesn't work as well, or impress as much, for a daylight launch.

We were parked in same lot........



We were in same parking lot on Feb 7, 2010 for Endeavors scheduled launch....scrubbed
Back to parking lot next early morning Feb 8, 2010 for Endeavors launch at 4:14am ----Last Nightime Launch

Should have said "one of the last" launches after dark. I'll use the "I misspoke" reason that's so popular these days.
According to this site, the last night launch was Discovery, not Endeavour.
And it was April, not February?
It was in 2010.
Confusing?
The one we saw was spectacular. I have some rather grainy pics, so I won't bother posting them. I wasn't much of a night photog back then, or now, come to think of it.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/launch/night_launches.html

We made it. No one is here. There was a cut out in the curb big enough for the MH and I u-turned my way in.

I don't know if this will work or not.

Untitled by jspringator, on Flickr

MDKMDK wrote:
November '08, we watched the last night launch from a parking lot across US1 from the McDonalds. Didn't see the actual lift off from the ground, but we knew it was coming as the entire sky on the island lit up orange as the engines roared to life, and the shuttle cleared the treeline a few seconds later.
Doesn't work as well, or impress as much, for a daylight launch.

We were parked in same lot........



We were in same parking lot on Feb 7, 2010 for Endeavors scheduled launch....scrubbed
Back to parking lot next early morning Feb 8, 2010 for Endeavors launch at 4:14am ----Last Nightime Launch

Thanks. We're going to try Space View Park.

I undertand why they don't want people watching. We've been in FL since Sunday, and nobody here wears a mask. They don't appear to care for the 6 feet concept either. I look like a freak with my wrap around safety glasses and KN-95 mask. At home I was just like everybody else. It is an easy painless step that protects me and protects you. I don't want to be indoors more than 10 minutes, even with a mask. I'm going to watch from the MH. If we can't make that work, we're heading to the Walgreens. The park opens at 8, and we'll be there shortly thereafter. If they cancel, we'll just head home.

We had to cancel our spring trip, and probably won't get a summer one. Our out of state quaranteen was lifted on Friday and we left on Saturday night. Courts open on the first, so this was our shot. We're both working virtually. No restaurants and very limited shopping. Our generator stopped working, and I seized up something trying to re-start it, so I had to go into Walmart to buy a turkey baster. Sucked out some oil and used a 9/16 wrench on the flywheel to loosen everything up and no problems since. Google is your friend.

November '08, we watched the last night launch from a parking lot across US1 from the McDonalds. Didn't see the actual lift off from the ground, but we knew it was coming as the entire sky on the island lit up orange as the engines roared to life, and the shuttle cleared the treeline a few seconds later.
Doesn't work as well, or impress as much, for a daylight launch.

NASA has asked the public not to attend for what it’s worth.

I don't know how close you need to be to get a good view of a rocket launch. But a couple years ago we camped at Manatee Hammock Campground near Titusville. There were no launches while we were there, but I have a mental note to try to go back there when there are launches to watch. It is almost directly across the Indian River from Cape Canaveral. You can see the larger structures of the Kennedy Space Center complex from the campground. I think it would be a great place to watch a launch. Not too close; not too far away. I think you'd have a great view of the rocket as it gets farther up in the atmosphere than you would if you were as close as possible to the launch site. Of course, if what you are looking for is the ground-rattling, up-close-and-personal experience, that's something else.

-Speak