UPDATE: Crew 1 has slipped one day due to weather at the recovery location – to Sunday, as noted below. If you have Gray Line tickets, check your email for important re-booking information! -WP
Despite Tropical Storm Eta bouncing around the Gulf like a pinball, plans are still proceeding apace for the Crew One mission to the International Space Station, launching on a SpaceX Falcon 9 no earlier than Sunday, November 15th, at 7:27 p.m. local time (GMT-5), according to the Flight Readiness Review that concluded today.
While COVID-19 remains a significant (and escalating) concern on the Space Coast as in the rest of the country, it’s a given that crowds will still flock to the area to view the launch. For those of you considering this, give some thought to the viewing package being offered by Gray Line Orlando, in conjunction with Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which includes:
- Transportation to/from KSCVC from Orlando area & Merritt Island locations;
- Admission and time to explore the main complex at KSCVC;
- Launch viewing from the Apollo/Saturn V Complex, the closest publicly-available viewing location to the launchpad, with a reduced number of fellow launch viewers.
Not only will you have the best possible view of the launch, you’ll also have the chance to sit back and relax instead of fighting traffic all the way back to your home or hotel – and for those who can’t drive to launches, this might be a perfect opportunity! If you can manage the $229/person cost, this is looking like the place to be. Get more information and reserve your tickets at the Gray Line Orlando website.
If that’s not within your scope, you still have plenty of options. Playalinda Beach will NOT be available for this launch (they close at 6 p.m., this time of year) but the Max Brewer Bridge, Parrish Park and the parks and open areas along U.S. 1 in Titusville, as well as the beaches of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, are all solid alternatives. People will probably begin staking out spots in RVs and cars beginning the night before, so depending on your level of obsession focus, you’ll want to decide for yourself what “get there early” means. Remember to bring plenty of water and snacks, sunscreen for the daylight hours, bug spray if you’re anywhere near the water, and plenty of patience – it’s going to be a long day!
And if you’re not local to the area… consider that while this is a historic launch, everything that makes it historic is inside the rocket. From the outside, this is just going to be another relatively ordinary Falcon 9 launch. All of the “making history” stuff, all the ceremonies and so forth, are going to be things you’ll only get from watching NASA-TV and SpaceX webcasts. Consider watching this one from your couch at home, and heading down to the Space Coast some other day, for a different launch.
Cheers!