Today, Saturday the 14th of November, is not Launch Day. Tomorrow… so far, so good.
As announced yesterday, the NASA/SpaceX Crew 1 launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station has moved to Sunday, November 15th at 7:27 p.m. local time (GMT-5), and so, as everyone scrambles to change their plans, here’s a few things to keep in mind:
Gray Line ticket holders should have received an email about re-booking; you will want to check into that NOW.
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex ticket holders: your tickets remain valid for tomorrow’s attempt.
RVers planning to stake out viewing locations will probably want to check out Parrish Park, and the open patches of land along US-1 between Garden Street (FL-406) and Cheney Highway (FL-50) in Titusville starting this evening. I do not know what the laws are regarding overnight parking in these locations, and I cannot promise you that you will not be told to move along and come back later; I only know, from past launches, that these spots fill up quickly.
For everyone else who’s planning to view the launch: Understand that you will have a lot of company. The Titusville Police Department will be closing the Max Brewer Bridge to accommodate the pedestrian traffic. Florida has no mask mandates, and social distancing will not be possible, and once you have parked and found a spot, you may not be able to easily leave. Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and bug spray. Public toilets will be few and hard to find, and will become increasingly unpleasant as the day goes on, so add a roll of toilet paper to the launch bag; your future self will thank you for it. Wear comfortable shoes. Make sure you have a charged power pack for your cellphone or tablet, it’s going to be a long day – but the cell signal in these parts tends to degrade significantly under heavy traffic, so expect to lose connectivity as the day goes on. And speaking of traffic: you’ll be sitting in it for quite some time after it’s all over, so be prepared for that, too.
Understand, also, that in the crowd of unmasked launch viewers surrounding you, there will be some, perhaps many, who woke up that day not feeling all that great, maybe running a fever… but they’re looking forward to the launch, or their kids are, and so here they are anyway, spreading whatever germs they might be carrying. This is the risk you’re taking by coming to watch the launch. Please, assess that risk carefully.
The thing to keep in mind about the Crew 1 launch is: All the important parts – the ceremonial things, the astronauts themselves – everything that makes this launch historic is INSIDE the rocket. The launch webcast for Crew 1 will be available on NASA TV and will offer the best views of these things, which you won’t be able to see from amidst a crowd of people on US-1. There will be other launches from the Space Coast – we had one just last night! and it was beautiful! and there were handfuls of people watching it, instead of massive crowds, and we were socially distanced without it being a problem or a big deal, and we had a great time. Consider staying home and watching the webcast for this launch, and coming to see one of those other launches, instead.
Whatever you choose, stay as safe as you can and enjoy the show, as we launch – say it with me, now! – American astronauts (and one from JAXA!) on American rockets from American soil. Cheers.