Launch Rats

Tickets are now on sale for LC-39 Observation Gantry and Apollo/Saturn V center for the Nusantara Satu launch this Thursday at 8:45pm EST. Hurry – these tickets go fast! More info at https://kennedyspacecenter.com/ (UPDATE: LC-39 Gantry appears to be sold out as of 9:23 pm 2/19)

Launch Rats hoping to view tomorrow’s launch from Playalinda will want to note the following (as per traffic advisory from Kennedy Space Center):

– The A. Max Brewer Causeway bridge on S.R. 406 in Titusville (north bridge) east to Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore will be restricted to all motor vehicle traffic. The Playalinda Beach park will be open until capacity is reached or 7:30 a.m., whichever comes first. If you are planning on visiting Playalinda Beach, please inform the uniformed officers at the checkpoint.

– State Road 3 North at US1 in Volusia County, south to Playalinda Beach will be open to all motor vehicle traffic until capacity is reached, or at 7:30 a.m., whichever comes first.

Also note that launch viewing from Kennedy Space Center, both LC-39 Gantry and Apollo/Saturn V Center, is SOLD OUT. Viewing from the main visitor center complex is not recommended as the launch is not visible until the rocket clears the treeline. We recommend Playalinda Beach, SR-401 and the viewing location at SR-528/A1A as alternatives. US-1 in Titusville remains a good backup locaation for launch viewing.

Good luck! May your launch viewing journey be nominal.

Tickets are now available SOLD OUT for the LC-39 Observation Gantry for the CRS-16 launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 carrying supplies to the ISS on December 4th, 2018.

These tickets are were $49 per person, and could be obtained via the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex website. Alternate viewing sites include the Apollo/Saturn V Center within Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (included with admission) and Route 401 in Port Canaveral (preferred for landing view).

Currently, these are the known, scheduled upcoming launches that can be viewed from the Space Coast:

Wed, Nov 14th Thu, Nov 15th, 3:46 pm – 5:27 pm EST launch window: SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying the Es’hail 2 comm satellite to geostationary orbit.

Tue, Dec 4th, 1:38 pm EST: SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying CRS-16 to the ISS in low earth orbit.

Sat, Dec 15th, 9:08 am EST: SpaceX Falcon 9 carrying GPS3-01 (USAF) satellite.

Our reference sources include the launch schedule at Spaceflight Now, and official sources on Twitter. Stay tuned for further updates!

So you might wonder: what is it like, to be a Launch Rat living on the Space Coast?

Well, you see… it’s like this.

Fifty-Two: A Wayward Birthday chronicles ten days in the life of a Launch Rat, beginning with her birthday and proceeding through two rocket launches, the return of the barge bearing the first-stage booster from the former launch, the NASA Social revolving around the Parker Solar Probe and the latter launch, and meeting friends both old and new… including some notable figures from the launch industry. It’s also a first-hand account of the world we live in, in all its splendor and accompanying exhaustion.

You can read it here.

Written this past February and originally posted to Facebook, Experiencing Falcon Heavy by Alex Altair details his perspective of the historic launch, and is a worthy read for experienced and would-be Launch Rats alike. Check it out!