posted on 15th December, 2020 8:10 pm by WaywardPlane
Aaaaaargh I forgot to update the site again, and this is important, yo:
SpaceX is launching the NROL-108 mission on a Falcon 9 rocket from pad LC-39A this Thursday, December 17th, within a three-hour window that begins at 9:00 am local time (GMT-5) and the reason why this matters is because this is a Return To Launch Site landing, expected to occur at LZ-1, and those are becoming rarer and rarer lately.
For this launch, Jetty Park is going to be the prime location, in order to get the best views of that landing booster. As a bonus, the booster from the SXM 7 launch is expected to arrive in port at dawn, so an exciting day to take a trip to Port Canaveral! Remember to buy your Jetty Park admission in advance; they will scan your admission code at the gate.
The latest word is that SpaceX will be launching supplies and science on the CRS-20 mission to the International Space Station on a Falcon 9 rocket from SLC-40 on Friday, March 6, 2020 at 11:50 pm EST (delayed from Monday, March 2, 2020 at 1:45 am EST). This launch will feature a Return to Landing Site (RTLS) booster return to LZ-1.
Star*Fleet Tours will be operating a viewing mission on their boats for this launch. Tickets remain on sale with a few spots still available for $75 per person, although their website still states the previous launch date; as per their policies, tickets purchased for March 2 will be honored for the reschedule. This will be the best possible vantage point for viewing the booster landing! Get in on this if you can. More information is available at star-fleet.tours/current.
Exploration Tower in Port Canaveral states that “tickets will be on sale soon” for this launch. They offer an elevated view of launch and landing (7 stories up, on their observation deck) but do not allow folding chairs or tripods. Their website at explorationtower.com will have more information on this.
Jetty Park has not yet announced whether they will be open for this launch (which lies outside their normal operating hours) but based on past launches, it seems likely that they will be. This location will be preferable for viewing the booster landing. Their page at facebook.com/JettyParkBeachandCampground will have more information.
The pedestrian lanes of the Max Brewer Bridge in Titusville will likely be available for launch viewing. Its northerly location of the Max Brewer Bridge will favor launch viewing over landing, but the elevation of the bridge may allow a better view. Open spaces and parks along U.S. 1 in Titusville, such as the location at Rt. 50 and U.S. 1, and Space View Park, will also be available for viewing.
Viewing locations that will be CLOSED and unavailable include Playalinda Beach, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and any park along U.S. 1 which has gates that can be closed to prevent cars from entering/leaving their parking lot.
Following CRS-20, the next launch scheduled from the Space Coast will be SpaceX’s Starlink 5 mission, launching another batch of Starlink satellites from pad LC-39A on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 10:40 am EDTSaturday, March 14, 2020 at 9:35 AM. Because this is a morning launch, most standard viewing locations should be available and accessible. As Starlink launches historically feature drone ship landings of the first-stage boosters, which are not visible from shore, and because these launches tend to head northward, viewing sites that are to the north and west of the pad (Kennedy Space Center’s Banana Creek/Apollo Saturn V Center, Playalinda Beach, areas along U.S. 1 in Titusville) may be preferable to more southern areas like Jetty Park and Cocoa Beach.
Watch this space for further updates, and best of luck on your launch viewing journey!
