photojojo

Nothing beats having tickets for the observation platforms for a launch. Titusville is (was) a good back up for the Shuttle... But how is Coco Beach? I'm planning to take the kids down for the Artemis I test launch and it looks like Coco Beach ~16 miles away - Titusville is ~11.

Has anyone watched a launch from Coco Beach? Do you feel the rumble as much as in Titusville?

BamaVol

We were there for a launch last month. We stayed at the Hampton Inn on Cocoa Beach. We had a nice view of the launch from the beach. We could hear it. But the pounding sensation in the chest was missing. Not a quiver. We only live about 90 minutes away so we will be back. And as much as I hate to pay admissions to anything, I think we will have to pay. Any idea what happens when the launch is scrubbed, as they often are? We were lucky that I paid for an extra night when the launch was delayed 24 hours. I’m assuming we don’t get our money back or a rain check since ostensibly the admission is for a multitude of things and the launch is a bonus.

DELee

KSC Visitor Complex tix and scrub rules: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/l...#LaunchTickets

David

BamaVol

As I recalled. You will be forced to purchase admission on the day of the rescheduled launch. Your seating ticket will not be refunded but maybe reused under strict conditions or redeemed for merchandise at the gift shop. It could get pretty expensive and you might not experience a launch anyway.

Thats why, for our first time at least, we stuck with the beach viewing experience. I think our best bet is to drive over the day of a launch after determining weather will be an unlikely cause for delay or cancelation. There are still other potential reasons to scrub, but I’d like to eliminate what I can.

writerguyfl

Over the years, I've paid for premium viewing for one Space Shuttle launch and three rocket launches. Despite shelling out all that money, I've never seen a launch. All four times, the launches were scrubbed.

Twice, I tried to secure a ticket for the following day without luck. The second a launch is scrubbed, the people who tried to get tickets but failed will stalk the website. So, there's no guarantee that if you attend a scrubbed launch you'll be able to try again.

For the record, I completely understand the policy. Whether the launch happens or not, the folks at Kennedy Space Center still have to pay employees to staff the various facilities.

That said, I wish they gave people who attend a scrubbed launch an opportunity to purchase tickets for the next try before the general public.

AMflier

OP, Have you thought about watching a launch at Vandenberg? It's free and very informal. For a Falcon 9 Launch we just pulled over to the side of W. Ocean Road and sat with the other observers by our car. The downside was that we didn't see the rocket until it cleared a low hill.

We were pretty close, and boy did we feel it.

Annerk

Unfortunately the new rockets don't have the rumble that the Shuttle did, even if you are up close. The good news is that launches are happening very regularly these days, so you might be able to find a week where there are two going up. Try for a night launch, far more spectacular than daytime.