Going to Cape Canaveral, hope to see G.R.A.I.L. launch!

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

skyspike1

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2011
Messages
232
Reaction score
0
Heading up to Cape Canaveral early in morn to hopefully see U.L.A.'s DeltaII rocket launch, ( G.R.A.I.L. mission) then do the whole K.S.C. tour thing with my wife. Only giving it a 40% chance of good weather for launch. Too bad, we picked this day to visit Kennedy Space Center just because of the chance to see this launch, so were praying for clear skies, and light wind!
However, the next couple days us East Coast surfers are expecting some good, sizable surf, with overhead to double-overhead groundswell courtesy of Hurricane Katia.....this had me torn, since I already put in for Sept 8 off work to visit KSC....but I live to SURF! so a tough decision was needed. Skip the KSC tour with my wife,(she don't surf!)and go surf. Or miss a good day of clean swell to wander around KSC all afternoon!.....
Then SNAP!, it hit me....the ULA launch is at 8:30am, sun rises at 6:40am...Kennedy Space Centers gates don't open until 9:00am...I take my best Big-Wave Gun w/me tomorrow, catch perfect Cocoa Beach waves at daybreak, watching to the North at @ 8:30am,(also a 9:18am launch window) see the Delta rocket launch, paddle in after 2hrs of surf, eat breakfast, go to Kennedy Space Center, spend the entire afternoon there and see everything......then catch a sunset surf session at Playa-Linda Beach on the way back home!...
The chance to watch a rocketlaunch from "the Cape"....while scoring perfect Cocoa Beach barrels just sounds like "The Perfect Day" for me!
P.S.- i think i feel a cough coming on for Friday too!
"pray 4 good launch weather....pray 4 surf!"
 
I hope you did not waste your time today because they scrubbed the launch.
 
At least Stuart isn't a LOOOOONNNNNNGGGG drive. Hope you stayed around to see the Space Center before you went surfin. (Of course, the entry fee, which used to be FREE, is now half as much as a day at Disney). An annual pass makes sense, but it's still stupidly expensive.
 
We waited in the KSC parking lot until the launch was scrubbed until the 10th. And although we didn't get to see a launch ,we spent the whole day at K.S.C. and got all our moneys worth plus.( $45 each admission) We got lots of free G.R.A.I.L. mission "swag",(stickers,info booklets,T-shirts ect) as the whole space center seemed to be "Moon oriented" this week due to the launch. We listened to former Apollo Astronaut Charlie Duke tell stories about his visit to the moon during Apollo 16 at the luncheon. We also met Shuttle Pilot Jim Reilly who signed my Space Shuttle Maiden Flight Series coin collection in the case under the 2 shuttles he flew on. I had just purchased the 5 coins at the gift shop. He was on Atlantis sts-104,sts117 and Endeavor sts-89.(this was how he signed them by his Autograph)
The 2 new IMAX movies on the Moon, and Hubble Telescope were great, as was the full-scale Saturn V and preserved control room from Apollo missions.(complete with cigarettes and ashtrays just as they were on the flight controllers desk stations!) The Rocket Garden was neat to see all those full size classic rockets standing right there!
However...the older displays haven't been maintained very well...sad to see weeds growing out of the vents of Mercury Redstone rocket. I know funds are tight right now, you could tell these rockets in the rocket garden haven't been maintained in many years. Faded, peeling paint, mildew and weeds growing on all of these classics was hard to see.(a little paint and pressure washing could go a long way!) The newer exhibits and giftshops were bright and clean.
However, we had an AWSOME day and got to see everything there. But you really could feel a "vibe of uncertainty" from everyone there about the future of KSC. There's usually excitement about the next exhibit being designed at the Center....but now your wondering which exhibits will be closing due to lack of $, and low attendance numbers.(They told us most days now average only 1000 or so visitors)

We didn't get to see the Delta launch, but still had a great day at KSC, and when we left at 6:30....I still caught a sunset surf session at Playa-Linda Beach at Cape Canaveral before we headed back home!
 
Just watched launch from my usual "launch observation center", otherwise known as...My Roof!
Wish I could have seen it from KSC on Thurs, but still got to witness an awesome launch.....Still amazes me that it is clearly viewable from @100 miles south here in Stuart. Go Delta!!...Go GRAIL!
 
Back
Top