What are the launches and landings like?
They are really amazing! It is very difficult to describe in words, but I'll try. When the Shuttle takes off, I'm usually at the Press Site, about 3.2 miles from the launch pad. Other than the rescue teams, this is about as close as they let people get.
As the Shuttle lifts off, the solid rocket boosters give off an incredibly bright light. This light is so bright that during night launches, for a few seconds, it looks like daytime. As the shuttle rises, it picks up speed dramatically. The Space Shuttle is going 100 miles an hour when it clears the top of the launch tower. After about 15 seconds, depending on the wind direction and the humidity, a roar develops that rattles your insides pretty good. It is a very unique and thrilling feeling to feel the power of the rocket. You can also see the sound waves on the water in the bay at the Press Site.
The Shuttle continues to climb going faster and faster and getting smaller. After two minutes, the solid rocket boosters are jettisoned. This is easy to see if there are few clouds in the sky. At this point, the Shuttle is just a small dot, then you notice it appears to be heading back down -but it is actually following the curvature of the Earth! On clear days, you can watch it curve back down and disappear over the horizon.
Space Shuttle landings are also very exciting. Usually, before you can pick the shuttle out in the sky, it announces itself with twin sonic booms -one when the nose goes subsonic and one when the wings do. The Space Shuttle glides back to Earth with no power, so the astronauts need to be very skilled in flying and knowledgeable about the geography.
You can usually only watch the Shuttle for a couple of minutes and when it lands, it is going over 200 miles per hour. The Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) or runway is 15,000 feet long. That is nearly three miles, one of the longest runways in the world.
What is it like to see the Shuttle launches and landings in person?
It is awe inspiring, humbling, scary, thrilling, joyous, and exhilarating. To watch seven humans ride a rocket into space is truly a moving and powerful experience. I hope you all get to have this experience one day. You folks may likely be able to go into space yourselves!
Are the launches very loud and hot?
They can be loud for a few seconds, but they are not hot from the Shuttle's heat. Florida, on the other hand, can be very hot and humid. I try to drink plenty of water and stay in the shade as much as possible.
When the rocket launches, does it smell?
No, but the exhaust plume is acidic. If it falls on cars, it can damage the paint. Normally, the exhaust clouds blows out over the ocean and dissipates. It would not be good for your lungs if you could smell the rocket exhaust.
What kind of permission do you need to take pictures of the launches?
I work with NASA's Public Affairs Office to get permission. To be at the Press Site, you need to be an official press photographer or reporter.
Does it cost any money for you to watch the launch?
Not for the Media, since we are working to document the Space Program as a part of our job. The public can pay to view the launches from the causeway which is a man-made land bridge about six miles from the launch pad. But, you don't have to pay to see the launches. you can see them from the beaches, the rivers, or nearly anywhere in Central Florida.
How far away do you have to stand away from the the rocket?
The closest people are a rescue crew who are stationed about a mile away, but they are in armored personnel carriers -tanks! Next are the space workers, VIPs, and the Journalists about 3 miles away. Tourists who have paid to be on the causeway are about six miles away, and everybody else is probably ten or more miles away from the Space Shuttle when it lifts off. They say you can see the launch all the way from Tampa on the other side of the state!
I'll try to answer some more of your questions tomorrow. Let's hope the weather is good!
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