gmac17 Posted February 1, 2010 Author Posted February 1, 2010 Nothing? According to Wikipedia, 600 million watched it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-..._note-Parkes-44 i didn't say anything about the man on the moon - i was referring to the "billions" comment about the challenger. And based on 600 million people seeing man walk on the moon, I'd be surprised if 20 million watched challenger live.
TheMadCap Posted February 1, 2010 Posted February 1, 2010 i didn't say anything about the man on the moon - i was referring to the "billions" comment about the challenger. And based on 600 million people seeing man walk on the moon, I'd be surprised if 20 million watched challenger live. I agree, but again, unless you were AT the Cape that day, you did NOT see the accident happen live. The feed cut away after lift-off to a commericial, and when it came back the SRBs were flying in all directions from the fireball. Most everyone saw the endless replays. That being said, a number of schools were watching the launch and subsequent coverage live, especially in NE where the school teacher was from...
BB27 Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Nothing? According to Wikipedia, 600 million watched it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-..._note-Parkes-44 And wikipedia is a really accurate site.....(sarcasm inserted here...)......
Just Jack Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 And wikipedia is a really accurate site.....(sarcasm inserted here...)...... I'll say, look how many people watched Ed Sullivan with the Beatles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-...s#United_States
Pete Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Some of my friends caught it by chance and said it was one of the most amazing things they have ever seen. Definitely worth checking out
dib Posted February 2, 2010 Posted February 2, 2010 Live it up boys and girls because thanks to Obama you'll have to go to Russia to see manned launches in the future.
DieHardFan Posted February 3, 2010 Posted February 3, 2010 LAMP warning! Stayed in the central FL area a couple of extra days on a work trip in late 2000 and went to the space center to try for a ticket for STS-97 but they were sold out. Expected to be able to grab or scalp a single ticket but nothing was available. Launch was late (~10pm) and it was the 1st attempt so I knew it was a long shot but I figured I'd never get this chance again so I scouted out the transportation. There were two queuing areas, one for the general public and one VIP shuttle. Got into the VIP waiting area easily enough but the buses were too well monitored to be able to board w/o a pass. Waited around for a bit and when a guard asked for my pass I told him I was waiting for someone. He led me to the will call window area. Started talking to a girl behind the counter and convinced her that I was waiting for my friend from Lockheed who had a ticket for me. Kept 'looking' for him at the bus area but the guards were getting annoyed so I had to keep shuffling to keep from getting removed from the area. Was just about to give up when the girl I had been talking to tapped me on the shoulder and got me on a bus. VIP area is just outside the museum. A set of bleachers just in front of the lake. Saw a couple of Senators, misc minor celebs and the astronauts families in the crowd. The launch was amazing. Took some pictures but they didn't do it justice. Always considered this one of my finest scams. Not sure if it's possible today as this was pre 9/11 but you never know. Good luck.
TheMadCap Posted February 4, 2010 Posted February 4, 2010 Live it up boys and girls because thanks to Obama you'll have to go to Russia to see manned launches in the future. we've been discussing this issue over in the PPP thread. Ares really did suck and had no chance of working with the budget and plan they had. Best case is that they do what they should have done in 2004, and greenlight some form of DIRECT HLV capability...
gmac17 Posted February 4, 2010 Author Posted February 4, 2010 Always considered this one of my finest scams. Not sure if it's possible today as this was pre 9/11 but you never know. Good luck. awesome story, well done. I just found out tonight that we got VIP tickets through a friend of a friend - same place it sounds like you watched from. That is great news, but the snowstorm coming towards NYC for my saturday flight and the fact that 70% of launches don't go on schedule (and i have a 24 hour window) means it is unlikely to happen - i'll keep my fingers crossed though.
Special K Posted February 7, 2010 Posted February 7, 2010 Hope for your sake there isn't a postponement, but don't be too shocked if it happens....they def. don't have a great track record for getting these things off on the first try. Big shocker.....the first attempt was scrubbed.....sorry if this means you won't be able to see the launch.
Ramius Posted February 8, 2010 Posted February 8, 2010 Big shocker.....the first attempt was scrubbed.....sorry if this means you won't be able to see the launch. I know I was at the Bud shootout in Daytona with some friends and we got up at 4 to see the launch from the beach. Then it got scrubbed.
gmac17 Posted February 9, 2010 Author Posted February 9, 2010 Back from Florida, got to see the launch - absolutely incredible. Went through all the motions on Saturday (sunday morning) for launch - killing a ton of time at the space center, taking a bus to viewing area - about 45 degrees outside. The day started out 80% chance of launch, but was 30% by an hour before launch. Just before the 9 minute countdown started, they decided the weather was too iffy and scrubbed the launch. 7 hours at the space center down the tubes.... Decided to stick around one more day (tough decision - weather was still very iffy and saturday-sunday had been pretty miserable given the scrub - didn't want to have that happen again). This time the launch went on time and was incredible. We ended up getting special tickets so were 3 miles away (the best other options were 6 miles (if you can get tickets) and then about 12 miles) - this made a big difference. It is hard to do it justice, but when it literally turns night into day, and you see the shuttle slowly rise over the tower with the awesome white smoke all around it. Just so majestic looking and powerful. It picks up speed and after a few more seconds the sound hits you - a very loud ripping type sound that is hard to describe. here is a video by someone else taken where we were - the only thing it doesn't show is the shuttle itself - which you could see fine with the naked eye on launch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9JrtancNM thanks for all your thoughts ahead of time...
stuckincincy Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Back from Florida, got to see the launch - absolutely incredible. Went through all the motions on Saturday (sunday morning) for launch - killing a ton of time at the space center, taking a bus to viewing area - about 45 degrees outside. The day started out 80% chance of launch, but was 30% by an hour before launch. Just before the 9 minute countdown started, they decided the weather was too iffy and scrubbed the launch. 7 hours at the space center down the tubes.... Decided to stick around one more day (tough decision - weather was still very iffy and saturday-sunday had been pretty miserable given the scrub - didn't want to have that happen again). This time the launch went on time and was incredible. We ended up getting special tickets so were 3 miles away (the best other options were 6 miles (if you can get tickets) and then about 12 miles) - this made a big difference. It is hard to do it justice, but when it literally turns night into day, and you see the shuttle slowly rise over the tower with the awesome white smoke all around it. Just so majestic looking and powerful. It picks up speed and after a few more seconds the sound hits you - a very loud ripping type sound that is hard to describe. here is a video by someone else taken where we were - the only thing it doesn't show is the shuttle itself - which you could see fine with the naked eye on launch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9JrtancNM thanks for all your thoughts ahead of time... Wow! Thanks for that link. I read a long time ago, that even with those thousands of gallons of water that we see spewing onto the pad, a foot of the concrete is vaporized by the energy of the rocket thrust. I'm glad you got to see the launch,even with the delay.
bartshan-83 Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 here is a video by someone else taken where we were - the only thing it doesn't show is the shuttle itself - which you could see fine with the naked eye on launch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9JrtancNM thanks for all your thoughts ahead of time... What an awesome video! I had no idea how bright it got. Thanks for posting...incredible!
BB27 Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Back from Florida, got to see the launch - absolutely incredible. Went through all the motions on Saturday (sunday morning) for launch - killing a ton of time at the space center, taking a bus to viewing area - about 45 degrees outside. The day started out 80% chance of launch, but was 30% by an hour before launch. Just before the 9 minute countdown started, they decided the weather was too iffy and scrubbed the launch. 7 hours at the space center down the tubes.... Decided to stick around one more day (tough decision - weather was still very iffy and saturday-sunday had been pretty miserable given the scrub - didn't want to have that happen again). This time the launch went on time and was incredible. We ended up getting special tickets so were 3 miles away (the best other options were 6 miles (if you can get tickets) and then about 12 miles) - this made a big difference. It is hard to do it justice, but when it literally turns night into day, and you see the shuttle slowly rise over the tower with the awesome white smoke all around it. Just so majestic looking and powerful. It picks up speed and after a few more seconds the sound hits you - a very loud ripping type sound that is hard to describe. here is a video by someone else taken where we were - the only thing it doesn't show is the shuttle itself - which you could see fine with the naked eye on launch. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gg9JrtancNM thanks for all your thoughts ahead of time... YUP, the sound is the most amazing part. Night launch must have been amazing, I saw one during the day and it totally blew me away. Glad you got to see it go, unfortunately this is going to be a thing of history soon.
TheMadCap Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 YUP, the sound is the most amazing part. Night launch must have been amazing, I saw one during the day and it totally blew me away. Glad you got to see it go, unfortunately this is going to be a thing of history soon. Not sure what you mean here. I agree, it will be somewhat sad from a sentimental point of view to no longer see the Shuttle go up, since we will never see it's like again. However, this is 1960's technology here, and they have served thier purpose and outlived thier usefulness. It could be reasonably argued that the ISS project was designed specifically to give the Shuttle something to do. What we need is something to take it's place, but we don't have good direction right now, either from the Fed or NASA...
Jim in Anchorage Posted February 9, 2010 Posted February 9, 2010 Not sure what you mean here. I agree, it will be somewhat sad from a sentimental point of view to no longer see the Shuttle go up, since we will never see it's like again. However, this is 1960's technology here, and they have served thier purpose and outlived thier usefulness. It could be reasonably argued that the ISS project was designed specifically to give the Shuttle something to do. What we need is something to take it's place, but we don't have good direction right now, either from the Fed or NASA... Even the astronauts are gettig old
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