KSC launch best view points?

[Ryan]

For our friends in Florida, do you have a list of the best KSC view points for watching a Shuttle launch?  Keep in mind I'm from the absolute opposite corner of the country (Seattle area) and know very little about the KSC area, but I'd like to plan a trip down that direction soon to watch a launch. 

Closer the better, I've got to hear and feel those SRBs as much as possible!!!

[Steven]

A few friends went down to see STS-126.. the wind was blowing like crazy.  They heard the SRBs, but none of that "popcorn" crackle.  They saw it perfectly, however, from Titusville, about 12ish miles from the pad.  If you want to get as close as you can, get LTT tickets, I believe the only people that can go closer are press.  I'm not from the KSC area, but I'm also planning to see a launch before they are grounded.

[spaceboy7441]

Here is a great thread from STS-126
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14349.0

[Admin]

Well, this may be the best position you can get, but then this would be a "once in a lifetime experience" - literally!

Or you can get a little farther away, but watch for these guys . This is one of the 4,000 official NASA watchdogs.

A small bonus shot: this is the crane that will lift the piggy-backed Shuttle from the B747 this Thursday (weather permitting).

Enjoy,
/Admin

[Ryan]

Thanks guys, I'll let you know where I end up, and if I run into any of NASA's "watchdogs" or not.

[Mogget]

If you can, get tickets for the launch. You will be taken to a point roughly six miles from the pad. That will provide you with a clear view of both pads and the VAB across completely flat terrain. I watched the launch of STS-73 Columbia from this location in October 1995 (STS-74 Atlantis was sitting on the other pad), and it was an awesome experience. The view through my 7x50 binoculars as Columbia cleared the tower was superb (the orange flame from the SRBs was incredibly bright). I heard the roar of the SSMEs as they ignited, but Columbia was already heading into the sky by then (due to the time taken for the sound to reach us). Shortly after that, I heard the distinctive crackle of the SRBs. Magic!

My dad filmed the launch from around T-0:00:20 right up until SRB separation. He has my eternal gratitude for doing that, so that I could get the best possible view of the launch through those binoculars. It's a day that I will never forget. We even saw an alligator during the early stages of the countdown, and it was no more than 100 yards away!