Best Viewing Spots for Space Shuttle Discovery’s Final Flight

Space shuttle Discovery is finally ready to take its final flight on February 24th.



If you haven’t snagged tickets by now, you will not be allowed into the Kennedy Space Center. Viewing at the actual space center is reserved for VIPS, workers, and people who won a lottery to purchase tickets. The rest of us have to watch from a distance, about 7 miles away. We thought that we would go into our blog vault and share with our readers some of the best spots to view the launch. Here’s an excerpt from our 11-2-10 blog.

There is nothing quite like a space shuttle launch. People from all walks of life line the banks of the Indian River waiting in anticipation for liftoff. The countdown is at T minus one and the first puffs of white smoke appear. Then you see the glow of the engines as the shuttle lifts off from her seaside launch pad. As the shuttle climbs higher and higher you hear the roar of the engines as she thunders off to space. You strain your eyes to see the booster rockets separate and fall back to Earth. All that remains is the trail of smoke in the sky.

Living in Florida most of my life, I have seen my share of launches. Titusville, Florida is my pick for the best viewing. This small city sits on the banks of the Indian River directly across from the space center. You will be able to stand here and see the entire launch. Cocoa Beach is another popular spot, but I feel you just see more when you view a launch in Titusville.

There are plenty of free viewing areas in Titusville. You can stake out a spot anywhere along the Indian River on US 1 and are sure to see quite a show. One area is not necessarily better than the other. The city has created the following parks along US 1 that offer great views.

• Space View Park
• Rotary Riverview Park
• Kennedy Point Park
• William J Manzo Park

Bring your patience for two reasons. One – the launch may be scrubbed due to technical reasons or weather. Two - traffic will be a mess. Hundreds of thousands of people will descend on a relatively small town and everyone will be leaving at the same time!

If you can’t make it to Discovery’s final flight, you will have one or maybe two more chances. Endeavour is set to take her final flight in April 2011. Atlantis may get to fly one more time in June 2011.