MovieChat Forums > Apollo 13 (1995) Discussion > Did you ever see a launch?

Did you ever see a launch?

posted 12 years ago by eddysl12
40 replies | jump to latest

When I was a kid my parents took my family down to see an Apollo launch. It was the 1969 launch that would put men on the moon. I was only nine at the time, but I do remember that they wouldn't allow people closer than three miles to the launch pad. The reason for this was because the rocket made so much sound that it could permanently damage your hearing if you were closer than three miles. If you were closer than one mile the light from the rocket could permanently blind you. I think we were about five miles out from the pad. I don't remember if the ground shook, but I do remember watching it go up and trying to shield my eyes from the sun so I could keep watching it as it rose.

When I worked in Forestry, I had a good vantage point from fire towers here in Florida to watch launches. The John Glenn launch was quite visible, even from about 120 miles away. The shuttle through binoculars looked likes a regular airplane with a big orange flame coming out the back.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] greenleafie 12 years ago

I saw the launch of Apollo 15, from about 10-miles away, south, near Cocoa Beach. I was standing on top of a semi-trailer, to get a better view. Even at that distance, the trailer shook and swayed slightly.

I saw the night launch of Apollo 17 from Orlando, about 70-miles away. Very bright, like the sun was coming up.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] suburbannightmare 12 years ago

wow, i would've loved to have seen a launch, but living in the UK, it's a wee bit difficult to get to Florida!! ;) i do spend an inordinate amount of time gazing longingly at the launch schedules on the NASA website though......

"I've SEEN things you people wouldn't believe...."

[–] CGSailor 12 years ago

Never got to see an Apollo launch.

in 1990 though I did get to see a Shuttle Launch from Orlando. I was in Boot camp and our Company Commander got us up even earlier than usual, marched us out onto the grinder, but rather than PT, had us all in formation and just waiting... for what, we didn't know. and then there it was... rising into the eastern sky...
What a sight!

I joined the Navy to see the world, only to discover the world is 2/3 water!

[–] rickathedj 12 years ago

Growing up just south of Cocoa Beach, I saw them all. It was an exciting time and place to grow up.

[–] hite-1 12 years ago

Years and years ago I watched David Hartman (the host of Good Morning, America at the time) watching a launch with 2 astronauts. After the rocker (a Saturn?) got high up, the camera went back to the three men and showed them laughing. They said that the Saturn's noise seemed to be extra loud and that the ground shook much more than usual, and the two astronauts said they thought they were going to lose David Hartman. No one expected that much noise and earth shaking - something about the atmospheric conditions that morning.

[–] lanadima 12 years ago

I grew up in Baikonur, the Soviet launching site and watched many launches from there.

[–] jcosyn-1 12 years ago

I wasn't present for any Apollo launches, but I did see 18 Shuttle launches, from closer than even the VIP viewing stands. I worked in the Launch Control Center, and used to walk across the parking lot to the crawler-way, where the barricade was put up; this put me as close as anybody was permitted except the emergency rescue crew. I always walked out there for launches. Except for STS-25. It was so cold that morning that I stood behind the VAB, to get out of the wind.

[–] shoeless1 12 years ago

Luuuuucky...

[–] shoeless1 12 years ago

Luuuuucky...

[–] zandylovesRISK 11 years ago

Lucky. I wish I could have seen that many and been that close to see them.

Half-Blood #18 and Son of Poseidon, Son of Adam, Gryffindor 7th year

[–] BlackiesDad 8 years ago

Sweet! Are you at KSC or JSC? I've been to four shuttle launches, all watched from Banana Creek. My wife and I also watched the launch of the Mars Science Laboratory (with rover Curiosity) from Banana Creek; the Orion EFT-1 launch from NA+SA Causeway; and the OCO-2 launch at Vandenberg AFB (we were in the launch control room, then stepped outside).

STS-133 launch we sat behind Buzz Aldrin, which was pretty cool. That’s Buzz two rows in front of us at 0:06, balding with blue striped shirt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DigPz6yfBxw

[–] FoolishCarriage 11 years ago

I was privileged to be present at the launch of Discovery's final mission. We were at the 5-mile point and could see everything clearly. The weather was beautiful, and the sight of the shuttle roaring toward the heavens was completely awesome. Our astronauts are true American heroes.

Thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

[–] zandylovesRISK 11 years ago

I agree. Hopefully the need of them will never go away.

Half-Blood #18 and Son of Poseidon, Son of Adam, Gryffindor 7th year

[–] Strings101 11 years ago

Experienced Apollo 14 from from a spot on Merritt Island about 5.5 statute miles away... HMOG! The feeling of my very RIBS (and spine) resonating just made me feel even more "involved". Like all kids of that era, I already imagined I was strapped into the CM, going along for the ride, but that throbbing thrumming ENERGY filling the air... another space junkie, hooked.

The NIGHT launch of Apollo 17 we could see all the way from Fort Lauderdale, almost 200(!) miles distant.

Not long after, my brother would have among his high school buds, a squared away lad named... Brent Jett. Decades later, Cmdr. Jett got us VIP passes for STS-97--CLOSE UP!... NIGHT! FULL-BODY ORGASM!... ahem... *blush*

[–] agent_tau 11 years ago

I am uber-jealous of everyone on this thread who has seen a launch.

Especially the guy who worked in the Launch Control Centre!!

To lose is to win, and he who wins shall lose.

[–] beatleswhovian1980 11 years ago

I've lived in Orlando for 14 years and have seen quite a few shuttle launches. Not at the KSC itself, but to a couple places that were pretty close to it. It really is a spectacular sight to see and something I will never forget.

[–] Strings101 11 years ago

I predict that even 4 or 5 centuries from now, these first primitive, fiery climbs out of the Earthly mire will be looked upon with respect and admiration by learned peeps. Besides scholarly experts and museum curators, there will also, inevitably, be nostalgic re-enactors, and even the occasional wealthy eccentric folks who will, at great expense, re-create the Saturn V--and even LAUNCH IT! They will then brag about how they were "roughing it"! "Oy, the smell, the VIBRATIONS!... I don't know how our ancestors could STAND it!"