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Watching launches from the Cape is a popular Florida pastime that requires planning to avoid traffic jams and headaches. "Did you see the shuttle go up?"
By KURT LOFT of The Tampa Tribune
A visitor watches the shuttle go up with binoculars. Tribune photo/ANDY JONESCAPE CANAVERAL - When seven astronauts riding 4.5 million pounds of fuel and hardware blast into orbit aboard Columbia on Tuesday's planned mission, thousands of onlookers will gawk from the best seats in the house.
Shuttle-watching is a Florida pastime, especially for many of the 43 million tourists who visit the state each year. The logjams before and after each launch symbolize the interest in America's space program but test the patience of those who aren't prepared for the deluge of humanity.
So if you plan to drive east for Tuesday's scheduled 2:37 p.m. liftoff, prepare for the worst: choked roadways, booked hotels, crowded restaurants. With a little common sense and planning, you can avoid most headaches.
Roadside stands in the Titusville area sell souvenirs to those who come to see the shuttle lift off. Tribune photo/ANDY JONES``This afternoon launch will generate more interest than an early morning or late night launch because it's a convenient time,'' says Rick Fleming, president of the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce. ``I'd suggest you leave several hours early and get here a couple hours before, because the biggest jams are caused by people arriving at the last minute.''
Fleming encourages people to take a leisurely approach to shuttle viewing (which means spending money in Brevard County): ``One of the great ways to avoid the crunch it is to stick around and have an early dinner.''
Here are a few tips for most any shuttle launch, worth taping to your refrigerator door. Keep in mind that about 40 percent of all launches are delayed because of weather or technical problems.
-- The first thing to do is call the Kennedy Space Center media center for recorded updates. If you plan to leave within six hours of a scheduled launch, the recording will say if technicians have begun filling the shuttle's huge external tank. If they don't tank, they don't launch. Consider it the best indicator of a smooth countdown. The number is 1 (407) 867-2525. Agency officials don't mind the calls.
``We encourage people to come out for launches,'' says Jessica Turner, a spokeswoman at Kennedy Space Center. ``We have hundreds of thousands of people who watch each year.''
-- The 2 1/4-hour trip from Tampa to Titusville offers only two direct routes, which means heavy traffic close to launch and immediately after liftoff. If you leave early, the most efficient route is Interstate 4 to the 417 Greenway toll road (three $1 tolls) near the Kissimmee exits. The Greenway avoids the Disney area and Orlando International Airport, dumping you off at the Beeline Expressway (State Road 528) or U.S. 50 east of Orlando.
-- The Beeline Expressway was built specifically for traffic to the Space Coast and leads directly into the compound. It is the easiest way to get from I-4 to a shuttle viewing area, but its toll booths can create massive jams, particularly the 25-cent toll on the east end. Avoid problems by leaving early.
However, don't take the Beeline immediately after a launch. Lines at each toll can be backed up for miles, turning a 30-minute drive into three hours.
-- An alternate route is I-4 to the Greenway toll road to U.S. 50. Go east to Titusville and park anywhere along U.S. 1. This takes you through the little town of Christmas and past beautiful Florida marshland.
-- Once on the east coast, the most trouble-free viewing is near the intersection of U.S. 1 and U.S. 50, directly across the Indian River from the launch pads. A few fast food restaurants provide the ever-critical public restrooms.
To get back to Tampa immediately after liftoff, jump on U.S. 50 west to the East-West Expressway toll road and take it through downtown Orlando to I-4. This is the most efficient way home.
-- State Road 405, the NASA Causeway, goes over the Indian River and connects the mainland to Merritt Island. It offers the best viewing south of the launch pads but closes to the public the day of launch, unless you have a car pass. Do not argue with the entrance gate security officers if you are without a pass. Be warned: Causeway traffic after a launch can be a nightmare.
``Lots of people with passes park along the Causeway, and that's where it gets most congested,'' Fleming adds. ``So we recommend you park along U.S. 1.''
Passes must be requested in writing at least 30 days prior to any launch and mailed to PA- PASS, Kennedy Space Center, Fla., 32899. No car passes remain for Tuesday's launch.
-- If you want to stay overnight - a good idea for a night launch - book a hotel a month in advance. This is crucial if you plan to stay along Cocoa Beach, where people quickly gobble up accommodations. For campers, the city of Titusville allows recreational vehicles to park free 24 hours in many areas before launches.
If you ask politely, area promoters will fax a list of beachside hotels, motels and camping areas with addresses and phone numbers. Suggestions include the Titusville Area Chamber of Commerce, 1 (407) 267-3036; the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, 1 (407) 459-2200; and the Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, 1 (407) 724-5400.
-- Boaters off the coast should stay clear of Cape Canaveral Air Station and the Kennedy compound beaches. If you venture too close and refuse to leave, Coast Guard officials patrolling the area will arrest you; intentional delay of a launch is a federal offense.
Internet users also might browse the Space Coast Office of Tourism's Web site at http://www.space-coast. com/florida/
