Record crowds by the thousands are expected to turn out to watch the final launches of NASA's space shuttles as they soar into space for the last time.
The agency has two scheduled missions left — Discovery's STS-133 and Endeavour's STS-134 — and a third planned, pending congressional appropriations. Discovery is up first, currently slated for a late February liftoff after a series of delays, though a new official launch target has yet to be announced.
Luckily, a shuttle launch is such a bright spectacle that anyone on Florida's Space Coast can get a decent view. Tickets are scarce, but there are still some steps viewers can take to make sure they have a memorable experience watching a shuttle launch.
The best launch-viewing spot available to the public is on the NASA Causeway, about 6 miles (9.6 km) from the shuttle's Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. NASA sells adult tickets for viewing from the causeway for $59 ($49 for children), which provides an unobstructed view over the Banana River.
However, if you don't already have tickets for the causeway, you're out of luck: They've been sold out for months, since before the shuttle's initial launch date last November (the liftoff was delayed when cracks were discovered on the shuttle's fuel tank).
"The demand far outweighs the supply," said Andrea Farmer, public relations manager at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
"It's the fairest system that we were able to put together for this," Farmer told SPACE.com.
"I would definitely say go to Titusville — that's the best view and the closest view you can get without having tickets," said Ben Cooper, a space photographer for NASA and other media outlets. "Anywhere along the river is good."
Farmer herself said she'd watched many a launch from Space View Park before she went to work for NASA. This spot also tends to get the most crowded, though.
"It's definitely going to be mobbed in that spot," Cooper said. "There really isn't any place to go to get away from the crowds."
Other good spot recommendations, as well as photos taken from the various launch sites, are offered on Cooper's space shuttle viewing site here.
Parking is likely to be tight all over Titusville, with landowners near the Indian River tending to rent out parking spots on launch day for a small fee. Bringing snacks and games for the long day is a good idea, as well as blankets and chairs, and — of course — a camera.
"We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to see a space shuttle launch," Farmer said. "I hope that whether or not they have a ticket to Kennedy Space Center — please don't miss out on the opportunity. It's just amazing, especially if it's your once-in-a-lifetime experience."
And if you can't make it to the upcoming launch of Discovery, you still have one — and maybe two — more shots.
NASA's shuttle Endeavour is currently scheduled to launch on its final mission to space in April 2011.
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