# attending a shuttle landing

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 20, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080 "2002-06-20T15:50:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gwar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@gwar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwar)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080/1 "2002-06-20T15:50:28Z")

</div>

I live in California within an hour or so of Edwards, and was wondering if anyone knew if it were possible for civilians like me to go watch a landing of the space shuttle. How would I go about it?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080/2 "2002-06-20T17:21:20Z")

</div>

Is it possible? Not since 9/11, unfortunately, but it used to be, and pretty cool, from what I understand.

Maybe they will ease up in a few months.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080/3 "2002-06-20T17:33:35Z")

</div>

You could contact NASA to find out for sure. (Not that I’m doubting **EJsGirl**.) When I worked at EAFB they sent people _waaayyy_ out to the boonies to watch the landing. Since I worked at Ridley Mission Control just across the street from the TPS hangars, I’d send off the final rawindsonde report to JSC and go up to the FAA hill. I had an excellent view of the landing, but the Shuttle would stop rolling behind a couple of large hangars so I couldn’t see it from the FAA hill.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080/4 "2002-06-20T19:56:48Z")

</div>

I think nearly all shuttle landings are at Kennedy Space Center now. This saves the expense of flying the shuttle back to Florida.

Edwards is used as a backup only.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [June 20, 2002, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attending-a-shuttle-landing/115080/5 "2002-06-20T20:26:23Z")

</div>

**Mr. Moto** : You are correct. I heard the booms yesterday and I forgot…