No space capable launches, but I’ve seen an MLRS launch from only a little outside the range where double hearing protection (ear plugs under muffs/CVC helmet) was mandatory. At that range the first was pretty impressive. You could feel, not just hear, the pressure wave as it passed. The second was less impressive. After that I usually put my ear plugs in and took advantage of our range going cold for the MLRS shoot by getting a nap.
At the ranges they allow, I wouldn’t go too far out of my way to see a space shot.
I’m a space-fan from Minnesota, so seeing two launches was a real thrill for me, both in Florida. We saw one of the space shuttle launches (not sure which one), but it was before Challenger. If I had seen Challenger I would have been devastated.
About ten years ago, after no more shuttle launches, we were vacating in Orlando. We had a spare day planned, and on our first day there we learned from the TV news that there would be a launch of a military satellite on a Delta II the next day, which they announce a day ahead of time. We spent the next day at Kennedy Space Center, and stood with a bunch of others on a raised viewing platform at launch time. It went off on time, went up quickly (much more quickly that a shuttle), but still impressive.
If you get a chance, see one! It’s kind of like being able to see a solar eclipse (hint: August 21, 2017!)
You’ll probably get a better view of the launch from Surf Beach. Be advised that there is likely to be fog, particularly for morning launches and those at night. VAFB is also kind of in the middle of nowhere, and if you are planning to stay over you’ll either need to reserve a room in Lompoc early (Embassy Suites is recommended, the Holiday Inn Express is an also run, everything else in Lompoc is shit), or plan on staying in Santa Rosa or elsewhere. If you do get up there, have dinner at the Casmalia Hitching Post (not the one portrayed in Sideways, which is the Hitching Post II just off the highway in Buellton; the original Hitching Post is way out in the ass end of nowhere).
Launches are always kind of fun, but I’ve never found them to be “once in a lifetime awe inspiring”, even Shuttle. Then again, I thought the Tevatron was “kind of neat”, Haleakala was “geologically interesting”, and the Garden of the Gods was “a bunch of rocks”, so maybe I’m not your best metric for what people find impressive. (On the other hand, I think the Great Redwoods are amazing, the Grand Tetons stunning, and am trying to find the time to go kayaking in Glacier National Park, so I’m not totally without a sense of awe.) Anyway, the drive up the coast is pretty nice once you get past Oxnard, and you can continue the trip up through Pismo and Avila Beach, and thence to Morro Bay and up to Hearst Castle, then back through Paso Robles and Atascadero, stopping to sample some wine and food, or if you like, up the US Hwy 1 through Big Sur, which is the best stretch of coastal road in North America, right to Monterey.
I flew to Florida twice for STS-134… and had to leave before seeing it. My wife and kids stayed to see it (#4 for her). My youngest was 4 and still talks about it today (and it was a cloudy launch). They saw a GOES (Delta?) launch the year before from much closer. And that one was just as impressive and memorable.
The neatest part was they watched the SRBs getting towed back into the canal from the ocean- and for that they were only 100ft away. So the launch itself is very cool- but everything else including everyone’s excitement is like a Superbowl for intelligent people.
Remember that pictures of things in the distance always look smaller (like the moon, etc.) so the launch will be much larger than you expect.
I saw one of the voyagers launch when I was extremely young. I don’t remember which, but I remember it was awesome and loud.
Just a few months ago Something launched from Vandenburg and I could see it from my yard in Burbank. It was just a tiny little flame arcing up and away.
I saw the launch of Apollo 17, the last Apollo flight. It was the only one launched at night. I was living about 170 miles away by car on the other coast of Florida. I went with some other people who drove across to Titusville, where we watched the launch from about 11 miles away from it. It was very impressive.
I saw the launch of Apollo 16 too. I watched the flight on TV with my cousin. We were about 130 miles away in a straight line. After watching the launch on TV, I walked outside with him and he told me to look at the horizon at a particular place. I could see the rocket go up in the sky from there.
Saw the shuttle launch from 125 miles away in Port Richey FL. First time was near dusk, out walking the dog and looked up. “Holy Crap, it’s the Shuttle.” Even in daylight you could see the SRBs separate, it was pretty cool. Even cooler at night. Tried at least twice to see it in Titusville. First time, we didn’t make it out the door, when we got up at 4 am to leave it had been cancelled. Second time we got there at 11pm and waited all night, until the cancelled it around seven am. Took 6 hours instead if the usual three to get home with the traffic. Quite a bummer. moi managed to see it from tittusville atnleast once while I was at work.
A friend and I drove from Boston, picked up my girlfriend in Virginia, and went to the Cape for this one. We camped out on the beach with many other people. It was the only Apollo night launch, and it was damned impressive. Well worth it.
Seen a lot of space shots. CB stands for Cocoa Beach. I’m there about 1/3 of the year. Saw Apollo 14 on Jan '71 take Alan Shepard and his golf club to the moon. Was at the incredible 1971 Daytona 24 Hour Sports Car race that weekend. Race ends Sunday at about 2pm. A few hours later I’m driving back to my hotel on the beach when I hear the count down on the radio. Stop on the bridge to watch the launch. Daytona is probably about 40-50 miles from the Cape but That Saturn 5 was a big rocket.
Saw the shuttle that went up after the program was stopped due to the Columbia destruction. Was on a boat on The Banana River as far north as The Coast Guard would allow. Nice view. That was a mid day launch. Nothing compares to a clear dark night launch.
Best launch I’ve ever seen was last Fall, I believe. A Delta or an Atlas that went up about half hour before sunrise about 5 or 6 AM. Just went up to the beach at Minutemen which is about 1/2 mile from the house. Total darkness and clear. Now I’m about 5 or 6 miles south of Port Canaveral which is about as close to the launch as you can get. The rocket launches and after about 30 seconds or more it lights up like I’ve never seen. It’s as though the rocket, it’s plume and the contrail has a spot light on it. Stunning. The sun just over the horizon lit the rocket, brilliantly. Many old Space Coast residences said it was the best launch they’ve ever seen.
You just never know.
Another thing that adds to the experience… the rumble. A function of the wind direction. Some launches are almost silent and some are very loud. Loud is best.
Saw a shuttle launch back when my Uncle-in-law was alive and working for NASA; I was already in the area and it was a cool thing. Saw a couple more from a distance of say 50 miles or so when I was in the area on business. Its all cool but I don’t know if I would travel from PA just for that; I need as little more thrown in as a kicker.
I have never seen a launch, but it’s on the list. Had one good one however, we were at the cape the day they rolled out Skylab. Way back then, they let you get very close, as in the bottom of the hill at Pad 39A close. Got to see the inside of the VAB, something that went away with the shuttle program because of the solids. When I was in collage, I knew someone who interned for NASA, they got to watch a launch from the roof of the VAB.
I’ve been at a MLRS launch at a similar distance, behind an earthen berm. All six shots were equally impressive. I’ve also seen the terminal effects of those rockets. When I saw the Iraqi troops surrendering during Desert Storm, there was no question that they were shell shocked. I couldn’t imagine being on the receiving end of hundreds of those rockets.
But yeah, even being miles away from the launch site you can get a great view of a launch.
There was a launch not that long ago that with perfect weather conditions could be seen all along the east coast. Sure enough I managed to to see it in New Jersey. Cool but not as impressive as being there.
No rockets, did hear a bunch of sonic booms as a child (the Air Force got tired of buying folks new windows, and banned low-altitude trans-sonic flights).
Assuming I had a comfortable and reliable car, I would drive no more than 5 hours to see a “ho-hum” type launch.
If SpaceX ever gets around to launching a Falcon Heavy from somewhere in CA, I’d like to see that shot.
No way in Hell I’d travel to FL (or even NM (Hi there, morons who built Spaceport America!))
p.s. - the link between Spaceport America and SpaceX: SpaceX used it for their “Grasshopper” flights - shooting up a rocket and retrieving it - the stunt Blue Origin crowed so loudly about when it was able to repeat what the Grasshopper had done a dozen or so times.
I saw Apollo 11 back in 1969, when the first humans walked on the moon. A busload of us junior Air Force officers were able to get an AF bus to travel from MacDill AFB to the launch site on the east coast of Florida. We finagled our way up to near the VIP grandstand, and watched the launch. Very powerful and loud, and we were very proud to be the tiniest bit of it.