We made viewing the launch of ST-132 a family affair and stayed in Florida for the week taking in Disney World and other attractions.

The day began very early with a bus trip from Orlando to KSC. From the visitor center we then were bussed to the part of the NASA causeway that is between the KSC Visitor Center and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. This part of the causeway spans the distance across the Banana River on Merritt Island where we viewed the launch. It’s the closest and best public viewing site at 6.5 to 7 miles away from the launch pad. We had an unobstructed view of the launch pad across the water. Tickets were required and they sold out fast. Titusville is the second best clear viewing area at about 12 miles away, and is the closest off-site/free location. An option that is between the two in terms of distance, but with no direct view of the launch pad, is the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex (7.4 miles).  The best viewing location is the Apollo/Saturn V building at 3.5 to 4 miles away but tickets to that location sell out very fast.

I used a DSLR for still shots and also caught the launch in HD (1080p) using a Canon digital camcorder. Click on any of the images below for a closer view.