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I'm planning on making a very long drive to see this. Is there a viewing area? I realize it's a Big Falcon Rocket and will be probably be heard from anywhere bu

I'm planning on making a very long drive to see this. Is there a viewing area? I realize it's a Big Falcon Rocket and will be probably be heard from anywhere but is there a designated spot? How close can we get?

janalsncm 3y ago
I went to see a launch, it was incredible. But beware, they were scheduled for a Monday but cancelled twice due to weather before ultimately launching on a Friday. Luckily I was in town (LA, pretty close to Vandenberg) all week.
LorenDB 3y ago
Good luck and have fun! I would love to be in Texas for this :D
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
stevep98 3y ago
Everyday astronaut has a video discussing the layout of the area and which parts are closed during launch. https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk?si=rXff0jL4ln3CY14_ https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk?si=rXff0jL4ln3CY14_
foreverobama 3y ago
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chasd00 3y ago
I was planning on making the trip but the earliest I can be there is Sunday. Nasaspaceflight's youtube channel mentions this as the best hotel to watch the launch and where they hang out. https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-resort-south-padre-island https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-r... I stayed in Port Isabell a few years ago visiting some of my wife's family in the valley. There's a big freaking bridge there that you can see the pad from. I bet that bridge would be a good place to watch as well.
holler 3y ago
I watched the first launch from the southern tip of Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island and recommend that (I stood on the jetty). I also had recently watched 2 falcon launches in Florida and Starship is incredibly more powerful and awe-inspiring to witness. Plan to get to the park entrance at least 30 mins early because it takes time to walk through to the southern end, and there will likely be a large crowd. Stayed at Isla Grand Hotel and there were a bunch of other people hanging out the night before, have fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1snFbRby7Ew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1snFbRby7Ew
- gangstead 3y ago
  How loud is it from Isla Blanca? I'm bringing elementary aged kids. Should I bring headphones? Anything else I should bring?
  - holler 3y ago
    Very loud, bring ear protection! The crackling of the engines will make your entire body shake. Other than that just comfy clothes you can walk on the sand in. It's a real unique experience, you're in for a treat!
    - qwertox 3y ago
      > The crackling of the engines will make your entire body shake. I've never heard it IRL but I absolutely love this sound, also from back then when the Space Shuttle launched. IDK why, but it is just such a perfect sound to me. As if it were the best indicator of the tremendous amount of energy being released there.
      - p1mrx 3y ago
        Scott Manley explaining the crackle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCizNwLaHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCizNwLaHA
        3y ago
deleted 3y ago
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sixothree 3y ago
I don’t feel connected to this like I did to NASA ventures. To me it’s like going to watch the launch of a billionaire’s mega yacht. Why would I want to see that? This isn’t about exploration. It’s about profit. And there’s not an easy way to shine that.
- noizejoy 3y ago
  Just curious: Have you ever visited a castle or a gothic cathedral or the pyramids or a Frank Lloyd Wright building?
  - philwelch 3y ago
    To be fair, castles and the pyramids were also government projects.
    - grotorea 3y ago
      On the other hand, those things predate the distinction between the state and the leader, so in a way they were also the whim of some wealthy elite.
      - philwelch 3y ago
        The ancient Egyptians had a fairly sophisticated state with a permanent bureaucracy. That’s how they had the capacity to organize the construction of the pyramids in the first place.
        grotorea 3y ago
        Yes but if the Pharaoh decided he wanted a golden chariot made out of the state treasury, would someone complain that's the state's gold, not the Pharaoh's gold?
- jjallen 3y ago
  How is launching a rocket with the hopes that we can go to Mars not exploration? If he doesn't do it who is going to do that? Surely NASA has has fifty years to do something like this (excepting the ISS which is). > "billionaire’s mega yacht" Billionaire hatred is a real thing. He will not be riding on this thing and likely never will be, so I'm not sure this is a great analogy.
spikels 3y ago
Just go to the south end of South Padre Island and watch from shoreline. You will be about 5 miles from the launch pad. Binoculars are nice to have. This video gives you an idea of what it was like watching from there on the first flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jxWJvV6OxU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jxWJvV6OxU
i_am_a_peasant 3y ago
Being able to do things like this is one of the things that makes me want to emigrate to the US. Healthcare is a huge showstopper though. But if it turns out that private costs more or less what I pay in taxes in Europe then maybe I'll reconsider.
- SCUSKU 3y ago
  Another PITA is that even if you have insurance you have to go to in network providers. I’m insured and went to the local CVS to get a flu and COVID shot but they said I was out of network, so insurance wouldn’t cover it. Out of pocket was $63 for Flu and $198 for COVID. I still haven’t got my shots.
- junofan 3y ago
  Maybe don’t believe everything you read on the internet haha.
  - i_am_a_peasant 3y ago
    No idea what you're referring to here. I've visited the US several times and have lived in Europe most of my life. I've needed to be hospitalized a few times in my life and I didn't need to pay anything, anything.
    - kortilla 3y ago
      In the US you pay an annual deductible of like $2k for a good health insurance plan. Just take that off of your salary that is $50k greater than your European counter part and you’re good to go. Like GP said, the Internet is very misleading about this. Healthcare is OK for the middle class and that’s why there isn’t enough pressure to change it.
      - yakz 3y ago
        This is not even remotely correct. In the US, you usually pay a monthly premium which is only a portion of the actual cost, and the remainder is paid by your employer. On top of that, yes, you pay your deductible. A $2,000 deductible could be considered a low deductible--it could be double that or more with lower premiums. After that, you have the "out-of-pocket" maximum. You pay 20% of costs until you hit the "out-of-pocket" maximum, which is typically thousands of dollars per year. Beyond that, there are actually two different deductibles and two different out-of-pocket maximums. One for in-network services, and one for out-of-network services. You can go to an in-network facility and see out-of-network providers without notice. And even beyond that, while it has been curbed with some recent legislation, if your insurance provider decides to pay less than the provider believes they are owed, the provider can bill you independently for the remainder. So NO, it is definitely not $2k per year for a good health insurance plan in the US. FAR from it.
tonylemesmer 3y ago
One of the everyday astronaut’s videos explains places to watch launches from and travel to/from those places. [0] https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk
verdverm 3y ago
NasaSpaceflight (YT channel) put out a guide last launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPazqKRf9NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPazqKRf9NM The biggest scheduling point is that you probably need to get there super early, like at least 8 hours beforehand. Not sure how that's going to work out with the small children you mention in a later comment.

janalsncm 3y ago

I went to see a launch, it was incredible. But beware, they were scheduled for a Monday but cancelled twice due to weather before ultimately launching on a Friday. Luckily I was in town (LA, pretty close to Vandenberg) all week.

LorenDB 3y ago

Good luck and have fun! I would love to be in Texas for this :D

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

stevep98 3y ago

Everyday astronaut has a video discussing the layout of the area and which parts are closed during launch. https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk?si=rXff0jL4ln3CY14_ https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk?si=rXff0jL4ln3CY14_

foreverobama 3y ago

[dead]

chasd00 3y ago

I was planning on making the trip but the earliest I can be there is Sunday. Nasaspaceflight's youtube channel mentions this as the best hotel to watch the launch and where they hang out. https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-resort-south-padre-island https://www.margaritavilleresorts.com/margaritaville-beach-r... I stayed in Port Isabell a few years ago visiting some of my wife's family in the valley. There's a big freaking bridge there that you can see the pad from. I bet that bridge would be a good place to watch as well.

holler 3y ago

I watched the first launch from the southern tip of Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island and recommend that (I stood on the jetty). I also had recently watched 2 falcon launches in Florida and Starship is incredibly more powerful and awe-inspiring to witness. Plan to get to the park entrance at least 30 mins early because it takes time to walk through to the southern end, and there will likely be a large crowd. Stayed at Isla Grand Hotel and there were a bunch of other people hanging out the night before, have fun! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1snFbRby7Ew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1snFbRby7Ew

gangstead 3y ago
How loud is it from Isla Blanca? I'm bringing elementary aged kids. Should I bring headphones? Anything else I should bring?
- holler 3y ago
  Very loud, bring ear protection! The crackling of the engines will make your entire body shake. Other than that just comfy clothes you can walk on the sand in. It's a real unique experience, you're in for a treat!
  - qwertox 3y ago
    > The crackling of the engines will make your entire body shake. I've never heard it IRL but I absolutely love this sound, also from back then when the Space Shuttle launched. IDK why, but it is just such a perfect sound to me. As if it were the best indicator of the tremendous amount of energy being released there.
    - p1mrx 3y ago
      Scott Manley explaining the crackle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCizNwLaHA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdCizNwLaHA
      - 3y ago

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

sixothree 3y ago

I don’t feel connected to this like I did to NASA ventures. To me it’s like going to watch the launch of a billionaire’s mega yacht. Why would I want to see that? This isn’t about exploration. It’s about profit. And there’s not an easy way to shine that.

noizejoy 3y ago
Just curious: Have you ever visited a castle or a gothic cathedral or the pyramids or a Frank Lloyd Wright building?
- philwelch 3y ago
  To be fair, castles and the pyramids were also government projects.
  - grotorea 3y ago
    On the other hand, those things predate the distinction between the state and the leader, so in a way they were also the whim of some wealthy elite.
    - philwelch 3y ago
      The ancient Egyptians had a fairly sophisticated state with a permanent bureaucracy. That’s how they had the capacity to organize the construction of the pyramids in the first place.
      - grotorea 3y ago
        Yes but if the Pharaoh decided he wanted a golden chariot made out of the state treasury, would someone complain that's the state's gold, not the Pharaoh's gold?
jjallen 3y ago
How is launching a rocket with the hopes that we can go to Mars not exploration? If he doesn't do it who is going to do that? Surely NASA has has fifty years to do something like this (excepting the ISS which is). > "billionaire’s mega yacht" Billionaire hatred is a real thing. He will not be riding on this thing and likely never will be, so I'm not sure this is a great analogy.

spikels 3y ago

Just go to the south end of South Padre Island and watch from shoreline. You will be about 5 miles from the launch pad. Binoculars are nice to have. This video gives you an idea of what it was like watching from there on the first flight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jxWJvV6OxU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jxWJvV6OxU

i_am_a_peasant 3y ago

Being able to do things like this is one of the things that makes me want to emigrate to the US. Healthcare is a huge showstopper though. But if it turns out that private costs more or less what I pay in taxes in Europe then maybe I'll reconsider.

SCUSKU 3y ago
Another PITA is that even if you have insurance you have to go to in network providers. I’m insured and went to the local CVS to get a flu and COVID shot but they said I was out of network, so insurance wouldn’t cover it. Out of pocket was $63 for Flu and $198 for COVID. I still haven’t got my shots.
junofan 3y ago
Maybe don’t believe everything you read on the internet haha.
- i_am_a_peasant 3y ago
  No idea what you're referring to here. I've visited the US several times and have lived in Europe most of my life. I've needed to be hospitalized a few times in my life and I didn't need to pay anything, anything.
  - kortilla 3y ago
    In the US you pay an annual deductible of like $2k for a good health insurance plan. Just take that off of your salary that is $50k greater than your European counter part and you’re good to go. Like GP said, the Internet is very misleading about this. Healthcare is OK for the middle class and that’s why there isn’t enough pressure to change it.
    - yakz 3y ago
      This is not even remotely correct. In the US, you usually pay a monthly premium which is only a portion of the actual cost, and the remainder is paid by your employer. On top of that, yes, you pay your deductible. A $2,000 deductible could be considered a low deductible--it could be double that or more with lower premiums. After that, you have the "out-of-pocket" maximum. You pay 20% of costs until you hit the "out-of-pocket" maximum, which is typically thousands of dollars per year. Beyond that, there are actually two different deductibles and two different out-of-pocket maximums. One for in-network services, and one for out-of-network services. You can go to an in-network facility and see out-of-network providers without notice. And even beyond that, while it has been curbed with some recent legislation, if your insurance provider decides to pay less than the provider believes they are owed, the provider can bill you independently for the remainder. So NO, it is definitely not $2k per year for a good health insurance plan in the US. FAR from it.

tonylemesmer 3y ago

One of the everyday astronaut’s videos explains places to watch launches from and travel to/from those places. [0] https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk https://youtu.be/aWvHrih-Juk

verdverm 3y ago

NasaSpaceflight (YT channel) put out a guide last launch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPazqKRf9NM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPazqKRf9NM The biggest scheduling point is that you probably need to get there super early, like at least 8 hours beforehand. Not sure how that's going to work out with the small children you mention in a later comment.