NASA estimates that over a million people will be trekking to Cape Canaveral to see the launch this weekend--if you don't already have a ticket or are not already in Florida, you're probably out of luck. Up to 750,000 spectators are expected to watch the liftoff from the Space Coast area and the numbers may top one million. Don't worry though. There are still lots of great ways to enjoy the final launch of Atlantis from the comfort and safety of your own tech equipment.
NASA plan to show the launch live online on its stream. Live coverage will begin at 8 a.m. EDT Friday--if all goes according to plan. If you're going to be away from a TV at that time, NASA offers that will stream the launch coverage for you as well as a announced today.
Alternatively, be on the lookout for up-to-the minute coverage on Twitter by following official NASA twitter feeds. Following on Twitter probably won't be quite as a dynamic experience as the video feed, but both (@NASA) and the (@NASAKennedy) have Twitter accounts you can follow. NASA is also hosting who will get special access to the launch in Florida and who will be live-tweeting from the event. , and the hashtag is #NASATweetup.
Or you can crowd source your coverage from all the people watching the launch live. Expect a lot of action on launch-related hashtags like #shuttle or #sts135 (STS-135 is the last launch's mission number as this is the 135th, and final, shuttle launch).
If you get really desperate, you might be able to watch the launch the old-fashioned way--on your television set. Many networks are going to be , so check your local listings. Spacevidcast, a weekly webcast on space news, will also be covering the broadcast live in HD on its so you can stream it to your set. Or you can just watch .
History in the Making
There are more ways to enjoy the launch than just watching it. There are 30 years of space shuttle history to explore. In addition to of the program, plenty other publications are getting into the act. For instance, The Washington Post has both a and celebrating the full history of the shuttle program
Naturally if you've really got shuttle launch fever, you may want to own a piece of the action and there's plenty to commemorate the last mission. You can buy everything from Identical to the ones worn by the astronauts to to some, well, .
No matter how you choose to enjoy this weekend's launch, it's sure to be the end of an era in the history of American space exploration. If you wish, now turn your attention to in the future of space exploration.