The Brevard County Sheriff's Office anticipates 400,000 visitors for NASA’s Artemis II launch attempt at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday as four astronauts prepare to circle the moon.
It's a journey humans haven't made in more than 50 years.
The launch team at KSC has an initial two-hour window for liftoff beginning at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday.
Peter Cranis, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism, says the level of excitement is high around NASA's Artemis II launch. It harkens back to the Apollo and Shuttle missions.
"I don't think there's going to be a bad spot to view it, but I think what you're going to see with a 300-plus foot rocket is it's pretty massive," Cranis said. "And the sound and the feeling, you know, you're gonna, you're gonna hear the rumble, you're gonna feel the rumble.
“And you know, that's not always typical with some of the launches. … Usually you'll hear something, but it's, you know, this is really going to rattle the windows and shake the floor.”
Last year, the Space Coast had a record 109 rocket launches.
"We're launching a couple of times a week, easily, sometimes more," Cranis said. "So if you're coming here on vacation, it's very typical that you might see a launch, but this ... one of those special moments in time where, you know, not only does it have a historical aspect to it, but these are big, big, big rockets."
He said it's a "bucket list item" for some people.
The tourism office advises visitors to arrive a few hours early -- popular viewing locations fill up quickly -- and to "bring snacks, water, sunscreen, lawn chairs, and any other desired amenities."
The office recommends the Space Coast Launches App for real-time updates, which can include delays and scrubbed launches. The tourism office also provides a map of viewing locations at visitspacecoast.com.
And it suggests this Space Coast Countdown Playlist:
Space Coast Countdown Playlist:
- Frank Sinatra – Fly Me to the Moon
- Elton John – Rocket Man
- David Bowie – Space Oddity
- Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Coming Home)
- Avenged Sevenfold – Higher
- Train – Drops of Jupiter
- Will.i.am – Reach for the Stars
- B-52s - There’s a Moon in the Sky (Called the Moon)
- The Byrds - Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins
- Europe – The Final Countdown
Heavy traffic expected
Traffic will be heavy, especially after the launch, and law enforcement agencies urge drivers to have patience and look out for pedestrians.
The Titusville Police Department and the Sheriff's Office have posted maps on social media with routes for leaving the area.
The Sheriff's Office says that, without question, "our afternoon traffic will be extremely active as we anticipate up to 400,000 visitors coming to Brevard County to watch this amazing piece of history!"
The agency urges locals to stay off the roads if they can and, if they must travel, to give themselves extra time.
"Watch for and yield to pedestrians/bicyclists crossing the roadways as there will be a lot of people out and about," the post says.
Post-launch exit plans
Here's BCSO's post-launch traffic plan:
- 𝐒𝐑 𝟓𝟐𝟖: Eastbound motorists on SR 528 will proceed eastbound to A1A south. Use SR 520 westbound as an alternate to SR 528. Westbound motorists on SR 528 will continue west on SR 528.
- 𝐔𝐒𝟏/𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐭 (𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞): All motorists north of Harrison St will proceed northbound on US-1. All vehicles south of Harrison, proceed southbound on US-1.
- 𝐀𝟏𝐀 (𝐂𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡): NO LEFT TURN from northbound A1A to SR 520 westbound. 𝐍𝐎 𝐔-𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐑 𝟓𝟐𝟖 𝐨𝐫 𝐆𝐄𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐋𝐕𝐃. Southbound should proceed to SR 404 (Pineda Causeway) to US 1 or I-95.
Here's Titusville PD's plan:
To safely move large volumes of traffic out of the area, predetermined routes will be in place.
- North of Harrison Street: Travel north to Garden Street, then west to I-95.
- Sand Point Park / A. Max Brewer Bridge Area: Travel to SR-46, then west to I-95.
- South of Harrison Street: Travel to Cheney Highway (SR-50) or SR-405, then west.
- Depending on traffic conditions, westbound traffic on Washington Avenue at Cheney Highway and SR-405 may be restricted, directing vehicles south toward Cocoa via SR-528 west.
- The A. Max Brewer Bridge may close to vehicle traffic if pedestrian volume becomes too high.
