Where on Kyushu island can I get a view of a launch from Tanegashima Space Center?
There is a rocket launch from Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) (originally scheduled for December 21 according to tweets from TNSC and Inmarsat Global). According to the websites of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the website of a town in Tanegashima, however, the launch day has been rescheduled to December 22, and the launch window is 23:33:52 - 01:33:26 Japan time. The timing specified matches that from Everyday Astronaut, but Everyday Astronaut still says December 21 for the day. TNSC has tweeted confirming the rescheduling.
I'll be staying in Kirishima, in Kagoshima prefecture on Kyushu island, during December 21 - 23. Tanegashima is an island off the coast of Kyushu. Travelling to Tanegashima itself is out of the question, as that will likely entail staying overnight there due to ferry timings.
Is there anywhere (open for access during the launch window) on the island of Kyushu itself from where I can watch the launch? I assume I won't be able to see much more than a shining beacon rising through the night sky, given the distances involved (70-100km, I think?).
I will be renting a car, so I don't need to rely on public transport.
Best Answer
I opted for Satamisaki (???, Cape Sata), the southernmost point of Kyushu. The observation deck (???) is ~73 km from the launch area as the crow flies. And it seems to be a fairly popular destination for watching launches, as there were plenty of other people there too - some with telescopes and other equipment.
According to Google Maps, the parking lot closes at 5 PM, but it turns out that the parking area is open and free for use throughout the day and only the information centre and other buildings are closed. The toilets also remain open. Unfortunately, it seems that the only vending machines in the area are inside the buildings and the nearest convenience stores are 20+ km away, so stock up on refreshments before coming.
Other possible locations:
- The parking lot itself. It has a fairly open view of the sea and Tanegashima island, and I think you can remain seated in your car and watch the launch. There were plenty of cars when I arrived there around 22:45, and a few more cars pulled in by the time I left for the observation deck around 23:00. According to the Satamisaki website, there's space for 40 cars.
- Tajiri beach. This was my backup plan. While driving to Satamisaki, I didn't see any cars there, but on the way back there were a couple of cars parked across the road from the beach. (I speculate that they might have been people who arrived too late at the Satamisaki parking lot.)
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Images: Kelly L, SpaceX, Quang Nguyen Vinh, Erik Mclean