I’ve had this goal on my list for a long time but didn’t really take it seriously until they announced the end of the shuttle program. I was lucky enough to have been chosen for the #NASATweetup for STS134. It was absolutely amazing. We got to go inside the VAB (as close to a spiritual experience as I’ve had in quite some time), watch the RSS retraction from outside the launchpad fence (!), and best of all, watch the launch from the media site (next to the countdown clock). I spent more money than I intended (especially with the 2 week launch delay) but it was definitely worth it.

My tips: Make cancellable hotel reservations as soon as the launch date is announced. Also buy airline tickets with no change fees (ie Southwest). Space is hard, and the dates will probably move around a bit.