These materials and information should be assembled a couple of weeks before the scheduled launch. Once the launch date has been set, plan to watch the launch on television. If you do not start a MET clock you can make the conversion from MET to your local time as long as you know when the Shuttle actually lifted off. Launches are often delayed so you may not be able to use the scheduled launch date and time. Once the Shuttle is on its way, get the times of sunrise and sunset for the days when the mission is under way.
Missions can be as short as four days or as long as a month.
You now have all of the material necessary to determine if the orbiter will fly over you and whether it will be visible. It will never rise above their local horizon. Because of the height of the Shuttle's orbit, just about every spot in this band, and for several degrees to the north and south, will be within the field of view of the orbiter and above the horizon for ground based observers. But even if the orbiter flies directly overhead, you will only be able to see it directly under just the right conditions. Conditions are suitable only when the orbiter is illuminated by the light of the Sun in an otherwise dark sky.