Closing Up to Finish Launch Preps

Last Sunday Discovery was rolled out to Pad 39-A to do the final preparations for launch later this month. The target date for the next blast off is Tuesday, October 23rd, around 11:30am. I have to leave for Houston that day, so unfortunately this will be the first launch I will miss since I started working at the Cape almost 3.5 years ago. Is it wrong if I hope they have to delay it a week?

Anyway, I was very surprised when I got into work on Monday and found that they had not moved the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) into place over the orbiter yet. I immediately went to look for one of our new contractors, Phil, so I could get him out to the Pad before the move took place. That first glimpse you get of the shuttle from up close is truly awe-inspiring and I didn't want him to have to wait for the next process flow to see it. As we drove past the security check point I told him that showing my badge and having the guard say "Okay, go ahead" still hasn't gotten old.

I knew we were rushing the clock, I just didn't know how much. They already had the clears (areas you can't go into unless you're essential for the operation) set up. The move began just after I got a few shots of Phil with the vehicle behind him. The pictures for this entry will enlarge a bit bigger than usual if you click on them. They're not full size, but they're still pretty nice.

Here's Discovery looking like she's ready to leap into the sky without her crew.

This is where they drive the RSS from. It's a little car at the base of the structure.


I was surprised to see people riding the RSS as they moved it into place. I guess I've always been so focused on the vehicle that I never looked away to notice. That guy standing by the doors to the Payload Changeout Room (PCR) - aka the white thing in the upper center of the picture - must be very brave.

This one I really liked because of the people standing in the foreground. I think it gives a great overview of the whole operation and some terrific perspective on the size of the "toys" we play with at KSC. I was closer to the people than the vehicle and they are still dwarfed.

I also took Phil over to the VAB at the end of the week. They're busy stacking boosters for the STS-122 mission that will launch in early December. It was nice to walk around a bit and remember what the rest of the space center is doing while I'm off on travel, which I am doing a lot of lately. Most importantly, I love sharing this stuff with people who have never seen it before. The grin on Phil's face was priceless. I would still bring everybody in to wander with me if I could.