I saw on FaceBook that those nice folk at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex were opening up the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) over in Florida. For those that don't know, this is where they assemble (hence the name) America's space rockets. It was here the early rockets were put together, but more recently they used it to attach the Space Shuttle to its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. They also said that it might be possible to see an actual Space Shuttle during the tour, as they were being prepared for retirement in various museums. I got Di online and made her buy tickets for this new Up-Close Tour immediately (oh, yeah, and flights - good job we have a vacation home at which to stay).
We drove over to Kennedy and arrived just in time for our tour. However, the day started badly when a helpful Kennedy employee put us on the wrong bus! Put a bit of a kibosh on our plans for the afternoon. Fortunately, our driver on the "regular" bus was very helpful - told us to stay on the bus and took us back to the main Visitor's Center. He even radioed through for us but they just told us to go back and get rescheduled if possible If? Grrr
Back at Guest Services, we heard them say the tours were sold out today - I think I saw steam coming out of Di's ears, but she kept calm...sort of. Our turn at the counter, the lady was very apologetic, got on to her manager, then gave us new passes for the 1pm tour (only an hour and a half later). If there wasn't room on that, we should get on the next one after, she said. Well. We had 1pm passes stuck to our chests (pink stickers they didn't tell us we should have the first time around!) and got in line - we looked like normal 1pm tourers and no one knew our story so we looked innocent and got on the bus. Just before we boarded our earlier driver spotted us - checked we were okay, which was nice of him.
Then, with our Special Guide for the Up-Close Tour, we were off. Out the front gates and headed for the Vehicle Assembly Building.
On the way out to the VAB, we stopped off at the Causeway. It was from here that we saw STS-134 Endeavour, the penultimate Shuttle launch take off back in May 2011. It was a lot busier then, but more of that if I ever get around to telling you about it! We didn't get to sit in the stand that time - we were lucky to grab a couple of chairs! If you look at the photo on the right below (and squint) you'll see the launch pad from where Endeavour took to the skies. Really.
You can see some other cool stuff from here too. There's the launch pad (left below) from which the Mars Science Laboratory spacecraft lifted off just a week after we left (you'd think they'd have planned that better, wouldn't you?) To the right, below, is that very special (and very large) building we're headed to next. The Vehicle Assembly Building. Doesn't look very big, does it...but we were miles away.
We passed a couple of gators on the drive over to the VAB and also an Osprey nest. There is a lot of land at Kennedy and it contains all kinds of wildlife. I won't bore you with the numbers (cos I wasn't listening) but there's loads of furry, scaly and feathered stuff. They have a great photo of a large alligator on a zebra crossing within the grounds - very cool (and a bit scary I should imagine). Anyway, we arrived at the VAB. Did I mention how big it is? Have you seen a Saturn rocket? Used to fly to the moon? They fit through those big tall doors on the side of the building. In a moment you'll see the Space Shuttle isn't so big, by comparison.
Well, it's big. It's really hard to get an idea of scale as you look up. Can you imagine a rocket in here, reaching all the way to the top - and it's only just tall enough. They dismount a Space Shuttle from the back of its Boeing 747 and pretty much roll it into the VAB, where it sits between the two tall channels, again, with just inches to spare either side of the wing tips.
There's a hanging poster for each of the launches, but I took a shot of the one supporting Endeavour. I like to look on Endeavour as my Shuttle. My own personal one, that is. Sort of.
To give you an idea of scale of man to the rocket, take a look at the two pictures on the right, below. The far right photo shows men working on the rocket. There's about six of them sitting working on the rocket.
In the case of the Space Shuttle, the External Tank is placed upright first, then the empty Solid Rocket Boosters are attached. Then, finally, they roll in the Space Shuttle, attach it to a single crane and lift it up into the air. They turn it around and fasten it to the fuel tanks.
Through the scaffolding, we caught a glimpse of tail fin and we knew we were seconds away. The Guide walked us around the corner and there it was. Space Shuttle Endeavour. And sooooo close!
Yes, there's a 6-foot fence in front of it, but it's just over there. You can almost touch it. Well, if you have longer arms than I do!
And up close, you can see the tiles and the windows. You can also see what looks like cling film (cellophane wrap stuff) around the nose, but they are working on taking out all the expensive 'good' stuff and leaving us with an empty-ish shell for the museums. It's a shame we're not gonna see the techy stuff, but it's not like we'd know what we were looking at anyway. They could put a Citroen 2CV engine in there and how many of us would really notice?........... You're lying aren't you?
So, how long did we get in the presence of the Space Shuttle? Maybe ten minutes? Well, it doesn't do much, and it gave everyone in the group (about fifty of us) to each get all the photos we wanted and to stand a little in awe. This place is awesome. Absolutely brilliant! I can thoroughly recommend the tour (just make sure you go to Guest Services to get your pink sticker! Soon, our visit was over and we had to return to the bus.
Back on the bus, we passed the building where another of the Shuttles was being prepared for its own museum life. As we left the VAB we passed the building with the black windows. This is Mission Control and where they control everything. Our guide gave us some very hopeful news - if the VAB tour goes well, they may see fit to open up some other areas to the public. You never know - it would be really cool to go into here. Then we passed a mobile platform on which they sit those space machines to trundle them around the Space Center. I suspect the Kennedy guys don't use the word trundle very often, but maybe they should. Don'tcha think?
We drove past the area you see on TV during a launch, where the families of the astronauts stand, and in the distance we could see the blue Countdown clock. Now that you'll have seen on TV too. Well, if you've ever watched a launch, and why wouldn't you?
We drove down to the launch pads, and on the way we passed the path of the Crawler. This is what they use to transport the Space Shuttle (or other rocket) from the VAB to the launch pad. It speeds along at a superfast one mile per hour cos can you imagine the mess if the Shuttle tipped over? Bits of tile everywhere! It's also pretty heavy. You can see the tracks on the right where a Crawler has passed and squished the rocks together.
Below is Launch Pad 39B. I was here last year and saw Space Shuttle Atlantis on the launch pad - unfortunately, we didn't see the launch from Kennedy, although we did see it, from a distance, while sitting on the driveway of the villa. Even at that distance it was amazing to see the sky light up as the Shuttle flew up into space. It is so amazing to be so close, even if they don't let us off the bus quite this close.
Where they do let us off is not so far away though. According to the guide the blast from the noise can reach as far as the water, which you can see just beyond that big pile of sandbags. I should probably remember what those are for...hmm, it'll come back to me.
If you take a look in the other direction from this viewing point, you'll see another launch pad. From here, just a few days later, Kennedy launched the Curiosity MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) rover. It will take about eight and a half months to get to there before carrying out its two year mission to determine if there is microbial life on Mars. Oh, and it doesn't really belong here but checkout this gate I spotted at Kennedy - wonder if I should get one of those for Ted Manor?
The bus then dropped us off at the Saturn V Center. This houses one of those huge Saturn V rockets that flew to the moon (well, okay not an actual one that flew there, cos then it wouldn't be here.) As you enter the building, they rerun the Apollo 8 launch and the desks you are looking at as they countdown to launch are the ones the actual mission control team were sitting at. This was the first manned mission to orbit the moon. Assuming, of course, that they went there at all. I don't believe the sceptics - Patrick Moore said they walked on the moon and that's good enough for me. Besides, as someone (was it Stephen Fry on QI just the other day?) said, the Russians didn't question that the Americans had walked on the moon, and surely, if there was any doubt, they'd have raised it? Do you even care? Grr.
We'd been here before (even if I haven't talked about it yet) so we just whizzed quickly through and out back to the bus back to the main entrance area. It was 4pm already! Still, we took the time for another go on the Space Shuttle Experience - an amazing Shuttle launch simulator ride. As you stand in line, actual Space Shuttle astronauts tell of their experiences and claim this ride is very much like the real thing. I can't believe it, as, despite the warning signs it's not that bad, motion-wise, but it's still cool. Take a look at this short video... (By the way, Jon McBride is the astronaut I trained with at NASA a few years ago. More on that another time.)
The next stage is that an astronaut, Charlie Bolden, explains what the steps are to a launch, and how you'll feel all of them - the main engine start, the twang, lift-off, maxQ, throttle up (the moment Challenger exploded) and into orbit. It's true too, cos you do go through all of that, once you are sitting in the launch vehicle - which sits within the Space Shuttle payload bay.
You have to get into line, standing (or sitting in my case) on a dot to make sure you get a seat in the vehicle. Hmph. They're a bit bearist on this one - although they do let me ride (all other loose objects have to go into a locker) - and it was a busy day, so I had to sit on my assistant (as you'll see from the last photo). The doors open, you take your seat, fasten your seatbelt and countdown begins.
It really is a very good ride - I recommend it. Bears, you need to get your assistants to take you on - don't let them shove you in those nasty lockers.
As you leave the ride, you get to walk around and around on a ramp which is lined by shots of all of the Shuttle launches. I think this is why they cancelled the Shuttle program - they'd run out of corridor. It was nothing to do with completing the construction of the International Space Station. I reckon that was all a smoke screen. Probably. They also had a photo of each Shuttle, and, as I said before, this one, Endeavour was mine.
We just had time for a quick dash around the gift shop. Looked for any discounted STS-134 launch stuff (my launch) but there was nothing. It was planned to be the last one so I think they sold out of tat, er, quality memorabilia, before they sneakily added STS-135 as the final final launch. There was an astronaut in there, signing stuff, but we were already running late so we didn't stop so he could meet me. He'll probably get another chance!
