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The Kennedy Space Center is a sprawling complex located on Merrit Island in Florida.  While much of it, like the Visitor’s Complex, is open to the public, there are checkpoints barring access along most roads in.  Security is tight near launch dates and while you may be able to book a bus tour to certain destinations inside, you can’t just drive onto NASA territory without a badge.

I flashed my Tweetup badge, the security guard said, “Thanks, boss!” and I drove right through.  Felt like a VIP.

On the morning of the 13th, I was cruising along in my rental car, heading for the press site.  Just after the Vehicle Assembly Building came into view, I passed a sign with the Space Shuttle on it proclaiming “1 Days to Launch!”

In fact, I passed a couple such signs, and they got me thinking about what an undertaking a Shuttle launch must be.  That close to launch there must be hundreds, if not thousands, of NASA employees and contractors working very hard to insure that everything goes off without a hitch.  I didn’t see them along the roadway, of course; they were all tucked away in the administrative buildings, the labs, at the launch pad, in mission control.

I loved the idea of those signs along the road, someone dutifully changing their little numbers every evening.  It spoke of morale.  Of teamwork on an epic scale.  I resolved to get a photo before I left.

That evening, after a day full of events and tours, I found myself driving back along the same route.  Traffic was light, and it was easy to spot the sign on the other side of the road.  As if it was meant to be, a gravel strip across the median appeared right beside it.  I pulled a U-turn, parked the rental on the grass and grabbed my camera.

Surprisingly, someone had already switched the “1” to a “0.”  Another reminder that, in just 20 hours, Atlantis would be leaving the Earth.  I took a few pictures, trying to find the best framing with the VAB behind, but I was in a hurry.  Badge or no badge, I felt self-conscious taking pictures of a government installation from the side of the road.

Two minutes later, I was back on the road to Orlando.  Tomorrow was Launch Day.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Date: 7:08pm, 13 May 2010
Focal Length: 200mm
Shutter: 1/400 sec
Aperture: F/4.5
ISO: 100
Photoshop: Auto Color

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The day before the STS-132 shuttle launch, the NASA folks had arranged a day full of activities for those of us invited to the Tweetup.  We spent the morning in an air-conditioned tent, listening to guest speakers, but after lunch we were taken on a tour all around the Kennedy Space Center.

One of the places we had the most time was at the Saturn V Center.  It’s a huge museum commemorating all the missions that used the Saturn V rocket.  As you enter, there’s a fantastic historical video, then you’re escorted into the actual control room they used back in the day.  They’ve converted the huge room into a presentation that gives you a good feel for what the excitement level must have been like when they launched those massive rockets.

After our group watched the movie, we had about an hour or so to explore the rest of the museum.  I wandered alone, reading the plaques, examining the models, and taking pictures of some of the exhibits.

Off in a dark room devoted to the lunar missions, this capsule sat in a roped-off corner.

Taking pictures in a museum is usually pretty dull.  The lighting is tricky, especially for anything behind glass.  I’m sure that someone who’s proficient at studio photography would enjoy artfully capturing these types of exhibits, but not me.  Even assuming I’d have the luxury to compose the shots as I’d like, I’d probably just end up with the same photo thousands of other museum-goers took.

It was with that mindset that I snapped a few photos of the Apollo 14 Command Module.  I wasn’t trying for a great picture, just wanted to bring home photos that showed what the Saturn V Center looked like.  Like everything else I shot in there, the camera was on the green (automatic) mode.

I didn’t see the photos until I got back to the hotel, but I was immediately struck by this one.  I love the lighting with the module illuminated and the rest of the corner swimming in darkness.  The camera did a good job exposing, of course; all I did was push a button, but whoever designed the exhibit for the “Kitty Hawk” deserves credit, too.

Also, as a side note, I have to say: Even at ISO 1250, the Canon 5D can take some remarkably noise-free photos!

Canon 5D Mark II
Date: 3:28pm, 13 May 2010
Focal Length: 24 mm
Shutter: 1/20 sec
Aperture: F/4
ISO: 1250
Photoshop: Cloned out tiny light flare near ceiling