Earth To The Moon


Atlantis is prepared for liftoff on launch pad 39B.

I'm at a VIP photo op for the launch of STS-112	Atlantis nestled in the rotating service structure

A view of pad 39B showing the flame trench

A view with the water tower in the foreground	The long and winding road up to Pad 39B

A view of launch pad 39B from the opposite side

Taking APC-4 out for a spin	A close-up of APC-4

APC-3 is ready for service at the bottom of the astronaut slide wires near a bunker.

I was in Florida as a VIP guest of NASA for the original launch window of STS-112. My friend Tom Celentano had arranged for our VIP passes as a guest of NASA Deputy Director Fred Gregory.

Unfortunately, the STS-112 launch was delayed to October 7, 2002 because Houston's Mission Control was threatened by hurricane Lisa. This weather delay caused resulted in my missing a shuttle launch for the first time.

The effort to see the STS-112 launch was not in vain. The day before the original launch window was to open, NASA treated Tom and I to an outstanding VIP tour of the KSC facilities. These photos show Atlantis poised for launch on Pad 39B