Universe Today
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Space Shuttle Endeavour
now sits majestically at
launch pad 39 A
at the
Kennedy Space Center
, awaiting her historic final spaceflight on the
STS-134 mission
. Following her nighttime rollout to the pad, I was part of a lucky band of photographers and journalists permitted to travel along and participate in the ultimate photo op on a picture perfect day.
NASA
allowed us to get breathtakingly close and document
Endeavour
from multiple absolutely awesome vantage points all around the launch pad from top to bottom. We were given access to shoot from the upper reaches of
the launch gantry
with stunning panoramic vistas of the Florida coastline to the bottom of the launch platform and standing directly beneath the External Tank and adjacent to the Twin Solid Rocket Boosters.
Here is part 1 of my photo album which focuses on the upper levels and includes our visit to the White Room - where the astronauts enter the crew hatch to board the shuttle orbiter to take their seats for the adventure of a lifetime.
[caption id="attachment_84266" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Walkway to the White Room and astronaut's crew hatch at Pad 39 A. Credit: Ken Kremer www.kenkremer.com"]
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With the
shuttle era
rapidly drawing to a close, NASA has opened up media access in ways not previously allowed so that we can share these rarely seen views of the shuttle with the public.
[caption id="attachment_84267" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Close up of Endeavour crew cabin, ET, SRB and astronaut walkway to the White Room. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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STS-134
will be the 25th and final flight for
Space Shuttle Endeavour
. Liftoff is set slated for April 19 with an all veteran crew of six, led by Shuttle Commander Mark Kelly.
Endeavour will haul the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to orbit and attach this premiere science experiment to the truss structure of the
International Space Station
. AMS will search for dark matter and antimatter and seak to determine the origin of the universe.
Read more about the STS-134 mission in my prior reports
here
and
here
[caption id="attachment_84273" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="View from top levels of Launch Pad 39A to Endeavour and Florida coast. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84268" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="Space Shuttle Endeavour awaits April 19 launch from Pad 39A at KSC. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84269" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="Side view of Space Shuttle Endeavour from on top of Pad 39A at KSC looking out to Florida coastline. at KSC. Credit Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84264" align="aligncenter" width="386" caption="Looking down along the Solid Rocket Boosters to the base of the Mobile Launch Platform at Pad 39A. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84271" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="View from the top of the retracted Rotating Service Structure (RSS) at Pad 39A to Endeavour and gaseous oxygen vent hood – beanie cap - with humerous wind monitor and Pad 39B off in the distance at left. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84270" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Close up of Endeavour crew cabin attached to the White Room, Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84263" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Inside the White Room at Pad 39 A and the crew hatch to Shuttle Endeavour. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84272" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Ken on top of the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) at Pad 39A with Endeavour and gaseous oxygen vent hood – beanie cap. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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[caption id="attachment_84275" align="aligncenter" width="580" caption="Space Shuttle Endeavour and launch gantry at Launch Pad 39A at KSC. For context, the photos above were taken from the upper levels of the pad service structures at left (Rotating Service Structure and Fixed Service Structure) and the White Room attached to crew cabin at center. The Flame Trench is at bottom, center. Credit: Ken Kremer"]
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