Discovery Leaves KSC

[Tracy Lee]

Hi all, I like to share my privileges as much as I can. Seeing Discovery up close and personal all stacked and ready to go this week was bittersweet for most of us. Thought I might share a few pictures I took as I stood beside the 747 . . . Enjoy!! I am including the T-38 escort plane and our modified Gulf Stream as well.


Always sign your name with a good pen.

[Tracy Lee]

Well, how could I post all that and not include the VAB ( vehicle assembly building) that I was standing in front of before going to the shuttle landing facility ( SLF) to see Discovery?

Always sign your name with a good pen.

[KrazyIvan]

Wow. Just wow. My dream. A family friend retired from NASA and I treasure the maiden flight photos of Columbia that he gave me. There were a couple of times that I had a chance to see the shuttle as it passed through our area. (Ft. Bliss)

[Tracy Lee]

Truly a sight to behold so I am glad you have those memories. I remember once in about 1991 or so, I came down the main steps of the capital building in Oklahoma City and it was very low passing slowly by. I just stared. And stared. A shuttle in Oklahoma? Found out later they diverted to Tinker AFB due to inclement weather (can't ferry in the rain) but I will never forget that moment despite all the moments I have had since then. Never imagined my career at that moment to include so much of what I was seeing. Just cool. Where they put Discovery in the museum seemed very. . . Well. . . Anticlimactic for sure. Just not very glamorous, though I am not sure what I expected.

[KrazyIvan]

Indeed, sad in a way.

[Tracy Lee]

Yes, hard for those of us who worked with he program for so long to be sure. So much uncertainty now about our future but we try to stay in a "lean forward" posture.

[manoeuver]

Very cool photos, thanks for posting. The Shuttle was/is a monumental human achievement and an excellent example of team effort. I do believe the private sector will build awesome things from here.