If all goes according to schedule we should have a unique view at Launch Complex 39 tomorrow morning. Endeavour arrived at Pad B this morning and certain operations will keep the Rotating Service Structure (RSS) retracted (as in the launch configuration) until mid morning. Meanwhile over on Pad A, Atlantis is waiting for the delivery of the Hubble Space Telescope Service Mission (HST SM-4) payload. In preparation for the canister delivery and lift into the Payload Changeout Room (PCR), the Pad A RSS will also be retracted tomorrow morning. So for a few hours tomorrow morning (somewhere between 7:30am – 10:30am) we will have a clear unobstructed view of both vehicles on the pads. The only other time this occurred was nearly 20 years ago, in September of 1990 (see photo above). Columbia (STS-35) was on Pad A and Discovery (STS-41) was on Pad B.
Here's a picture of when Endeavour arrived at Pad B early this morning.
4 comments:
For godssake, take a *million* pictures of that, with any camera you can get. This will be the last time anybody will be able to do it.
That is an *awesome* view! I love it, and wish I could be there to take pictures of it too.
First I cried, then I just got turned on. Beautiful.
In addition to 35 and 41 in 1990, the two shuttles visible with RSS' back also occurred in 1994 with STS-64 and 68, so it is known to have actually happened twice in the past.
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