This is the entrance to the Kennedy Space Center. There is so much to see and do there you can't do it all in a day.

Some of the early rockets in the space program on display

This is a mock up of the only part that actually comes back to earth on the early rockets.

Looks like sort of cramped quarters for 3 guys orbiting the earth for a few days.

This is just one of the 5 rocket engines on the base of the Saturn 5 rocket that took men to the moon. Compare it's size to the man

This is a full size mock up of the shuttle that you can go inside. It's a little bit bigger than a Mooney

This is the flight deck of the shuttle

This is inside the cargo bay of the shuttle mock up. That is a replica of an early communications sattelite that the shuttle launched

The day before the launch we got to go out to the viewing site which goes by the Assembly building.

This is where the shuttle is mated to the orange fuel tank and the booster rockets

This is the flag on the side of the Assembly Building.

Notice the size of the workers who are repainting it. The stripes are the width of a city bus.

Out near the viewing site is a museum of the Apollo program that put the men on the moon.

This is a Saturn 5 rocket laid on it's side with the different stages pulled apart so you can see how it all works.

These are the 5 huge rocket engines that are on the base of the Saturn5

Nose of the Saturn 5. The cone in front is what holds the astronauts and is the only part that comes back to earth.

This is the lunar rover that the astronauts rode around on the moon with.

You can't believe how that thing had to fold up in order to fit in the tiny space it occupied on the rocket

This is the launch tower as seen from the viewing area the day before launch.

The shuttle is there, you just can't see it because it is behind the tower.

A picture of me at the viewing site. You can see the launch tower in the background. It is 3 miles away.

The launch was at 6:20 in the morning so it was still quite dark. This shot of the launch tower is a bit blurry.

It is a bit difficult to hold the camera steady enough for a shot like that at night without a tripod.

The crowd waiting for the launch with the coountdown clock.

About 15 minutes before the launch, the International Space Station came over and was in full view.

It went right across the full moon. The little dot you see to the left of the moon is the space station. I was told afterward that this was the only time in the history of the shuttle program that the space station was visible just before the launch.

I was really fortunate to have pushed the camera shutter just at the right time on this shot.

Since it was dark the light from the flame was reflecting off the steam and smoke so that it lit up the shuttle. An instant later, all you could see was the flame. At this point, you had not yet heard the sound.

Now all you can see is the flame and at this point, the sound waves are hitting you in the chest.

Even though it was still dark on the ground, as the shuttle climbed it entered sunlight. You can see sunlight shining on the smoke trail.

Again, you can see the vapor trail being reflected in the sunlight.

After the launch the sun came up. This is my nephew Nathan and his wife Sheree.

Nathan was part of a team who prepared a scientific experiment for launch on the shuttle.

The blonde lady in this shot is Dr. Nickerson who is a Scientist/Professor at ASU. She was one of the leaders of the team that Nathan was part of.

The hotel I stayed at in Florida was right on Coco Beach. The next day after the launch I took a walk on the beach.

This Super Cub was flying up and down the beach towing a banner.

Some kids had done a sand sculpture on the beach

Now this guy has the right idea.