Atlantis and Endeavor

The road doesn't stop at the Beach House. It continues north past launch complex 41 until you come to the northern edge of the Air Force Station and enter the Space Center proper.

At the property line, there's a sign that says, "Tortoise Crossing", and if you watch the brush, you might see one tentatively watching you from under its dark shell, waiting to cross to the other side.

Eventually you come to a flashing light, a stop sign and a small guard shack. On the morning I was there, I knew to go no further, since there were rockets on the pads, and my badge was certain not to be of any further use.

I pulled onto a side road and drove up an artificial hill with a parking lot at the top. It was the only elevation for miles around. I turned off the car, opened the door and got out to view the land.

To my right was the beach and the blue water and waves rolling on the sand. Behind me was the morning sun climbing into the cloudless blue sky illuminating the water with glitter and gold. To my left was palmetto scrub of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge with the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) standing far in the distance. And before me were Shuttles on Pads 39A and 39B.

Shuttles on both pads. At the same time.

As far as I know, this hasn't happened before (although I could be wrong). It certainly hasn't happened in a very long time. And it will absolutely never happen again. Two Shuttle stacks with orange tanks and two solid rocket boosters and white orbiters -- one on each pad, standing next to their gantries.

Atlantis was on 39A, the pad closest to where I stood. With any luck, it will launch soon on a mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Endeavor was on 39B, further to the north. It's on standby in case a rescue mission is needed for Atlantis (since the Space Station won't be an option in the event of an emergency).

After Atlantis returns, Endeavor will be rolled back to the VAB to be outfitted for its next flight, and Pad 39B will be handed over to the Constellation program and will never launch a Shuttle again. And then in no time at all, the Shuttle program will come to an end, and none will be launched again from either place.

So I stood there by myself on that hill with the climbing sun warming my back and the sea breeze blowing my hair, and I gazed out on history, trying to burn this into my memory. Because a chance like that will never come again.

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