Rainbow & domes

A stormy afternoon last week offered a pretty rainbow to go with all the stormy grey clouds. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/800 seconds at f/8, ISO 200.

Ares I Mobile Launch Tower

The new Mobile Launch Tower for the Ares I rocket was recently completed and stands next to the VAB. Like The Apollo/Saturn V stack, the Ares rockets will be assembled on a mobile launch tower and carried out to the launch pads on the giant crawlers. The permanent towers on the launch pads that have stood on pads 39A and 39B will be torn down. This image was taken with the kit lens at 38m focal length with an exposure of 1/500 seconds at f/5, ISO 400.

LC 39 crawlerway

This gravel filled crawlerway is used by the giant crawler/transporter to carry Space Shuttles (and in the days of Apollo, the mighty Saturn V rockets) from the VAB out to the launch pads about 3 miles away. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/80 seconds at f/8, ISO 100.

Apollo 14 CM

The Apollo 14 CM is on display at the KSC Saturn V center. The last time I visited, this CM was over at the nearby Astronaut Hall of Fame. It shows the affects of entering the atmosphere at 25,000 mph on its return from the Moon. When it flew it had a silver mylar insulation over the forward heatshield. At left is the open hatch which shows the round window. Below the hatch are two hand rails that might have been used if the crew had to return to the CM by EVA if they failed to dock the LM. Between the hand rails are two pitch RCS motors. Near the bottom center are two roll RCS motors and at the right edge of the CM are 2 yaw RCS motors. At the apex of the CM are packed parachutes & other recovery components. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/15 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 400.

Looking into the LM descent stage engine nozzle

Here's one view you can have during lunch. The LM descent engine nozzle is at center with the heat shield around it and the legs in the four corners. The contraption left of the engine at the edge of the stage is the landing radar. The front of the LM with the ladder on the front landing gear is at lower right.

Lunar Rover Trainer

Speaking of Lunar Rovers, this is the 1-G Rover trainer used by astronauts at KSC before launch.

The LM at the Moon Rock Cafe

If you have lunch at the Moon Rock Cafe in the Saturn V center, you can sit at tables right underneath a real live Lunar Module. This is LM-9 which was originally scheduled to fly the Apollo 15 mission before that mission was canceled. LM-9 was an "H" series LM similar to what flew on Apollos 11, 12, 13 and 14. Apollo 15 flew LM-10, the first of the "J" series LMs designed for longer stays on the Moon and to carry more weight to the lunar surface (including the Lunar Rovers). LM-9 became an unflown spare and one of only three flight ready LMs that rest in museums (LM-2 at the NASM in Washington D.C and LM-13 is at the Cradle of Aviation on Long Island). Several other simulators, replicas and test articles can be found in other museums. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/40 seconds at f/5, ISO 400.

S-IVB J-2 engine

The S-IVB used a single J-2 engine to finish propelling the Apollo spacecraft into low Earth orbit where the crew and ground controllers gave the spacecraft a thorough checkout before initiating the Trans-Lunar Injection burn by restarting the J-2 engine. This image was taken with the kit lens at 34mm focal length with and exposure of 1/60 seconds at f/4.5, ISO 1600.

The Saturn V S-IVB at KSC

Here is the third stage of the Saturn V rocket on display at KSC, the S-IVB. This one is actually S-IVB-514 which would have launched Apollo 19 on its canceled mission to the Moon. Nicely visible is the lone J-2 engine that would have made two burns, first putting the Apollo spacecraft into Earth orbit after separating from the S-II stage and then a second time to put the Apollo spacecraft on a path to the Moon during a burn called Trans-Lunar Injection or TLI. Starting with Apollo 13, these rocket stages were targeted to impact the Moon to provide a large explosion to create vibrations for the previously installed seismometers left by earlier Apollo landings. This image was taken with my fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/25 seconds at f/5, ISO 400.

The 5 S-II J-2 power plants

A closer view of the 5 J-2 engines that powered the S-II second stage of the Saturn V rocket.

Saturn V S-II

The 2nd stage of the Saturn V was called an S-II and was powered by 5 J-2 engines which can be seen on the left. This S-II stage was S-II-14 which would have powered Apollo 19 on its canceled flight to the Moon. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye with an exposure of 1/60 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400.

USA

Everything about the Saturn V rocket is huge, including this "USA" painted vertically on the side of the S-IC rocket stage. This image was taken with the 10mm fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/30 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400.

S-IC - another view

This is probably the closest I came to taking an image of the entire Saturn V rocket - in this fisheye view, the top of the rocket disappears off in the distance to the right. The huge F-1 engines are at the left of center. This image was taken at 1/50 seconds at f/8, ISO 400 with my 10mm fisheye lens.

The Saturn V S-IC first stage

Even with a fisheye lens you almost can't get far enough back inside the Saturn V center at KSC to get a picture of the entire S-IC rocket stage. This stage is dressed up like S-IC-6, the first stage that launched Apollo 11 on its historic journey to the Moon but it is really S-IC-T, a test stage. The real S-IC-6 impacted the Atlantic ocean after completing its mission and rests on the seafloor several hundred miles off the Florida coast. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens at 1/50 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400.

Imagine 7.5 million pounds of thrust

The Saturn V rocket at the Saturn V center at KSC demonstrates just how large the rocket was. This is the business end of the S-IC first stage and I stood under the 5 F-1 engines with my fisheye lens to capture this shot. At launch, these engines actually had some insulation around them which is something I didn't learn until reading a recent book on the F-1 engines. Of the 5 F-1 engines on this stage, 2 were test fired on this stage, another is a production F-1 and the final 2 are mockups. This image was taken at f/8 with 1/30 seconds exposure, ISO 400 with my 10mm fisheye.

LC 39 Apollo era Launch Control Center

This is a recreation of the Apollo era Launch Control Center of LC39 which was located adjacent to (and part of) the VAB. This exhibit is at one entrance to the Saturn V center and the experience of launch as viewed from the LCC is reproduced here. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens at f/2.8, 1/10 seconds at ISO 400.

SLF control tower

The Shuttle Landing Facility is the runway that the Space Shuttle lands on at Kennedy Space Center when it returns from orbit. This is the control tower adjacent to the runway. To the left of the building are the viewing stands used by family of the crew and VIPs during shuttle landings. This image was taken at 42mm focal length with an exposure of 1/125 seconds at f/8, ISO 400.

Launch pad 39B

Launch complex 39 includes the VAB and pads 39A and 39B. Built for the Apollo program in the 1960s, both were converted for Space Shuttle operations in the 1970s an early 1980s. The first Space Shuttle launch from pad 39B was the ill fated Challenger flight on January 28, 1986. Recently this pad has started undergoing changes including the addition of 3 lightning towers that now surround it. The changes were aimed at making it the launch pad for the Ares I and Orion spacecraft whose future is very uncertain at the moment. In the near future, the launch tower and rotating service structure on the pad will be demolished. The next time we visit KSC, probably for the launch of Endeavour early next year, this launch pad will look very different. This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/160 seconds at f/8, ISO 100.

The VAB up close

During the KSC tour, we stopped next to the VAB - actually at the site where the Saturn V rocket used to be displayed before it was moved to the Saturn V center not too far down the road. This image is slightly cropped from the original that was shot with the kit lens at 28mm focal length with an exposure of 1/200 seconds at f/8, ISO 400.

The VAB

The Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center is visible from all over the area. This is the view from one of NASAs public viewing sites for shuttle launches. This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D with an exposure of 1/320 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100 with a focal length of 55 mm.

ATHLETE

The ATHLETE (All Terain Hex-Legged Extra Terrestrial Explorer) makes use of both legs and wheels to move equipment around in simulated lunar exploration. Something like it will quite likely be used in future exploration on other worlds. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye with an exposure of 1/50 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 400.

LER visits Shorty Crater

A replica of the Lunar Electric Rover (LER) is at the KSC visitors center. In this case, the LER appears to be climbing out of a crater in the Taurus-Littrow Valley called "Shorty" at which Jack Schmitt, the first professional Geologist to explore the Moon in December 1972 found orange colored soil. Obviously, the museum chose a picture from the Apollo 17 mission as a backdrop. The LER is a test vehicle that is being used by the Desert RATs program which is helping to both practice for future lunar exploration and test procedures and hardware. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/50 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 400.

Mercury Launch Control

The original Mercury Control center was recently demolished as it was deteriorating with age. NASA has a good sense of history and recreated the facility at the KSC visitors center (the old MCC was only shown to visitors on a bus tour which took visitors through the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station). The consoles and displays look primitive even compared with the later Apollo facilities, but they got the Mercury spacecraft into space and back home successfully 6 times. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens with an exposure of 1/5 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 400.

Goddard's rocket

After looking at the rockets that helped take us to the Moon in the 1960s, it's interesting to pause and reflect on the beginnings of modern rocketry. This is a replica of one of Dr. Robert Goddard's early liquid fueled rockets which is on display at the Kennedy Space Center. This image was taken with my fisheye lens on my 20D with an exposure of 1/30 seconds at f/2.8, ISO 400.

Fisheye Mercury Redstone

Exercising my first rule of fisheye photography: "If you think you're close enough, take a step closer", here is a shot of the Mercury Redstone rocket in the KSC rocket garden. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens on my 20D with an exposure of 1/250 seconds at f/11, ISO 100.

Saturn IB

The "jewel" of the KSC rocket garden has to be this Saturn IB rocket. But other than taking long shots from across the area of this rocket, it is hard to get a good image of it without other exhibits in front of it. So I tried using my 10mm fisheye lens. Well, it's different. This is a spare Saturn Rocket numbered SA-209 - it is the 9th Saturn IB rocket built and became a museum piece after the last of the Apollo flights (the 3 manned Skylab Saturn IB flights and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project that also used a Saturn IB rocket). This image was taken at f/11 with an exposure of 1/160 seconds, ISO 100.

The Mighty F-1

I wish I'd taken a shot with a human beside this monster rocket engine for scale! This is the Mighty F-1 engine which powered the first stage of the Saturn V rocket. 5 of them were clustered together to provide over 7.5 million pounds of thrust. This engine was the largest liquid rocket engine ever built. You can see some closeups of another F-1 engine that is on display at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamagordo N.M. here. This image was taken with the kit lens on my Canon 20D at 21mm focal length with an exposure of 1/320 seconds at f/6.3, ISO 100.

KSC Rocket Garden

Here's the the first of a few pix from our visit to the Kennedy Space Center last month. This group of rockets is next to the main visitors center at KSC and is very similar to what I remember it looking like when I saw it when I was much younger. From the left is a Mercury-Atlas, an Atlas Agena, a Mercury Redstone, a Thor, a Juno and a Jupiter dressed up like the rocket which launched the United States first satellite, Explorer I. On the far right is an F-1 Engine that powered the first stage of the Saturn V (with 5 of them) and the tail of a Saturn IB rocket (which I'll show better in a bit). This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D with an exposure of 1/250 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Beaches and launch pads

I'm on vacation in Florida and I decided to scout out some possible viewing locations for my next Florida vacation during a Space Shuttle launch. This beach is Playalinda beach north of KSC in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Looking south in this image shows the LC39A launch pads just over the dunes off the beach on the right side of this image. Not sure if this area would be open during a launch, though, but it would be a great area as the shuttle climbs out towards the northeast off the launch pad. This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/250 seconds at f/6.3, ISO 100 with a circular polarizer.

Apollo Soyuz Test Project - Apollo Capsule

This Apollo capsule (the CM in CSM-111) was originally slated to fly the Apollo 18 mission to the Moon, but after that mission was canceled, it was reassigned to the fly the Apollo Soyuz Test Project which happened 35 years ago this month (the Apollo & Soyuz docked on July 17, 1975 and undocked on July 19). Commanded by Tom Stafford with Mercury 7 astronaut Deke Slayton and Vance Brand, the Apollo rendezvoused and docked with Soyuz 19 commanded by Alexei Leonov with Valeri Kubasov as his Flight Engineer. The ASTP Apollo capsule can be found in the California Science Center. You can see a replica of the Cassini spacecraft that still orbits Saturn in the background. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/40 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 400.

Mercury Redstone 2

Here is another spacecraft at the California Science Center. This is the Mercury capsule that carried the first hominid into space (an immigrant American, BTW) on January 31, 1961, about 2 and a half months before Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight. The Mercury Redstone 2 carried Ham, a Chimpanzee on a suborbital flight that paved the way for Alan Shepard (the 2nd American in space...) 4 months later. This image was taken with the kit lens on my 20D at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/160 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 400.

The view inside the capsule shows the capsule within the capsule that Ham rode in during his flight. This image was taken at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/100 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 400.

Iridescent clouds

Pretty sunset tonight with iridescent clouds above the setting sun. You can also see a crepuscular ray coming up from the sun going across one of the most prominent of the iridescent clouds. This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

The Hatch

I found the Apollo Command Module from the Apollo Soyuz Test Project at the California Science Center. Being the Apollo Geek that I am, I started taking closeup pictures of every part of the machine that I could get close enough to. This is part of the hatch mechanism. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/20 seconds at f/3.5, ISO 400.

There goes the sun du'n do do...

Can't help singing my 2nd favorite George Harrison tun with the alternate lyrics as our nearest stellar neighbor sinks slowly below the waves.... This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/60 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Another view of a San Diego sunset

Another view of the setting sun near Encinitas California, north of San Diego. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/320 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Sunset on the Beach

The sunset approaches near Swami's Seaside Park north of San Diego. This image was taken with the kit lens at 18mm focal length with an exposure of 1/400 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Surfer

With the sun approaching the horizon behind him, this surfer rides a wave on a beach near Encinitas north of San Diego. This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Sleeveless the Magician

Sleeveless the Magician does his show at Balboa Park in San Diego. If you happen to see him, be sure to stop and enjoy his magic and his humor. This image was taken with the kit lens at 30mm focal length with an exposure of 1/80 seconds at f/8, ISO 100.

Flowers in Balboa Park

Last Saturday I visited the Ruben H. Fleet Science Museum in San Diegos Balboa Park. Across the street was a large flower garden in whiich I found this flower. This image was taken with the kit lens at 41mm focal length with an exposure of 1/1000 seconds at f/6.3, ISO 100.

Swimming with the sharks

While I was at the California Science Center, I got to "swim with sharks". Ok, actually, we were in the shark tunnel and he was swimming on the other side of some glass. This image was taken with my 20D and the kit lens at 31mm focal length with an exposure of 1/500 seconds at f/5.0, ISO 400.

California Sunset

I was in LA last Friday and stopped to watch the sunset south of LA while driving to San Diego. I didn't get to put my toes in the water Friday night, but Saturday night I made sure to take a long walk on a beach near San Diego. This image was taken with the kit lens at 55mm focal length with an exposure of 1/80 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 100.

Hey, stand still, I'm taking a long exposure!

Dave and Bill work at the 90 inch Bok Telescope on Kitt Peak while I took some pictures of the telescope. In this case, the exposure of 2 seconds at f/2.8 with my 10mm fisheye lens with the camera at ISO 200.

Sunset on Kitt Peak

While observing at the Steward Observatory 90 inch Bok Telescope, we got this view to the south around sunset. It was a pretty sunset for a photographer, but not very pretty for an astronomer..... This view shows the Spacewatch 36 inch dome in the foreground and the 3.5-meter WIYN telescope in the background. This image was taken with my 20D with an exposure of 1/60 seconds at f/5.6 and ISO 400 with my kit lens at 55mm focal length.

Spiderman works on the 90 inch

Who do you call when your leaky telescope dome needs repairing? Spiderman, of course. This image was taken at 55mm focal length with an expsoure of 1/400 seconds at f/10, ISO 100.

Fisheye Sunset

This fisheye sunset shows the Spacewatch 36 inch with the Steward Observatory 90 inch and the Kitt Peak 4-m telescopes on the right. This image was taken with my 10mm fisheye lens with an expsoure of 1.200 seconds at f/5.6, ISO 400.