NASA baby... yeah (do your best Austin Powers)

Our engineering club got a behind the scenes tour of NASA a couple of weeks ago. They asked me to come along so they would be sure and have enough professors. We got to talk with engineers who work with the International Space Station and the Vehicle assembly building. We also got to go drive around Pad 39B where Discovery is waiting to launch. Very cool stuff. Click on any of the pictures to make them bigger



The Vehicle assembly building. This is where they "stacked" the Saturn V for the Apollo missions and where they attach the shuttle, Solid rocket boosters and external tank.



Inside the VAB. Photography does not do it justice. It used to be the largest building in the world in terms of volume. Now it's #3 but still huge.



A used Shuttle engine bell in the VAB.



The tops of the solid rocket boosters waiting to be stacked for the next shuttle mission which is going to the Hubble.



Discovery on the pad



Looking straight down the flame trench.



The fence directly in the path of the flame trench where you really really don't want to be during launch.