I would like to start first off by saying that Florida is weird. Great, but weird. Alright I had to get that off my chest before I could start.
I finally got my first big assignment for The Denver Post. I spent two weeks ago I spent a week in Cape Canaveral, Florida preparing for the launch of the space craft Orion, which could inevitably place humans on Mars, as well as asteroids within the next 20-30 years. Once again, one of those moments you realize that you are so lucky to be doing what you do for a living. Even though if you would have asked me how I felt about it on one of my two 25+ hour days you might have gotten a different answer or maybe just some form of sleep deprived gibberish. Overall though, it was an adventure that brought back my childhood dreams of space and my adult love of engineering feats that make you realize that anything is possible. All you have to do is dream it and then go after it.
Anyways enough of the sappy, soul touching, life changing experience that is watching a rocket launch, let's get to the week. So the writer had made amazing connections with ULA and Lockheed Martin before we headed off to the Kennedy Space Center, so we had some great behind the scene access over anyone else pretty much. For a little back story, ULA and Lockheed Martin, who developed the Delta IV Heavy rocket and the Orion spacecraft are both based in Colorado, which allowed us to have a reason to go all the way to Florida. Leaving on a red eye flight from Denver, we landed in Orlando and went straight to work with an entire tour of the ULA facilities and getting to see a few rockets being tested. Beyond that, got a few behind the scenes of the control center which was used in the filming of Transformer 3 if you are into nerding out like I was.
Now the one thing that I thought would be the easiest of the week would be making photos of the rocket, but then you start to realize that you have four days of basically a rocket sitting there without moving and you need to make unique photos everyday. I mean it was just there. Even when it prepared for launch, the tower moved and not the rocket. So when you get a little further down the blog you will see how that struggle came out.
All in all, it was one hell of an experience. My remote cameras didn't work, but much love to Red Huber, for taking time out of his days to help this wet behind the ear photographer try to make some really cool photos. On top of that, I am now going to push to make my way back for the next launch in 2018 and 2021. Until next time,
B. Lewis
The Atlas Operations Center, which was used in the firming of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon", handles all of the Atlas launches Monday, December 1, 2014 at United Launch Alliance launch facilities at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
A Delta IV booster sits in the Horizontal Integration Facility on Monday, December 1, 2014 at United Launch Alliance launch facilities at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Orion spacecraft sits at Space Launch Complex 37 going through final preparations for launch Monday, December 1, 2014 at United Launch Alliance launch facilities at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Crews work to check communications and run tests on the Orion spacecraft in the Launch Control Center on Monday, December 1, 2014 at United Launch Alliance launch facilities at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
An Orion spacecraft model sits inside of the Lockheed Martin tent Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
People begin to walk up to the base of the Orion spacecraft after it is fully out of the Mobile Service Tower on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Space Launch Complex 37 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Members of the media look at the spacecraft Orion after the Mobile Service Tower rolled away from it Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Space Launch Complex 37 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Members of the media look at the spacecraft Orion after the Mobile Service Tower rolled away from it Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Space Launch Complex 37 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Members of the media look at the spacecraft Orion after the Mobile Service Tower rolled away from it Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Space Launch Complex 37 at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The spacecraft Orion sits on the launchpad while awaiting to attempt liftoff Thursday, December 4, 2014 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Orion space craft begins to make it's way off of the launch pad during liftoff Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Orion space craft begins to make it's way off of the launch pad during liftoff Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Orion space craft begins to make it's way off of the launch pad during liftoff Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The Orion space craft begins to make it's way off of the launch pad during liftoff Friday, December 5, 2014 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida.