Ground Floor of the Cavern

From the floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building we see the shuttle move towards the Saturn Causeway that leads to Pad 39A. Marks from the caterpillar tracks on the Vehicle Assembly Building's floor provide mute evidence of this beast's passing. Xenon lights are now able to illuminate both sides of the Shuttle stack. Already the wire gate is being slid shut, calling to mind the pharese: "Bolting the stable door after the horse has gone!"

Hurriedly we gathered our equipment, and at 12:15 am, descended to the ground floor of the VAB. This time the view out through the glass wall of the lift was not as spectacular as during the ascent, now that the building was empty.

After emerging through security, and having traded our building passes for our STS 131 Media Badges, we paused for six minutes to take more photos of the shuttle as it receded from the vast door of the VAB bay.

Then we made our way out of the building, torn between the desire to linger looking up at the ceiling, almost lost to sight in the dim light, and wanting to get out to where we could see the STS 132 stack roll past.

Then it was into the NASA van and a quick drive back to the Press Site.

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