Obama Quandary

The Operations and Checkout Building in which President Obama was to speak, as seen from the Enginering Development Laboratory.

Before I left Australia Peter Aylward had alerted me to the possibility of scoring an Australian media coup - President Obama was to visit KSC during my stay in Florida.

I had immediately dismissed the suggestion that I would be able to see any part of his visit as I thought the event would be a closed shop for KSC employees only and that no media, let alone Australian media, would be allowed to take part.

I was astonished when, on Monday, the KSC Media Accreditation website posted an invitation for media to apply to cover the Presidential visit. I read the announcement carefully, looking for the clause that said foreign media need not apply, or at least, the usual foreign media must apply one month in advance statement. No, nothing! Perhaps it was worth a chance of applying, although I didn't hold out any hope of a successful application.

Media had to choose between two alternatives: go to the Shuttle Landing Facility (airstrip) to see Air Force One arrive and, several hours later, depart; OR go to where the President would deliver a speech. You could NOT do both.

The media advisory said the camera "throw" would be 60 metres, which I took to mean you would be 60 metres from the President as he left and reboarded his aircraft.

This did not appeal as much as being in the same room as the President for half an hour. It seemed like a no-brainer to be with the President. Some rooms in the Kennedy Space Center are large, but few are 60 metres long!

But . . . . Almost unlimited numbers could be accommodated at the airstrip and only a few dozen at the speech. Apart from the general opinion that foreign media would be barred from the event, if I applied for one of the limited spaces at the speech and was unsuccessful, it would be too late to reapply for the airstrip.

My choice was like a game-show contestant - do I take the money or the box, take the prize already on offer or go for the next question?

I chose the speech, and submitted my application from the Titusville Public Library on Tuesday morning, with no expectation of success. But, as every gambler says, you've gotta be in to win!

Imagine my utter astonishment when, on Wednesday, I logged into my e-mail to discover a message saying my application had been approved!! I had to reread the message three times before I believed it was true.

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