Presence of Mind Lost

The Vehicle Assembly Building as seen from the "wrong" side of Thomas.
The STS 132 stack inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.

I was so impressed by this experience that at this point I lost my presence of mind. Instead of sitting on the other side of "Thomas" from where I had sat upon arrival, I sat in the same seat. This now placed me on the side facing away from the Vehicle Assembly Building as we drove past. Suddenly everyone started yelling in excitement. The door to the Vehicle Assembly Building was now wide open, revealing the full stature of the STS 132 stack. I could only console myself by taking photos over the shoulders of the luckier folks sitting on the right hand side of the bus.

Although the Space Center's staff restaurant was a short stroll from the News Center, I only twice managed to get a meal there as it only served meals at noon, and on some days it was inexplicably closed. So, once off the bus, I hopped into my car and drove out to the KSC Visitor's Center where I was able to buy a meal at the "Orbit" restaurant.

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