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| Setting up cameras alongside Atlantis at Pad 39A for crew interviews. |
All too soon - at about 7:50 am - we were herded back onto "Thomas" the bus.
In a few seconds I was to be very, very thankful that "Thomas" was archaic. You see, back in the 1950's and 1960's they made buses with windows you could open.
We left the folks of NASA TV setting up their equipment, and began a slow 15-minute drive for a full 360 degrees counter clockwise circle around Atlantis.
With whoops of delighted surprise we dove to the left-hand side of "Thomas", flung open the windows, pointed our cameras out of the glass free apertures and merrily clicked away.
This perimeter road has a radius of 350 metres, centred on the spot where the Atlantis sat.
I was able to not only photograph Atlantis, her External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters from every angle, but also get close-up shots of much of the pad support structure. The spherical oxygen and hydrogen tanks, the flame trench, the crew emergency slide wire and safety bunker, and much besides.
Although we didn't stop, and the road was a little rough, the walking speed drive was slow enough and the sunshine bright enough to permit fast shutter speeds and hence reasonably sharp photos even when using moderate telephoto lenses.
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Text, images and audio Copyright to Andrew Rennnie, 2010