The bus to the launch pads
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Paul was a pretty great tour guide
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All temporary badged birds
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The security checkpoint leading to the Kennedy Space Center proper, not just the visitor complex
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Space Launch Complex 40! This is where SpaceX launches Falcon 9s from
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SLC-41 with a vehicle assembly building next to it
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The VAB for SLC-37. You can see a Delta IV being assembled inside!
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The big VAB looms in the background
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Various support buildings in between our road and SLC-40
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The KSC VAB, with the mobile launcher for SLS in the background
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From this angle we can see into the new SpaceX hangar at LC-39A
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Luckily, the rain kept away from us even if it did threaten us all day
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I think Topaz is having a good time
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Back to the bus? So soon?
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Posing in front of SLC-40
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This is a bad picture of this bird but Topaz liked it so I guess here it is
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We also drove around the Industrial Area a bit
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Some neat valves and stuff outside the cryo test lab
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If I remember correctly, this is the building where the Orion test vehicle was housed
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It's so awesome seeing the VAB peeking up over the trees
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Paul was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. A perfect tour guide!
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We're going towards the VAB!
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The Orbiter Processing Facilities, where the shuttles used to live! Now they're being used by other aerospace companies and organizations
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The SLS MLP. Tired of acronyms yet?
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We're on the Saturn Causeway!
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The old shuttle mobile launch platform and crawler, backed off from LC-39A at the request of SpaceX who didn't want it
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The always impressive treads of the crawler
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Pieces of LC-39B, I believe
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It turns out the road to Pad B was washed out a few days earlier so we got to go to Pad A and see what SpaceX has been up to!
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It's the new SpaceX hangar! Nearly complete but still not adorned with the SpaceX logo
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The FSS and RSS of LC-39A, left in place by SpaceX
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Lots of activity. By the time I got home from Florida that horizontal beam was already dismantled
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Let's take a peek inside the new hangar!
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Hey SpaceX, the logo on your security truck has the wrong aspect ratio!
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The fixed service structure, left in place by SpaceX. It will later be modified to support their launches
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They're even repainting the water tower
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The rotating service structure will also be left in place until they need to get rid of it. It's expensive to remove giant metal structures!
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Another angle of this amazing historical structure
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Nooo, we're going further away!
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Topaz snaps a few photos. Appropriate since we are at the A/B camera site!
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The VAB as seen from the A/B camera site
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We couldn't visit LC-39B but we could still see it from the camera site
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It's hot and humid, but it's pretty
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Looking back towards the bus and the VAB
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Posing with LC-39A again. A year later and a few pounds lighter
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Topaz thinks launchpads are neat
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This is every mission that launched from LC39-A!
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I don't have as many pictures of me on this trip.. but rest assured my smile was just as big the whole time
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Whoa! They painted an American flag on the side of the SpaceX hangar! That wasn't there a few days ago!
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Hello, SpaceX construction man
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Please enjoy this out of focus photo of whatever that is inside the SpaceX hangar
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Another view of the crawler and MLP
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Now onwards.. to the VAB!
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