The Construction of Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-B

A very personal and technical written and photographic history, by James MacLaren.


Page 20: A Drive Down Beach Road.
Pad B Stories - Table of Contents


And you leave your home every workday.

And you roll down Beach Road past Pad A every workday.

Twice, in fact.

Once on your way to work, and once again on your way from work. And of course sometimes, you have other, additional, reasons to traverse that stretch of asphalt, too. It has become very familiar territory. And you always keep your camera with you as you drive.

And then one day, over at Pad A, which has only very recently been completed, even as you're working on B Pad, this happens.

For the first time ever.

Image 019. The dawning of a new age in spaceflight manifests itself in the form of an incredible gigantic flying machine like no other that had come before it, at any time, at any place. Colombia, sitting in its launch position at the Launch Pad on top of the MLP with the RSS rolled back in its de-mate position, as seen driving along Beach Road past Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on the way to work at Pad 39-B which was still under construction at the time. Photograph by James MacLaren.
And you feel it.

You feel it all around you as you drive past.

You feel it inside of you, as you drive past.

Image 020. The dawning of a new age in spaceflight manifests itself in the form of an incredible gigantic flying machine like no other that had come before it, at any time, at any place. Colombia, sitting in its launch position at the Launch Pad on top of the MLP with the RSS rolled back in its de-mate position, as seen driving along Beach Road past Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on the way to work at Pad 39-B which was still under construction at the time. Photograph by James MacLaren.
And you shiver as you realize..... this is really happening.

Image 021. The dawning of a new age in spaceflight manifests itself in the form of an incredible gigantic flying machine like no other that had come before it, at any time, at any place. Colombia, sitting in its launch position at the Launch Pad on top of the MLP with the RSS rolled back in its de-mate position, as seen driving along Beach Road past Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on the way to work at Pad 39-B which was still under construction at the time. Photograph by James MacLaren.

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