Looking Out the Launch Tower

The massive bulk of a giant hinge dominates the left side of the photo, as the lines of the door fall away to the ground, scarily distant. Beyond the gray concrete of the flame deflector and pad area the dark green foliage tumbles down to the deep blue sea. (94K JPEG)

Here's the view from the eighth floor of the launch tower. One of the hinges of the big door is visible on the left, and at the bottom you can see the turntable (in stowed position). The flame deflector and sound suppression system is just above the turntable, and the Pacific Ocean is just at the top of the frame. The small white box at the edge of the concrete area is one of the tracking cameras, which must get rather warm at launch.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center