Finally, the time has come after all the long hours, hard work and endless meetings, it's November. We're here at Kennedy Space Center...and we all hope we're ready. Looking around the room in the meeting today, people are serious, but not panicked...not yet.
The JPL staff is neatly tucked away in a building called the MOSB (I have no idea what that stands for).
Today was about finding my way around, checking in with everyone who needs me, and getting settled. Fred Battle was kind enough to show me the local facilities on base, and Bob Koukol gave me the end-to-end tour of Cocoa Beach (all 5 miles of it). Got my cube (near one end of the farm) and I'm ready to go.
Got my first glimpse of the local fauna, too. KSC sits in the middle of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge...plenty of birds: osprey, vultures, egrets, countless shore birds, and these
funny lizard-like creatures. Pretty cool.The wind was blowing out of the north, not suitable for launch. Tropical Storm Sean is out to the east, kicking up some good waves.
The viewing gallery won't be this one, I'm told. Too close for our payload. Too bad, this one has a nice view.
Tomorrow, I'm going to the little white building you see through the bleachers. Hope I'm not afraid of heights.
