Quiet Before the Storm

Off in the distance, you can see the flight line (well, at full size you can). Spectators stay behind that line, and photographers like me wander the field.

For a sense of location for the other photos, the regular pads are the line of black dots in the distance. They have numbered flags. These are the high power pads, with A – E lettered flags. The “away pads” are behind me, much farther away from the flight line.

These launch rails pivot down for rocket loading (as on the right). They are much taller than me. I am looking down on them because I am perched on a large ladder.

You can see some craters in the playa from the prior day.