May 1973. ; I was nearing the end of my junior year in high school. ; One of my main hobbies (besides photography) was flying model rockets. ; When the guys in the Indianapolis Model Rocket Association heard that NASA was going to launch two rockets in as many days, including the last Saturn V ever, we immediately made plans to attend.
We wrote to our US Senator to get a viewing pass (this was before you could buy launch viewing tickets at the visitor center) and told our teachers we were going to miss a few days of school. ; On a Friday evening, my father, two friends and I left for the 16-hour overnight drive from Indy to Orlando to meet another group who drove down separately.
Saturday afternoon, we headed to KSC to take the tour. ; At that time, there was one tour that visited the old launch sites at CCAFB, pads 39A and 39B and finished with a visit inside the VAB.
When we got to the pad with the Skylab itself, they let us off the bus for photos. ; Today, you don't get anywhere near this close.
We wrote to our US Senator to get a viewing pass (this was before you could buy launch viewing tickets at the visitor center) and told our teachers we were going to miss a few days of school. ; On a Friday evening, my father, two friends and I left for the 16-hour overnight drive from Indy to Orlando to meet another group who drove down separately.
Saturday afternoon, we headed to KSC to take the tour. ; At that time, there was one tour that visited the old launch sites at CCAFB, pads 39A and 39B and finished with a visit inside the VAB.
When we got to the pad with the Skylab itself, they let us off the bus for photos. ; Today, you don't get anywhere near this close.
