It was a perfect day to stand around in the sun next to the San Francisco Bay to wait for the Space Shuttle Endeavor to fly by on it’s final in the air. Folks check their phones to find out it had left Sacramento and was headed our way. Then there it was low and slow over the East Bay Hills, much bigger than a jumbo jet, but still a dot on the horizon. No one cared this was historic. A machine that had been in outer space was passing over our heads. It circled the Bay and headed over the to Golden Gate Bridge
and we thought it was done with it’s farewell tour of the bay. Then the Shuttle turned and came towards us straight over the Port of Oakland home of giant Star Wars inspiring cranes. Science meeting science fiction! The story is goes that George Lucas saw these cranes when he flew into Oakland Airport and used their shape as robot elephants in Star Wars II.
Seconds later the piggyback shuttle was above my head so close I could see the NASA insignia. I am thrilled to have captured that picture.. I remember the day the principal of my school came into our science class to tell us that the US was in big trouble because the Soviet Union had launch Sputnik. We were told to be afraid but study hard. A lot has changed since then.
Can we learn from the perspective of time to overcome the fears and struggles we face in 2012?
Light Words 
I watched that on the news this afternoon. Was really kind of sad to see it on a “final” mission. I have mixed emotions about ending our space exploration. I guess because I have been around since Sputnik and have watched all the missions since. Remember when they sent the monkey up into space and returned it to the earth. I thought that was something. Then a few years later we were on the moon. Just amazing!! But maybe later we will return to the USA exploring space. Gotta be something out there???
Neal
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For some reason my dad had a space capsule key chain from the 60’s so cool! I think the space program was a big part of our childhood and so we are saying good-bye to it today. Got a great picture though 🙂
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I also remember just after Sputnik was put into orbit I went to Denver one summer for a couple of weeks to visit my friend Jack. We would sit out in their back yard every night and watch Sputnik go over. Was really interesting for a small kid to see that. Lots of memories Carol!!!
Neal
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Oh yes we sat out and watched sputnik, too. You know you still can track satellites up there?
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What a great picture! Best I have seen. Thank you for sending it.
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Oh my well thank you. It was a trill getting it.
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I am so mad at myself that I missed out on this. Furious. This was a once in a lifetime thing, and all I had to do was go down to Crissy Field to see it. Instead I decided I would watch from my home, which is in the fog belt, so I heard it, but need your great photo to appreciate it.
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I missed seeing a tiger in the jungle once because of a poor choice and all I did was hear it. Must be the same feeling. I’m doubly glad I posted this now 🙂 Makes me think there must but be wonderful things we’ve experienced and don’t know how lucky we are. FYI, today the Equinox, is a day to count our blessing and look at what wonders we have in our life.
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Wow! Amazing photos. Long long ago I was invited by my sister, who worked for NASA, to witness a launch of the space shuttle Discovery. Hard to believe that era is over.
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What a thrill that must have been! I’ve seen the trail from Florida’s West coast as it took off but not up close.
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