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It was another bright and early day for NASA Social, with our arrival at the rocket gardens at 9AM. The theme of the day was saying goodbye, having the last few moments to explore Kennedy Space Center and then spend some serious time with the shuttle. This time, however, we were joined by several thousand more people.

I could droll on and on about the logistics, but really it was a day spent with the shuttle. One great moment before we got to Exploration Park (where we could see the shuttle being moved) was a special appearance by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden. He came aboard the NASA Social bus to say “Hello!” and answer a few questions.

To be quite frank, I don’t know much about him. Bolden was an astronaut aboard four flights, logging over 680 hours in space. He spoke a lot about wanting to reengage the public (particularly children) in math, science, and space. The shuttle program may be over, but tomorrow is the future. There are many great explorations ahead for NASA. Bolden also spoke at the movement of the shuttle in Exploration Park.

We spent many hours with the Atlantis today. We watched her roll through Exploration Park and park herself right around a bend in the road. There were so many great photos along the way. It’s hard not to share them all and say, “Hey look at this!” I’m so happy to have got to share this moment with my new found friends family, NASA Social.

Photo by Mike McLeod

I can’t believe it’s over. Not only my experience with NASA Social, but the shuttle program. I probably said the same thing after the last launch, but this is different. This is the real end, the final goodbye; there are no more shuttle launches, big moves, or otherwise. I’m so glad I got to be there to see it make the final move towards it’s resting place at KSC.

Photo by Elliot Lee