Descending inch by inch, the crane operator cautiously lowered the fragile cargo toward the hard floor below. Dozens of eyes, human and electronic, watched along to ensure a clear path. One slip, one inadvertent touch against the wall, and disaster might mark the day.
It's a scene that's often been played out inside the massive Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where Saturn 5 moon rockets and Space Shuttles were assembled on their mobile launchers. Soon the Space Launch System will join that legacy.