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Photographer Ted Huetter has released a new book titled "Waiting for Spaceships: Scenes from a Desert Community in Love with the Space Shuttle," which captures the enthusiasm of those who gathered to witness space shuttle landings. For nearly three decades, five orbiters—Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour—conducted missions as part of NASA's Space Transportation System. Although all launches occurred at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, more than 50 missions landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Huetter notes that some spectators came because they had contributed to building the shuttles. He writes about adventurous retirees traveling from across the country to witness both shuttle launches and landings. Spectators faced challenges such as watching landings from a desert site miles away from the runway.
To support these dedicated fans, the Air Force provided amenities like potable water and portable facilities at an authorized viewing site near Edwards Air Force Base. Huetter himself camped there during eight shuttle landings in the 1980s, beginning with STS-4 on July 4, 1982.
